May 9, 2012. Paul Hixon
credit: loop_ohOnce you’ve purchased some good quality safety clothing, it’s easy to assume that you can pretty much take a deep breath and relax. You’re ready to head out on your bike and take a long, leisurely ride through the hills.
Or it’s time to start planning a few good hunts for the upcoming weekend.
On the one hand, that’s true. Once you’ve taken care of your legal – and personal – obligation to buy the appropriate safety gear, then you don’t have to keep buying it. Why not turn your attention to the fun that you’re going to have?
But on the other hand, high visibility clothing is like anything else – once it’s used, it starts to show the affects of that use. And while a little wear and tear isn’t the end of the world when it comes to, say, a pair of jeans or a leather jacket, it can actually be a very big deal when it comes to safety. Once that fluorescent orange starts to grow dull, or when it’s covered by a thick layer of dust and grime, then it loses its capacity to protect you. And when that’s gone, the whole point of buying and wearing it is gone as well.
So what should you do? Well, the answer is simple. You need to clean your safety vest – or jacket or coveralls or whatever it is. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to give it a light wash every time you come back from wearing it. Not all safety clothing is designed to be put through a washing machine. Your best bet is to take it and hang it when you’re in from your long drive or the field. When it’s dry, brush it down to remove any excess dirt. Then, take a cloth dipped in warm water and gently wash the exterior of the vest.
This might not seem like much, but a little attention paid to cleaning your gear regularly can pay off big time in the long run.
Updated May 9, 2012. Published April 28, 2011. Paul Hixon
