Washing my race overalls possible in washing machine?

[pitcrew]

Hi all

Can I get away with Washing my race overalls possible in washing machine? As apposed to sending them off for dry cleaning or will the washing machine distroy them?

All comments appreciated

[JAFA851]

Well that depends on what kind of suit you have, what the washing instructions on the label say, and whether you can afford a new suit if it gets ruined in the washing machine.

I took my OMP 3 layer suit to the dry cleaners because I can't afford another $1200 for a new one. The dry cleaning obviously didn't cost too much either because I can't remember it being a drama, and I'm a real tight git.

I don't really want on be on fire one day and find out that the washing power made the suit more flammable or something.......... Up to you but I know what I'll be doing next time.

[pitcrew]

Hi Jafa

Totally agree, but have heard its no problem to wash normally and am putting the fealers out to see if any other racers have done this without problem,

[GORDON STREETER]

I think the general consensus on this is that it's ok if they are washed on their own so that they are not contaminated with other fibres .

[morninggents]

Do it on it's own on the lightest/coolest wash available on the machine with the minimum amount of washing powder.

[Dom]

My Sparco "dry clean only" number gets washed on its own, on a cold/delicate setting and then drip dried. It hasn't burst into flames yet!

[tristancliffe]

As above, I now wash my own if it's just sweat/champagne in it. For more stubborn stains (!) get it dry-cleaned.
I always make sure I turn it inside out completely, and I do up the velcro bits as well to preserve them a bit more.

[Tim Falce]

I always wash mine in the machine and have never had any problems. I use a normal 40 deg wash and that is always good enough to remove the sweat, oil and soaked in petrol that normally accumulates in the fibres. Nomex is a fire proof fabric so you wont wash any fire proofiness away unlike proban which I believe is an added fire retardant.

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

I always wash mine in the machine and have never had any problems. I use a normal 40 deg wash and that is always good enough to remove the sweat, oil and soaked in petrol that normally accumulates in the fibres. Nomex is a fire proof fabric so you wont wash any fire proofiness away unlike proban which I believe is an added fire retardant.

it may seem like pedantry but Nomes is *not* fire proof, just fire retardant. I would hate anyone to lull themselves into a false sense of security.

[GORDON STREETER]

Of course "dry cleaning" does not use any chemicals at all does it ! tetrachloroethylene !

[Flat Out Farr]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

it may seem like pedantry but Nomes is *not* fire proof, just fire retardant. I would hate anyone to lull themselves into a false sense of security.

Guys

The Nomex material used to make race overalls is essentially the same as used to make Fireman's overalls. The way it gets it's fire resistance is that it is treated with a flame retardant liquid. This is the same as how the material used to enclose "private areas" in lap-dancing clubs is treated. The code of practice requires a Class 0 spread of flame. This means that if you put a match to it, the fire self extinguishes. I deal with Music and Dance licensing in entertainment premises and I have to test these materials for compliance.

This is why when you subject a race suit to intense flames it chars like wood but does not burn. I should know. I survived a fire in my clubmans car and lived to tell the tale. Thank God for my AWS 2-layer overalls.

So, whilst sticking them in the washing machine, as others have stated, will get the grubby marks out, it also reduces the flame retardant properties of the material. Du-Pont don't say "dry clean" for nothing !

[andrewc]

Straight from the horses mouth...

Laundering guide for Nomex from DuPont

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

it may seem like pedantry but Nomes is *not* fire proof, just fire retardant. I would hate anyone to lull themselves into a false sense of security.

Not a problem, although I see you're a fully paid up member of Piston Heads

[GORDON STREETER]

So after reading the "blurb" it appears that what I said on post 4 is OK !

[MGDavid]

...where's Midgetman, he's the in-house resident expert on racewear, used to make it (and still sells it).

[simes43]

According to Stand21's instructions, washing nomex is fine as it helps close the weave, just keep the suit out of direct sunlight when not being worn.

Leaving your suit to dry on the line or after a race in direct sun light should be avoided.

[JohnD]

Originally Posted by Flat Out Farr

Guys

The Nomex material used to make race overalls is essentially the same as used to make Fireman's overalls. The way it gets it's fire resistance is that it is treated with a flame retardant liquid. .......

Du-Pont don't say "dry clean" for nothing !

I don't think that is so, FoF!
Quote DuPont's own material:
"Nomex® is an inherently flame-resistant, high-temperature resistant meta-aramid fibre that doesn’t melt and drip or support combustion in the air. A key factor in the protection provided by Nomex® is its ability to carbonize and thicken when exposed to intense heat.
This typical reaction increases the protective barrier between the heat source and the wearer’s skin and minimizes burn injury, almost comparable to the way a modern car protects its occupants with air-bags.

Nomex® derives its flame resistant properties from its unique structure of aromatic rings and conjugated amide bonds. As this thermal behaviour is obtained by its molecular structure and not by applying a flame retardant chemical substance to the fabric, yarn, fibre or polymer, Nomex® offers permanent protection, which cannot be washed out or worn away."


I always have mine dry-cleaned, just like it says on the label!
John

[Notso Swift]

I always wash in the machine, little bit of wool mix as a mild detergent
Not keen on chemical cleaning, if it is done right there are no problems, if it isn't (residue is left) big problem for me

[itdontgo]

Don't wash your gloves unless washing your hands also makes them shrink!

[midgetman]

Sorry to be so long to pick this up, I've been on other Forums and missed this one! After 30 years in the trade I can dispel some myths here:

1. Nomex is NOT treated, I'd be surprised if Firefighters' gear is a treated material these days as well.

2. Nomex is inherently FLAME RETARDANT (no, it's NOT pedantry to use the right term, nothing is "fireproof")

3. Proban, which is the most common "treated" fabric, does not have its retardancy wash out after 50 washes like most people will tell you. The label applied means that the suit STILL passes the test after 50 washes

4. Nomex overalls can be washed perfectly safely, remember du Pont are a big marketing-led organisation that makes dry cleaning fluid as well. Just make sure you wash with a detergent based powder/liquid and wash them on their own. If you use soap based cleaner and live in a hard water area the two react and you risk getting a chalk-like deposit on the suit which can support flame, this doesn't happen with detergents.

5. The reason you don't wash gloves is that the leather shrinks and cracks, the Nomex is fine. If you have suede or rubberised palms there should be no problem, I wash my kart gloves in the machine regularly

6. Just because your suit looks clean on the outside, it's always worth washing it. Sweat stays in the fibres and can transmit heat. Likewise, a soaked suit in the rain gives you more chance of burns because water transmits heat - I suppose you poach to death

7. Nomex doesn't "wash out" but a large part of the protection is the air trapped in the fibres and between the layers. Old suits have had that air completely squashed out of them by years of use. They won't support flame (in layman's terms "burn") but they equally won't keep heat back either, and it's the heat that hurts you. If you have an old suit you won't "catch fire" but you could get seriously burned. You need to consider changing your race suit regularly, and the more expensive/lighter your suit maybe you should do it more often. From what I've heard, lightweight fabrics pass the heat transfer test by having the fibres puffed up with air. I have not seen the result of tests on lightweight suits that have been around a bit but I'd be careful...

Everybody thinks the FIA test are about not catching fire. Many fabrics protect against this, all your furniture for instance is treated this way. What your suits are actually designed to do is withstand heat so you don't get burned, and many people forget that heat can still hurt you even if your clothing isn't burning (see "sunburn" I suppose).

Hope this helps. Like I said, sorry to resurrect an old thread but thought this may be interesting.

Max

[Tim Falce]

Thanks for that reply Max, very informative especially about protecting against heat as well as flames, something I hadn't really considered but glaringly obvious once you mention it.

[JohnD]

If I can support Max from experience, not of flame but of very hot water.

I had a car with a rear radiator - we won't go into why. A hose that ran through the passenger side became disconnected and water straight from the engine gushed out, splashing over the gearbox onto my feet. My Nomex suit and suede-plus-Nomex boots protected me but my ankles were scalded between my boots and the cuff of the trousers, where only my (Nomex!) socks intervened.
It could have been so much worse!
And my suit had been washed, many times!

John

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

Thanks for that reply Max, very informative especially about protecting against heat (rather than) as well as flame, ........

I reckon that's what you meant,

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by MGDavid

I reckon that's what you meant,

I did, and duly edited, thanks.

[midgetman]

I meant to add...

8. Nomex is a brand name and has become a generic term like biro and Hoover. Many of the top suits these days aren't made of Nomex (R). It's taken quite a bit of time, 20 years ago when we tried to launch suits from an equal fabric but without the Nomex name they bombed. Nowadays many suits don't say what material they are made from, but the ISO test and the FIA standards are no Mickey Mouse certification and if a suit genuinely bears the FIA logo it is worthy of the name.

FWIW it costs about £5k to register a suit, made up of sample suits, fees and charges levied by the testing house so is not undertaken lightly. Every genuine suit made since 1/1/13 now has a hologram on it which can be traced to the machinist. This is your guarantee of quality. (BTW it does not mean that if your suit doesn't have a hologram it's out of date!!!) Some manufacturers complain about this "tax" which costs about £3 per hologram but if it keeps counterfeit safety equipment off the tracks I think it's good for the consumer.