Standard Guide for Home Laundering Care and Maintenance of Flame, Thermal and Arc Resistant Clothing

This guide is intended for use by FR clothing program administrators, such as safety personnel or program administrators, who have chosen to implement a home laundered flame, thermal or arc resistant clothing program.  Home laundering is a safe, cost-effective alternative to industrial laundering and can help preserve the useful life and protective qualities of FR clothing.

This guide describes the key components involved in the home care and maintenance of flame, thermal, and arc resistant clothing.  The following procedures are highlighted:

• Garment manufacturers are responsible for providing information on their garments.  The end user is also responsible for understanding the hazards present in the workplace and selecting appropriate PPE.
• Recommendations are provided for providing optimal care and preserving flame, thermal, and arc resistant properties, as well as increasing the wear life, appearance, and comfort of the clothing.
• Laundry wash formulas should be developed by the processor and wash chemical supplier in collaboration with the clothing and fabric manufacturers based on several characteristics.
• Removal from service is recommended under certain conditions. Garments that have un-repairable damage, are worn out, or are unusable for other safety reasons, are not to be reused and should be discarded.

Repairs of flame, thermal, and arc resistant clothing should be made from components equivalent to those used in the original manufacturing to avoid reducing the performance properties of the flame resistant garment.

Home laundering has become a widely accepted method to clean FR clothing in a variety of industries. The standard can be purchased and downloaded from the ASTM website at: http://www.astm.org/Standards/F2757.htm.