Fire-resistant clothes or flame-resistant clothes are often worn by workers, as personal protective equipment to resist fire or extreme heat. Even after they are exposed to excessive heat or flame, they build a barrier between the skin and the outer atmosphere.
There are two types of Fire Resistant clothing available out there in the store — treated and inherent FR products. But the question arises — how long they last for? There are some points listed below that states how long you can use your Fire Resistant clothing.
1) Repair the FR clothing from time to time:
You must repair the FR material after a particular interval of time to make it long-lasting. It provides a worker with complete safety and increases their determination and zeal towards their work.
This is why; it must always be repaired by using the fabric, which is consistent with the original fabric that has been used to make the garment. As there are chances that any other material might react indifferently to both laundering and thermal exposure. This way, the Fire Resistant clothing could be used for a long time.
2) Use FR thread for repairing:
FR threads should be used compulsorily while repairing. As other non-FR threads tend to burn quickly, easily expose flame or heat, cause injuries, and torn apart the sewn area. Hence, it is vital to use FR threads every time the FR material is used to increase its life expectancy.
3) Additional FR stuff:
While adding or repairing other elements like knit cuffs, zippers, reflective tape, buttons, drawstrings, etc. should also be marked as FR or high-temperature resistant. Non-FR components may lead to injuries and even can ignite when ex-posed to high temperatures.
Repairing Fire Resistant garments with proper FR components is very crucial to extend the life of your garments. Also, it provides insulation from the hot atmosphere, and either resists ignition or self-extinguishes.
4) Avoid mechanical damage:
Try to avoid cuts, tears, rips, open seams, and other non-functional closures. As these damages cannot be repaired and ultimately you have to replace your Fire Resistant garments. So, to make it more long-lasting and increase its durability, try to avoid such damages as much as you can.
5) Must be heavily soiled:
Fire Resistant clothing must be soiled with flammable chemicals or combustible, which must be managed by experienced individuals with proper techniques and pre-established processes. This way, it will be easy to remove flammable sub-stances like solids, solvents, oils, & other petroleum stuff.
If these substances aren’t removed from the Fire Resistant garment, the presence of these chemical or petroleum odor may cause flammability risk. This will reduce the effectiveness of the FR material. Therefore, it is very important that your Fire Resistant clothing is a stain or chemical removal so that you can use it in the long run.
6) Wash carefully:
If you want to increase the longevity of your Fire Resistant garment, you must be very careful with its washing process. You must not apply detergents with bleach. Especially chlorine bleach must be avoided strictly. Along with that, avoid detergents (containing animal fats), dryer sheets or fabric softener, as this may ruin your Fire Resistant clothes and decrease its effectiveness.
Conclusion:
Hence, these are some tips that can be used to increase the durability of your FR clothing. This way, the Fire Resistant garments can last for a long time, and you can save a lot of your money by avoiding continuous replacements.
Another thing that you must take care of before buying any Fire Resistant clothing is to make sure that the cloth is of good brand and quality. A good quality product tends to last longer than any cheap or low-quality item.
