Washing your PPE during a pandemic is a key component to maintaining your health and safety. Honeywell Salisbury has provided some best practices advice for washing your PPE while ensuring it maintains its insulating properties in the process.
INSULATING GLOVES AND SLEEVES
- Follow the ASTM guidelines ‘In-Service Care of Insulating Gloves and Sleeves’ and ‘Visual Inspection of Electrical Protective Rubber Products’ (ASTM F496 and F1236).
- Washing your gloves and sleeves with mild soap as outlined in the ASTM F496 standard is the best way to ensure your gloves and sleeves are clean. Per the standard, “The gloves and sleeves shall be washed with a mild soap or mild detergent and water. After washing, the gloves and sleeves shall be thoroughly rinsed with water to remove all soap or detergent and dried. Mild household type chloride bleach may be used for disinfectant purposes. Soaps, detergents, and bleaches shall not be used at strengths that would attack or harm the rubber surface.”
- Honeywell Salisbury’s line of SCRUBS cleaning towels and Super Salcor Cleaners are non-petroleum-based natural rubber and hand cleaners that are designed to be safe on your insulating rubber gloves and sleeves. Using petroleum-based cleaners can damage rubber gloves and sleeves and compromise their insulating properties.
- Regarding hand sanitizers, it is recommended to use hand sanitizers that are produced with one or more of the following alcohols: Ethanol, n-propanol, or isopropyl alcohol. These three alcohols are not harmful to the gloves or sleeves at room temperature. Hand sanitizers should include alcohol levels above 60% and should not have fragrances or scrubbing beads. Wiping gloves at room temperature with one of the three alcohols is fine as well.
ARC FLASH SHIELDS AND GARMENTS RECOMMENDATIONS
- Clean and inspect the Honeywell Salisbury face shield after every use. Use of mild soap with warm water followed by a pat dry is recommended. Always refer to the user manual for further detailed instructions.
- Garments and fabric components should be washed regularly using warm water and a mild detergent. The water temperature should be warm but no higher than 165°F. Tumble dry at normal temperature. Always refer to the user manual for further detailed instructions.
- Chlorine bleaches such as those containing sodium hypochlorite, oxygen bleaches such as hydrogen peroxide as well as soaps (salts of fatty acids) should not be used to wash the PPE either separately or in detergents as they may affect the protective properties of the PPE. Fabric softener, detergent containing fabric softener, or dryer sheets should not be used during dryer cycles. Use of disinfectants can harm the arc flash rating and should only be used if recommended.
