Washing & Care Instructions
Keep clean to satisfy the standard. And to increase the product’s service life.
Your workwear and PPE garments must always be clean to be safe and satisfy the standard. Garments covered in dirt will significantly decrease visibility and other properties and may thereby put you in danger. Frequent washing will also help materials last much longer since dust and dirt may destroy fibres by abrasion.
A longer service life for the product is good for both your finances and the environment. The flame and heat protection in protective clothing made of fabrics with inherent flame-resistant properties cannot be washed or worn out. In fact, regular washing ensures that the garments do not contain any dirt or flammable particles that will compromise the protective properties.
Washing machine
• Read and follow the washing instructions on the garment’s care label. • Make sure to close all zippers, (press) buttons, hook and loop fasteners, etc. and turn the garment inside out before putting it in the washing machine to prevent damage to the fabric. • When washing garments with reflective details (reflective stripes etc.), you should always wash the garments inside out. The reflectivity of any reflective material will be reduced every time garments are washed without being turned inside out. Note that damage to the flameretardant, visibility or reflective properties of the material may not be visible to the naked eye. • Fill the washing machine to reduce the number of washing cycles.
Detergents
• Use organic detergent that is friendly to the environment and your skin to prevent skin irritation. • Use special wool detergent for woollen garments. • Do not use more detergent than necessary in order to protect the environment and the fabrics and to avoid lumps of detergent on your clothes. • Do not use softener, as it may reduce the performance of the fabric as well as contain many hazardous chemicals that are not always listed on the label. • Softener and soap-based detergents should always be avoided when washing PPE garments as they leave traces of either fat/grease from soap or chemicals that could counteract the properties of the fabrics.
Temperature and drying
If the clothes are only slightly dirty, use lower temperatures in order to save energy and protect the fabrics. Washing at 40 degrees instead of 60 degrees saves almost 50% energy.
Drying
• Insofar as is possible, dry outside in the air or on a drying rack. However, certain garments must be tumble dried at a high temperature to retain their properties – read the label carefully. • When using a dryer, do not use a higher temperature than necessary in order to save energy, avoid shrinkage and protect the fabrics. • Do not let the garments stay in the washing machine after washing, hang them on a drying rack immediately in order to prevent creases.
Materials
• To protect fabrics, reflective tapes and prints, turn the garments inside out before washing them. • Wool is a natural product that can keep itself clean; it does not need to be washed as often as cotton or man-made materials. • The garment’s care instructions should be followed particularly carefully when washing rainwear. Some rainwear has sealed tapes that can be damaged during wash and dry cycles, and other rainwear garments must be tumbled dried or ironed to renew the water resistance.
Never mix certified and non-certified garments
You should never mix certified garments with non-certified garments in the same wash, since non-certified garments may bleed colours and/or chemicals that will damage the certified garments.
Damaged garments
If the garment has been exposed to chemicals or heat/flame, it must be carefully examined to make sure that the fabric is undamaged. If a certified garment needs to be repaired, you must only use approved/certified materials and fabrics.