Taking care of your flame resistant clothing can be difficult. You want to make sure that you don't accidentally reduce the effectiveness of your clothing but you also want to make sure that you don't smell when you go to work and look unprofessional. You are going to need to strike a balance between cleaning your flame resistant clothing thoroughly and not reducing its overall efficacy at protecting you from fire. Here are some tips for maintaining your flame resistant clothing.

1. Wash Flame Resistant Clothes Regularly

Every time that you wear your flame resistant clothing, then you are going to need to make sure that you wash them in order to ensure that there are no grease stains or other stains on the clothing that could create flammable layer. This will help ensure that your clothes retain their flame resistant properties.

2. Soften Your Water

If you wash your clothes in "hard water" or water that has a lot of minerals, you are going to need to also make sure that you use a filter before you wash your clothes. The hard water can cling to your clothes and buildup over time. This will make the retardants less effective after each wash. In order to stay safe, make sure that you check the mineral content of your water before washing your clothes.

3. Dry on a Low Setting

High temperatures for drying can also cause damage. In order to reduce the chances that this happens, you can either choose to line dry your clothing or only use dryers that allow you to choose the temperature at which you dry the clothing. You should try to not go above 280 degrees Fahrenheit when you're drying your clothing in order to keep the flame resistant substances strong.

4. Don't Use Chlorine or Bleach

Harsh chemicals can sometimes be found in your laundry cleaners. Check the ingredient list and get rid of any cleaners that include bleach or chlorine. These harsh chemicals can dissolve the fibers that contain the fire resistant material that keeps you safe and can leave patches of totally unprotected cloth. Simply removing any cleaners that contain these two ingredients can help ensure that you don't accidentally use them.

5. Buy Clothing a Little Big

Finally, make sure that you buy clothing that's a little bit too big for you in order to make sure that you don't dry your clothes and they shrink to the point where they are too small.

For more information, talk to a company like Oil & Gas Safety Supply.