Washing your race suit

[Dom]

I've got a momo 3 layer nomex suit about 5 years old. The wife just washes it on a cold hand wash in the machine just like the instructions say but the suit seems to be emitting a black powdery substance mostly around the legs and arms after wearing - now after washing it's showing up on the outside too.

Any ideas folks? what is this stuff and does it affect the fire properties of the suit?

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by Dom

I've got a momo 3 layer nomex suit about 5 years old. The wife just washes it on a cold hand wash in the machine just like the instructions say but the suit seems to be emitting a black powdery substance mostly around the legs and arms after wearing - now after washing it's showing up on the outside too.

Any ideas folks? what is this stuff and does it affect the fire properties of the suit?

Buy a new one

[zefarelly]

sounds like its breaking up . . .I wouldnt have thought you'd get much more than 5 years out of a race suit ? I'm sure theres a few 'senior' racers on here who'd know better. Midgetman should know the life expectancy of your average suit too

[MikeM]

I've had two Sparco suits in 18 years - just got my third, an OMP. The first two are still okay except for a ripped bum in one of them. The first got very faded and then I think they both shrank a bit (or I put on a bit of weight!)

[Eddy V]

Hi Dom, I've heard a lot of things before. But this is a first. What type of Momo suit is it?

[StephenRae]

Originally Posted by MikeM

I've had two Sparco suits in 18 years - just got my third, an OMP. The first two are still okay except for a ripped bum in one of them. The first got very faded and then I think they both shrank a bit (or I put on a bit of weight!)

Hello Mike...you're right...it's surprising how much 'wardrobe shrinkage' there is as one gets older

[MikeM]

Ah, these wardrobes have a lot to answer for!

[Dom]

err it's a red one... basically the cheapest nomex suit that I could get at the time - can't remember what it's proper name was (probably something blatantly untrue like Winner or Champion or something - still waiting for that win )

[StephenRae]

Originally Posted by Dom

err it's a red one... basically the cheapest nomex suit that I could get at the time - can't remember what it's proper name was (probably something blatantly untrue like Winner or Champion or something - still waiting for that win )

Years ago my chum crashed my car and managed to set fire to it. He was wearing an old 2 layer nomex suit which started off red but had been washed so often to have faded to a pale pink.
It was quite a fire but the suit protected my by now ex chum who was not hurt at all. The heat had made the nomex rigid but it still did the job.

[Slippy Diff]

I regularly washed my 3 layer, probably every 3 races or so. Never had any problems at all. Maybe it depends on the quality of the suit as to how it will stand up to washing etc.

[midgetman]

On the original topic - Momo use a funny kind of f/r wadding as the middle layer. I suspect that after all these years the wadding is breaking up - it's like the stuff you get on the inside of anoraks. The suit's going to lose protection Dom - bin it.

Washing - 40 degrees, don't use a soap-based powder but make sure you have a detergent one (ie not Fairy Snow or Persil but Ariel). Reason? Especially in hard water areas, soap reacts with the water and leaves a chalky deposit which isn't flame retardant. Don't worry about colour washing out - Nomex fibres are inherently f/r and the protection won't disappear even if it looks colourless (try persuading scrutineers of that one though!). Colour's not very stable on these fabrics anyway.

Slippy - I think we're back to your comments on another thread regarding "you gets what you pays for". Protection is the same, but it's the intangibles that make up the price of an expensive suit.

Dom - like everyone else says, amazing a 5-year-old suit still fits anyway, know mine is now far too big for me (in my dreams......)

HTH

Max

[Eric Falce]

Originally Posted by StephenRae

Years ago my chum crashed my car and managed to set fire to it. He was wearing an old 2 layer nomex suit which started off red but had been washed so often to have faded to a pale pink.
It was quite a fire but the suit protected my by now ex chum who was not hurt at all. The heat had made the nomex rigid but it still did the job.

As with age the wardrobe syndrome comes in with us all,but will heat and Nomex work with the same effect on other parts of the body that require a bit more rigidity as well!

[Walshy]

I wash my suit every other race meeting. No soap, just softener.

It does no damage and it smells lovely........

[diz]

Originally Posted by StephenRae

Years ago my chum crashed my car and managed to set fire to it. He was wearing an old 2 layer nomex suit which started off red but had been washed so often to have faded to a pale pink.
It was quite a fire but the suit protected my by now ex chum who was not hurt at all. The heat had made the nomex rigid but it still did the job.

I thought Jim's suit started off white [or creamish] and turned pink when Jim's mum washed it with a new pair of red jockeys. Suffice to say that from that day onwards he was known as Pink Panther [nowadays shortened to Panther]
The fire though was a good un. I apologise again Steve for standing back and watching in panic, rather than mucking in and helping to extinguish it.

[midgetman]

>>>>>>>>It does no damage and it smells lovely

Dunno about that. Softener won't get any dirt out, so your sweat and oil is still there, just smelling sweeter. When it catches fire the marshals'll think you're a joss-stick!

[Walshy]

Originally Posted by midgetman

>>>>>>>>It does no damage and it smells lovely

Dunno about that. Softener won't get any dirt out, so your sweat and oil is still there, just smelling sweeter. When it catches fire the marshals'll think you're a joss-stick!