Why workwear belongs to the textile care industry!

Many companies consider it convenient when employees wash their workwear at home. However, the Verband Textilpflege Schweiz (VTS) advises to have the clothing professionally cleaned, since employers are legally responsible for the safety and health of their employees and the workwear plays a central role in this respect.

For many occupational groups (e.g. welders, electricians, firefighters, logisticians, etc.), workwear is a protection against direct or indirect danger from their activities. PSA is also defined by standards and regulations. Private cleaning of these textiles poses risks, because a guarantee of security attributes such as protective strips or impregnation cannot be guaranteed according to VTS. For instance, reflective strips lose their brightness when the laundry is too hot and the use of fabric softeners can make the material resistant to heat and flame protection.

For the employer, it is impossible to understand processes and to control when employees wash their clothes at home. The aim of the VTS is to make employers aware that it is inefficient and dangerous for employees to have their workwear washed at home. Therefore, it is stated to be worthwhile working together with a textile care company, where the textiles are prepared and professionally cleaned according to standards for the protective effect. This avoids unnecessary risks.