There are lots of benefits to taking good care of your uniform and kit. As well as prolonging the life of your workwear, looking after your kit helps to ensure that you look professional and set a good impression of the company that you are working for. It is also necessary if you work in an environment where good hygiene is required.
Additionally, maintaining your kit in the right way can help to ensure your safety, whether that is keeping your hi-vis and reflective material working as it should, or making sure there are no rips or holes that could compromise protection or cause an accident.
Here are some top tips on looking after your uniform:
Wash your garments as often as required
There is no exact number of times you should wash hi-vis clothing, as it will depend on how dirty they get. People working with oil may find they need to wash their clothing a lot more often than someone working in an environment where there is not much dirt. If you have excess dirt on your hi-vis clothing, try to remove it before putting it into the washer.
The garment will have washing instructions and you should be careful to always use the correct temperature of wash. You should be particularly careful when washing new clothing, as it often loses colour and can stain other clothing that it is in the wash with.
Drying your workwear on a coat hanger will help it to keep the shape and hanging it outside, turned inside out, will prevent the fabric from fading in sunlight. You should also try to avoid using the dryer if possible, as this can damage the adhesive of the reflective stripes.
Hang up when not wearing
When you are not wearing your workwear, make sure that it is hung up in a wardrobe or on a coat hook, to make sure that it stays in good condition, avoiding creasing that can damage reflective stripes.
Inspect and replace workwear
If workwear has permanent stains or is damaged, you should get it replaced as soon as possible. Clothing that has rips or holes in can compromise safety and will stop a waterproof outfit from doing the job of keeping you dry and warm.
Choosing the right workwear
When you are ordering workwear, you should consider how easy the clothing will be to maintain. Choosing colours can be important if you work in catering, for example, as white or light coloured uniforms can quickly start to look darker and therefore less professional, so darker colours are easier to care for.
With hi-vis and construction style workwear, you want to find a combination of hardwearing material, that is easy to wash and clean.
At Hivis.net we use fabrics that are easier to look after while providing the level of protection and comfort required for your workwear. Check out our range of uniforms and workwear.