How Should You Clean High-Vis Clothing?

Keeping your high visibility boiler suits and other workwear clean and bright can be a real challenge. After all, it can be difficult to get substances like tar or grease out of the fabric without damaging it.

One of the issues with using a lot of chemicals to wash your high-vis clothing is that it dulls the colour and weakens the fabric.

According to Laundry and Cleaning News, this means that the typical high-vis garment has to be replaced after approximately 20 cleaning cycles, which in a physical job could be a matter of months rather than years. 

Dull or damaged clothing is no good in a safety context, which is why a group of researchers in Germany have undertaken a project to come up with new washing processes specifically for high-visibility clothing that has to survive the rigours of a construction or industrial workplace. 

The Hohenstein Group is exploring new, gentler ways of removing contaminants like bitumen from clothing, to ensure garments are clean and last longer. The research is still in its early stages, but it could mean that clothing manufacturers are able to provide new guidance on keeping your workwear in service for longer.

Last month we highlighted some of the potential risks of wearing damaged workwear, including making you less visible on site if the fabric is faded and leaving yourself at risk of exposure to potentially dangerous chemicals if the garments have holes in them or are torn.  

Employers are obliged to provide new protective clothing whenever necessary for the safety of their staff, but it doesn’t hurt to explore new ways of looking after your garments to keep them in top shape for longer.