Racing wear for all ages

Should You Iron Your Workwear? Answers To Common Workwear Questions

by Charlie Lopez

Workwear plays an important role in the health and safety of many tradies and manual labourers. It can protect you from bumps, scratches and sharp objects while maintaining a comfortable temperature to ensure you don't overheat or get too cold. However, workwear is not like other clothing because it is specially designed for heavy-duty action. That means you have to care for it a little bit differently than other items, and that can cause a headache. Here are a few common questions about workwear care along with simple answers. 

Should You Iron Workwear?

There are two types of workwear: reflective and non-reflective. Reflective workwear is mostly used at night for safety precautions, and the material used for this should not be ironed. The iron can cause the reflective material to warp or burn, and the material can also negatively affect your iron. For non-reflective workwear, you can iron it, but in most cases, it is easier to simply put it on a hanger straight out of the dryer. Workwear doesn't require a lot of special attention to look nice because you are expected to get it dirty and beaten up.

How Should I Wash It?

Different tradies will have different stains and material on their workwear, but as a general rule, there are a few steps you can follow:

  1. Soak: if your workwear is very messy or its instructions say 'handwash only', then fill a lukewarm bucket or sink, pour in some detergent and let it sit for half an hour to an hour before rinsing and removing. 
  2. Cold wash: for large items like overalls and coveralls, you should wash them on a cold setting so they don't shrink. 
  3. Non-detergent wash: some workwear has materials that react badly to washing detergents. Always ensure that you check to see if yours has special washing considerations. 
  4. Always wash alone or only with other workwear. This is pretty self-explanatory, but the last thing you want on your recreational clothes is a film of grease or dirt or for them to change colour.

Can I Wear Workwear More Than Once Without Washing?

This cannot be stressed enough, but you should never wear your workwear more than once before you wash it. Firstly, wearing your workwear multiple times without washing it can lead to it aging or ripping sooner. Dirt and other corrosive materials can scratch the surface, allowing it to rip quicker. Secondly, this can quickly become a hygiene issue. If you have bacteria or chemicals on your workwear, you can get ill very quickly and miss out on work. Finally, you should think about your colleagues. No one wants to work with the guy who you can smell before they arrive. That is why it is advisable you have at least three pairs of workwear clothing so you can rotate a few times before you run out. 

To learn more about workwear, contact a clothing store.

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