Cleaning Nomex Fabric
I get the question of how to clean Nomex work clothing quite often so I believe this post would be a good resource for this.
The first and foremost point is yes you can clean the Nomex at home or in an Industrial laundry as long as the guidelines are followed.
The following information is provided as a guideline for cleaning the NOMEX® fabric weather it be shirts, pants coveralls or jackets. Cleaning Nomex fabric should be achieved in 140°F or less temperature using a buffered, non ionic detergent. By using higher temperatures this will not damage the fabric quality only lead to color fading. This is usually what happens with industrial laundering and creates more wear on a garment than home laundering as the launderers tend to over dry the garments in the cleaning processes.
Nomex apparel can be both laundered and dry cleaned without any adverse damage to the fiber. Regular washing and drying is usually sufficient except when the garments have been subject to excessive amounts of oil and grease. It is suggested to launder Nomex clothing by themselves or with the same type of fabric so as not to have any flammable substances attach themselves to the garments such as lint.
You should also not use fabric softener as the elements of this additive are flammable. Dry cleaning procedures are designed to remove oil and grease very efficiently from the Nomex fabric. The only stipulation is that the apparel must be completely dried to remove all solvents used in the process.
The one product that can damage the flame resistant properties when cleaning Nomex fabric is chlorine bleach. This substance should never be used in the cleaning process.
As far as shrinkage goes the Nomex fabric will shrink very little much like the polyester/cotton blend material. In cleaning the Nomex fabric the drying times are very fast as Nomex does not retain moisture very good.
Terry Smeader
Latest posts by Terry Smeader (see all)
- Elevating Workplace Safety with Premier FR Clothing Solutions - October 9, 2024
- Elevating Worksite Safety with Bulwark Style CLBX Cat2 FR Coveralls - October 3, 2024
- Elevating Workplace Safety with Rasco FR’s Lightweight Bib Overalls - August 22, 2024
