For firefighters, turnout gear is more than a uniform. In fact, we'd say it's more than clothing. The jacket and pants you don for every job create a protective shield against the various hazards you face, from heat and flames to particulates to sharp objects and debris-covered surfaces.
For these reasons, maintaining your turnout gear goes beyond washing and drying. Your personal protective equipment (PPE) always needs to be ready to perform, and how you care for these garments preserves their properties and extends their use.
Why You Need to Clean Your Firefighting Turnout Gear
When it comes to your bunker gear, two scenarios potentially expose you to carcinogenic substances: Not cleaning your uniform between jobs and not following occupation-standard decontamination and cleaning procedures. More specifically:
- Thorough cleaning removes hazardous particles clinging to your uniform, including smoke and soot, and helps lessen risks for long-term health concerns.
- Extra dirt equals extra wear plus a shorter lifespan. Cleaning your turnout gear washes away these abrasive particles and two inspection stages allow you to spot varying degrees of damage.
- You're complying with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 standards for inspecting, cleaning and caring for your bunker gear - a process ultimately designed to keep you safe and limit harmful exposures on the job.
How to Clean Your Turnout Gear
As a tip, never treat your bunker gear like everyday street clothes. Instead, follow these steps:
Inspect Your Gear
It's not worth your time or effort to clean damaged garments. As preparation:
- Follow decontamination procedures at the scene to minimize particulate and chemical exposures, including for yourself, your team members and any friends and family at home. Wearing hand and eye protection, you'll brush and wash your gear with a decontamination solution before returning to your truck.
- Any garment exposed to toxic chemicals, radiation, bodily fluids, viruses or parasites must be discarded and destroyed to prevent contamination.
- Once you've returned to the station, visually assess all turnout gear for visible damage and wear, including tears, loose stitches, punctures or rips. Continue to protect your hands and eyes during this step.
- Detach all liners, hoods and firefighting gloves and inspect them individually.
Washing Your Turnout Gear
Never use your home washing machine to clean your turnout gear. The design both increases risks for damage and traps all particles released from your uniform. As a result, future loads become an exposure risk for you and your family.
To wash your gear:
- Use the machine provided by your department. These front-loading models, designed without an agitator and equipped with a stainless steel tub, offer improved extraction capabilities. As a note, proximity firefighting gear should never be machine washed.
- Also, use a turnout gear-specific detergent or soap. These 6.0 to 10.5 pH solutions better wash away debris and are less likely to leave a film behind.
- Consider spot-treating any stains ahead of time with a soft-bristled brush and pre-cleaning solution.
- Always detach and separate liners and hoods from your garments. Make sure to turn the liners inside-out, and any drag rescue devices (DRDs) should be kept in a mesh bag during their cycle.
- Keep all zippers and hook-and-loop closures secured during the wash; open or loose fasteners can tear and abrade fabric.
- Keep the water no more than 105°F, as high temperatures accelerate wear and can shrink garments. A gentle cycle also helps preserve your gear.
- Avoid washing all garments together; doing so can spread debris and harmful particulates among your full uniform and protective accessories.
- After a cycle, rinse down your garments.
- Never add softeners or chlorine bleach to the washing machine, as these products can alter your turnout gear's protective qualities and performance.
- Reflective trims should be treated with care: First, wipe them down with a damp cloth and then wash all garments in cold water with a mild detergent. Afterward, hang these garments to dry.
How to Dry and Store Your Turnout Gear
You'll encounter two theories for cleaning bunker gear: Let everything air dry, or use a dryer specifically designed to reduce mold and bacteria buildup inside your turnout gear.
In either case, keep the following in mind:
- Airdrying improves air circulation and ventilation but should be done on a line in a shaded area away from sunlight, preferably with a fan inside the room.
- Keep all layers separate as they dry.
- The heat from traditional dryers can damage your turnout gear. Should you take this route, use a fire department-specific dryer first, and then air dry all garments afterward.
- Inspect your gear for stains, odors, loose stitching, broken zippers and damage after everything has thoroughly dried. At this point, note which garments are ready for reuse and which require additional cleaning or repairs.
- Store all gear you plan to reuse in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight, heat and moisture.
From new garments to washers specifically designed for turnout gear to decontamination solutions, Fire Safety USA has your department's cleaning process covered on all fronts. Browse today to replace or upgrade your supplies.