How to Wash Nomex

Firefighters standing near fire truck

Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images

First marketed by DuPont in 1967, Nomex is a trademarked brand of heat-resistant, flame-resistant fiber used to outfit and protect firefighters, first responders, racecar drivers and industrial workers. Nonclothing applications include hot-gas filtration and electrical applications.

Nomex comes in its original version and a static-resistant version called Nomex IIIA. Laundry instructions are the same for both types of fabric. No special or unusual detergents are required, but be attentive to Nomex's care and handling during the cleaning process, and wash before wearing.

Remove flammable soils or chemicals. You cannot "wash away" Nomex's flame-resistant properties; however, if flammable materials build up on your Nomex apparel, they could burn and act as fuel, negating the FR capability. Remove such buildup and stains with pretreatment agents before laundering.

Wash separately from other clothes in bleach-free detergent, and sort by color for best results. You can wash Nomex clothes as you would normal clothes, but keep them away from clothes that lint and pill, and separate your garments so that darker colors do not bleed and discolor lighter-colored garments. Do not mix with other clothes if soiled with contaminants that you would not otherwise include in the wash.

Clean Nomex apparel in water of softness of less than 4.0 grains. Avoid using hard water, which will leave mineral deposits on the fabric and undo its flame resistance by serving as fuel should the garment be ignited. Use higher pH detergent products with caution, as they could produce color loss.

Launder Nomex garments at temperatures up to 140 degrees F. Higher temperatures remove tougher stains and will not affect Nomex's heat or flame resistance, but they could adversely affect color. Color-fastness will not be as strong as in cotton-polyester blends.

Dry clothes on the "permanent press" setting, and make sure the fabric temperature in the basket does not exceed 280 degrees F. Cool down to 100 degrees F, and remove immediately from the dryer. The material dries quickly, so do not overdry, as this will accelerate color fading.