How often do you wash your turn out gear?

ClydeG19 · 04-01-2005, 13:40

The title pretty much sums it up.

jlw_84 · 04-01-2005, 21:31

My gear has been in service since 1988. (NFPA??? Whats that?)

I've had it since early 2000, and I've just hosed it off twice now with a garden hose.

Pa Glock guy · 04-02-2005, 06:26

Usually after each fire. Ill take it to a laundrymat and use the front loader washer and hang it out to dry. Ive read that the top loaders are bad for the lining. I dont know what to beleive on that. I think manufacturers want to sell fire depts front load washers. Ill use just a little Woolite, it gets most of the c**p off. I usually wash a brand new set when its issued to me just to loosen it up.

DepChief · 04-02-2005, 08:23

Usually after bloodborne exposures.

strummer · 04-02-2005, 09:08

Make what you will out of this...

...but any Fireman on my dept would be laughed out of the firehouse if he washed his fire clothes !!!

Foolish? Maybe. Just the way it is.

Later.

Pa Glock guy · 04-02-2005, 10:07

Quote:

Originally posted by strummer
Make what you will out of this...

...but any Fireman on my dept would be laughed out of the firehouse if he washed his fire clothes !!!

Foolish? Maybe. Just the way it is.

Later.

You must be a career guy too! lol

nam02G · 04-02-2005, 10:46

Only when it smells so bad I can't stand to wear the stuff.

fulloutpwr · 04-02-2005, 15:43

wash my stuff once a month...have to as we sign a wash and launder log on all our gear. ;f

oldstyle · 04-03-2005, 12:14

I hosed mine off yesterday because I got filthy every time I got near it. A real washing is done after body fluid exposure. Our SOPs require a wash every six months.

ClydeG19 · 04-03-2005, 14:24

I was only asking b/c I've been a volly ff for about a year now and I've washed by tog 3 times, twice after live burns and once just this weekend after it may have been exposed to blood on a recent fatal (not to mention it stank). Several guys got pissed off b/c they say that washing my gear too much will ruin it. The funny thing is that someone who said this also mentioned a while back that NFPA recommends washing it every two months.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't want to be exposed to all the carcinogens, blood, and fluids from the road for the next twenty years. I also don't want to smell after every time I put my gear on for an AFA or minor MVA. If people want to get pissed or laugh at me, whatever.

Tvov · 04-03-2005, 16:33

There is nothing wrong with washing your gear regularly. Similar to strummer, my dept doesn't wash very often. Usually, though, when gear needs it, we send it out to be washed. I forget the name of the company that does it, but it comes back looking almost new and isn't shrunken and wrinkled. Also, any minor repairs needed are done at the same time.

Lone Hunter · 04-03-2005, 19:26

Wash it off after every fire.Last month that meant 8 times!!

Our Dept. sends it out for cleaning 4 times a year.

Your goods break down and are less effective with all the smoke,char,dirt and the like ground in.Look at how much comes off just with a hose after a 2 roomer.

Washing your goods helps them work better and longer,crap they'll get dirty again soon enough. We are also issued 2 sets.

aspartz · 04-03-2005, 21:28

I guess I'm a wimp. I wash mine after EVERY fire that I do interior work. At $1000/set I prefer not to wreck mine wantonly. Even after washing, mine still looks non-rookie.

My dept purchased a front loader for this purpose. DO NOT wash at home or the laundromat. Do you really want all the nasty stuff on your next load of wash?

ARS

Firefighter631 · 04-03-2005, 22:14

I can attest to the "not using the top loading washer" theory. I had heard this time and time again from folks at the house. So I went and got an old set and tried it out. It will ruin it, ripped one of the sleeves off the coat. I used the largest capacity top loading I could find, that wasn't at a laundry mat. I have also heard to be careful what detergent to use, that plain-jane tide w/out any additives is best. Anybody have any opinions?

Pa Glock guy · 04-04-2005, 09:48

You guys are smart for washing your gear after every fire or exposure. Dont let anybody kid you, all that carbon and soot breaks down the material of the gear, besides you dont want to smell after every BS run and you certainly dont want to take any of that bad stuff home with you. By the way I use to wash it in a top load washer and never had any problems but wont any more.

minkling · 04-04-2005, 14:03

We wash our every six months (even if you don't wear them) or whenever they get to bad to stand. We just got new gear that is dark blue (almost black) so we don't find that we wash them as often. The department has a front loader washer just for gear.

***hotpig*** · 04-04-2005, 19:09

I keep mine as clean as possible. I can always tell rookies because they like to have dirty gear to look cool.

Being a career firefighter I have gear that was issued new to me in 1988. I hope to get new stuff by this time next year or the year after depending on the budget.

NWR2000 · 04-05-2005, 20:58

We wash it often.... Anyone who didnt wash it would be the ones laughed at in our firehouse. Clean gear lasts longer than dirty gear, thats a fact. Trying to look dirty is funny, why not just throw your stuff in a campfire for "the image"

Seriously, some people have watched "backdraft" one too many times. LOL

oldstyle · 04-06-2005, 10:28

Quote:

Originally posted by NWR2000
We wash it often.... Anyone who didnt wash it would be the ones laughed at in our firehouse. Clean gear lasts longer than dirty gear, thats a fact. Trying to look dirty is funny, why not just throw your stuff in a campfire for "the image"

Seriously, some people have watched "backdraft" one too many times. LOL

A well traveled helmet IS cool, regardless of the rest of the gear. We have guys that would fight if someone scrubbed their helmet.

Charlie Fox · 04-10-2005, 13:04

Its supposed to be washed?;P Seriously, we clean both set of ours (structural and crash) every three months, whether they need it or not!

40Niner · 04-13-2005, 22:26

I wash not only to take care of the gear,as mentioned earlier,but mainly to reduce the amount of "nasty" stuff that can end up being absorbed through the skin later on.Sales rep told us this,too.He also advised to use non-phosphate detergent.There can be a lot of toxins in the smoke from structure fires.A couple of other guys wash after every(well,nearly every) structure fire as I do,others laugh.I'd rather be safer than sorry.

fireguy129 · 04-14-2005, 08:09

Quote:

Originally posted by ClydeG19
I was only asking b/c I've been a volly ff for about a year now and I've washed by tog 3 times, twice after live burns and once just this weekend after it may have been exposed to blood on a recent fatal (not to mention it stank). Several guys got pissed off b/c they say that washing my gear too much will ruin it. The funny thing is that someone who said this also mentioned a while back that NFPA recommends washing it every two months.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't want to be exposed to all the carcinogens, blood, and fluids from the road for the next twenty years. I also don't want to smell after every time I put my gear on for an AFA or minor MVA. If people want to get pissed or laugh at me, whatever.

Right on. Does anyone really want to reabsorb all that crap thats in smoke everytime they don their gear? Re-exposing yourself to the crap everytime makes no sense.

40Niner · 04-14-2005, 10:56

I posted earlier but will add a little more.The sales rep for our turn-out gear said that smoke particles,dirt,etc. acts as an abrasive.The particles get between,in,on the fibers and as you move around they rub on and abrade the fibers.As far as toxins in the smoke...what ever burns gets in the air.Carpet,foam cushions,cleaners,pesticides,etc.I belive this is correct..lumber treated w/ arsenic produces a cyanide compound(college chemistry prof. told me this).What is in the air gets in the your gear.Gear gets wet and if wet enough you can get wet.A rescue tech instructor who is a paramedic in a neighboring county told me what happened on a fire scene he had to respond to.The fire call was to what was thought to be an abandoned house.The 3 firemen who did the interior attack,at some point,came out the house puking,ending up layed out but not blacking out.Pulse rates 160 to 180(I think this is what he said).He said no one knew what was going on.They were transported and treated and ended up ok.Turned out there were some agricultural pesticides being stored in the house.They didn't breath it,they absorbed it through their skin.

Per the sales rep:phosphate-free detergent w/ no additives. i.e. no smell good stuff.

PBR_Cowboy · 04-25-2005, 11:17

Quote:

Originally posted by jlw_84
My gear has been in service since 1988. (NFPA??? Whats that?)

I've had it since early 2000, and I've just hosed it off twice now with a garden hose.

Tryin to get the dust off huh??? lol, same here don't worry,

I wash mine when needed, usually within 48 hours of a structure fire, other than that like JLW said hose it every once in a blue moon...

kyfirefreak · 05-05-2005, 15:14

Wash mine after every good fire, or when it gets exceptionally nasty. Usually ends up being about every 3 or 4 months. SOG states it should be washed w/in 48 hours of a fire & at least every 6 months. We have those big industrial front loader washers in house so its not that big of a deal, but we have people who think otherwise. I go w/ the theory that clean gear is safe gear.