MATERIAL SOLUTIONS
Maintenance of specialist workwear
Specialist workwear presents its own challenges for laundries which include the possession of highly developed technical skills and persistence. Richard Neale of LTC Worldwide reviews processes
I
n the 1970s, sharp independent launderers worldwide recognised the latent demand from the pharmaceutical and electronics sectors for garments which were essentially free from particles and loose fibres or lint. A few trailblazers led the way and cleanroom garments rapidly became established as a premium rental product. Many tried to leap onto the bandwagon, but most quickly realised that to succeed, they needed to back up their product with in-house testing and advanced quality assurance. Those with technical skills and persistence succeeded in entering the markets and delivered a reliable product at an attractive, commercially viable price.
Delivering workwear against specific performance guarantees has now developed into several sectors. We take an overview of how this has been achieved and what is needed for success.
Liquid repellent garments Some workers require garments which are liquid repellent, but not necessarily waterproof. If they go outdoors only occasionally, a showerproof but breathable fabric might be a more desirable option for adequate protection and long-term comfort. In stark contrast, an operative at risk of encountering an acid splash will require a garment which is effectively impenetrable to liquids. It must remain so after multiple wear and cleansings, so there is a duty on the rental operator to ensure this. However, it might not be realistic to rely solely for protection on any garment which has been worn and washed repeatedly, without some form of primary protection for areas of the body which are most at risk of contamination. This is usually achieved by the addition of a waterproof apron to cover the operative’s frontal area, with gauntlets to protect the
wrists and forearm and a visor and helmet for the face.
Maintenance of liquid repellent garments should reflect the need to maintain the repellence for the next wearing. This might involve specialist wash chemistry, designed to not damage the repellent component or it could call for re-treatment with repellent every so many washes. This should be achievable using individual bar codes for each garment in the contract, to enable garments due for re-treatment to be identified by scanning during sorting and treated appropriately. If the repellence has been achieved using a wash-in process, then this might need to be repeated every single time the garment is processed, depending on the severity of the risk. These details should form an important part of the rental contract.
The rental customer will require some form of assurance that the cleansed
LOW LIGHT: The hi-vis strips on these garments make the wearers stand out in low light situations, especially at night on road and railway.
@LCNiMag May 2024 | LCNi 27
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