Cleaning Turnout/Bunker Gear

[firemonkey311]

I wash mine at my station. We have a special washer and dryer for just fire gear. I use some normal clothing detergent and it always comes out.

Every time i wash my gear though there is a major call where i need it but its in the middle of a rinse cycle. haha.

Dirty gear is not a badge of honor. Keep your gear clean!

[ndvfdff33]

We just send ours away to be cleaned professionally. Easier, a bit more costly but less chance to do anything and mess it up.

[firemonkey311]

We just send ours away to be cleaned professionally. Easier, a bit more costly but less chance to do anything and mess it up.

Whats the company you use and how much does it cost?

Just out of curiousity.

[ndvfdff33]

Whats the company you use and how much does it cost?

Just out of curiousity.

Not sure to be honest. It's a small local company. They just started sending it off to them. I came in one night and had a spare set of gear sitting in my locker.

[firemonkey311]

This is an actual recreation of an event that happened at a county wide training drill involving an old jake and a young fire fighter with filthy ripped up gear.

Old Jake: You should really wash your gear.

Young Fire Fighter: I would but I am afraid it might fall apart.

Old Jake: I use that excuse for my truck.

[Freds2]

Dish soap is one of the most dangerous detergents that can be used to clean turnouts. Residue that is left in the gear and dried, is flamable! Store bought laundry detergents have dyes and perfumes in them and if you smell that clean soap smell that means something was deposited in your gear and remains. Many store bought soaps have colorsafe bleach or Oxy brand bleach which is not NFPA 1851 acceptable. For goodness sakes, don't use a fabric softener. The fabric is softened because a product is deposited in the fabric and is usually oil based. Once again, flamable.

Washing turnout gear is very important to your safety and mandatory twice a year by the NFPA and it must be washed in a compliant manor. At home washers and detergents do not fit the bill and you may endanger those who use the washer after you wash your turnouts. The soaps must conform to particular PH levels and all detergents must be removed. If you have a department washer, great but read your NFPA 1851 regs to make sure you're using the right soaps, temps and washers.

For that twice a year NFPA 1851 compliant washing and inspections, send it to a professional turnout cleaning facility. If they're ETL verified, they know what they're doing.

www.freds2therescue.com

[fire1977]

If this post is still around after I go to the firehouse I'll post what we use. It is the same company that makes "wet water."

[WD6956]

Washing turnout gear is very important to your safety and mandatory twice a year by the NFPA and it must be washed in a compliant manor. At home washers and detergents do not fit the bill and you may endanger those who use the washer after you wash your turnouts. The soaps must conform to particular PH levels and all detergents must be removed. If you have a department washer, great but read your NFPA 1851 regs to make sure you're using the right soaps, temps and washers.

For that twice a year NFPA 1851 compliant washing and inspections, send it to a professional turnout cleaning facility. If they're ETL verified, they know what they're doing.

Agreed 110%.

Unless my department had it's own washers designed specifically for turnout gear (which they don't) and gave me the proper training on the procedures to do it properly as well as the proper detergents, then i would not risk it. Especially considering how inexpensive it is. I send my pants and coat off and less a week later they are both back as clean as can be and i know it was done right. Costs about $60.00. But it's only a few times a year. Most execs spend more then that on dry cleaning.

The only thing i will wash here is the liner. I wash the liner in cold water with a detergent such as Tide Free and i wash it on a gentle cycle by itself. Then i hang it indoors to dry overnight. This will freshen up your gear, especailly after long summer days and will not impact the outer shells protective properties.