Tactical gear is quite different from your normal clothing items that you might wear on a regular basis. As a result, washing tactical gear requires a bit of a different procedure than washing your regular fabrics. Which brings me to the most important point, please wash your tactical gear daily or after use. I can’t believe I have to say that but it’s astounding how many times I’ve seen guys at work just tuck their entire uniform after a 12-hour shift back into their locker and then wear it again the next day. That’s gross man.
But not only is it gross, you might be impeding the performance of your tactical gear by not cleaning it. For example, some tactical clothing features Durable Water Repellent (DWR) coating which repels water such as rain from soaking into the clothing. However, if you have dirty gear that has stuff blocking the little fibres it might not be able to repel rain. Even worse, things like body sweat and oils might become lodged into the fabric and prevent it from repelling again. By washing these items you’ll make sure that it’s ready for the next day. You should always follow the direction from the manufacturers of the tactical gear that you’ve purchased, however here are some general tips for washing items.
Remove everything from your gear before washing it
Basically, check your pockets! Seriously, you don’t want to be hearing keys, knives, or rounds spinning around in the washing machine. Not only could it cause damage to your washing machine but it might rip apart your tactical gear. Even items like paper or tissue could cause problems as they often break apart while being washed and the tiny little pieces become lodged into the fabric itself. If you are washing a MOLLE vest you should take all the pouches off of the vest before washing it and instead wash those items individually.
Do not stuff your washing machine
This one is also pretty straight forward and goes for washing any clothing items. You do not want to overload the washing machine with everything from your day (if that amount is going to overload it). Not only could this damage the washing machine but it’ll make it worker harder and your clothes won’t come out as clean as they should.
Use more cautious settings for the dryer
This one will come down to more personal preference, but it could also affect the performance depending on the tactical gear you are washing. It is always best to dry tactical gear, you should use lower settings as it’ll be easier on the items you are washing and leave less wrinkles.
Be careful when ironing
If you are going to be ironing your tactical gear (highly recommended), you should be cautious with tactical gear. As tough as the items are designed to be, most don’t do well with the iron. Not only that, but the iron can damage the tactical gear technology, such as DWR, from being effective afterwards. Always iron with low-heat settings free and then increase them slowly.
Enjoy!
