Laundering FR Clothing at home is pretty easy. However, there are some key things that can cause problems
. Let’s discuss and you can offer your experiences.
Basic Instructions and normal soil levels:
Step 1: Wash inside out in warm water with detergent only.
- For stubborn stains, you can pretreat with Shout, Spray & Wash or Zout. Also, washing in Hot water (120℉) may help.
- Riverside recommends Tide Liquid for normal soil levels. The liquid version is great for removing oily stains. If you have a newer, front-loading machine, use the HE version of these liquid detergents. Use the recommended amount of detergent.
- Note that washing inside out will provide longer wear life and may avoid streaking lines in FR denim, but it is not required for any FR reason.
Step 2: Tumble dry warm. Press if desired.
- Remove items immediately from the dryer for best wrinkle performance.
- Iron FR Cottons on high heat if necessary. For Firewear, Reliant, Tecasafe and other modacrylic fabrics make sure to iron on a medium setting so that the fabric stays soft.
KEEP IT SIMPLE. DO NOT TRY EXTRA STUFF!
- DO NOT USE FABRIC SOFTENERS.
- DO NOT USE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE OR CHLORINE BLEACH ALONE
OR AS AN INGREDIENT IN A DETERGENT. - DO NOT USE SOAP. (Detergents and soaps are different.)
Note 1: If garments are soiled with a flammable contaminant that did not come out after one wash (If you can still smell the contaminant), repeat steps one and two. If the garment still has a noticeable smell of a flammable contaminant, dry cleaning is advised. Garments that are soaked in a flammable liquid may need to be removed from service and destroyed.
Note 2: Although not common, if you have very hard water, you should use a water softener or a detergent (such as Tide® Liquid) that is meant for hard water to ensure that the garments are being cleaned properly and that the FR properties are not being masked.
Note 3: ASTM has published a new guide for home laundering FR clothing (ASTM F2757-09).
Please refer to that document for additional information.
I’m reading your blog and giving thoughts as I read them.
I don’t know that ASTM F2757 has more info than you gave but it is good to list it.
From talking with a chemist at PG, he said you should use powder because liquids have to make a lot of trade-offs to keep things in suspension. He also said you should buy Tide in the area you are washing in since it is formulated for the hardness of the water in the area.
That’s all I have more than what you did. GREAT JOB!
Thanks,
Can I get the name and Phone of the chemist?
F2757 had a PG tech guy there and he said that liquid was better for oily stains and that powder was better for dirty stains. I want to ask him. I agree with the local detergent issue. We had trouble with that once (Non-FR).
Also, the new consumer reports has a report on home detergents and it has some other points of interest. Key point is that Tide is the best. I thought that most HE detergents were liquid.
I only use the powder in my HE washer. It is made for HE though. I know they have both.
The chemist I talked to was on a plane. Just happened. He made sense though from what I know about chemistry. You can do two or more things with powder and they can balance each other but if you have to suspend it in a liquid you might have to make tradeoffs.
The chemist said on oily stains he recommended to pretreat with a Shout (as you suggested) or to make a paste of the Tide.
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