Winter workwear only remains reliable when care, drying and inspection follow the label, the manufacturer's information and the actual conditions of use. First, establish whether you are dealing with ordinary workwear or protective clothing. Workwear primarily keeps dirt off your own clothes; protective clothing has a tested protective function. For protective clothing, workplace requirements and the manufacturer's information take precedence over your usual household laundry routine.
Before washing: identify the garment type and check its condition
Check the markings, care label and accompanying information. Note the washing method, permitted drying methods, any maximum number of care cycles and special requirements. If this information is missing for protective clothing, washing it as usual is not a reliable approach. Clarify the requirements with your employer or the manufacturer before planning to use the garment as protective clothing again.
| Situation | Next step | Avoid assumptions |
|---|---|---|
| An ordinary work jacket is wet and dirty | Read the label, empty the pockets, handle fastenings as instructed and dry completely | Do not choose the washing temperature or tumble dryer programme based on the material name alone |
| High-visibility clothing is visibly dirty or faded | Follow the manufacturer's care instructions and workplace inspection procedures; check high-visibility areas and reflective material | Being clean alone does not prove that it provides adequate visibility |
| Protective clothing is contaminated with hazardous substances or biological agents | Set it aside and use the cleaning procedure specified by your workplace | Do not wash it with your personal laundry |
| High-visibility clothing with a flame-retardant finish | Arrange professional cleaning as instructed | Do not use an arbitrary household wash programme or apply additional treatments on your own initiative |
The DGUV explicitly distinguishes between workwear and protective clothing. It also states that contaminated high-visibility clothing must not be washed at home and that high-visibility clothing with a flame-retardant finish must be professionally cleaned. The DGUV FAQ on protective clothing provides the technical basis for this guidance.
A routine for consecutive winter workdays
- Sort immediately after use: separate dry clothing with only surface dirt from wet, heavily soiled or potentially contaminated clothing.
- Check for damage: inspect seams, fastenings, outer fabric and, on high-visibility clothing, fluorescent and retroreflective areas.
- Follow the label: choose detergent, temperature, mechanical treatment and drying methods only within the stated requirements.
- Dry completely: hang or treat garments only as permitted by the manufacturer's instructions. Do not put a damp jacket back into a tightly packed bag.
- Inspect before wearing again: being odour-free or dry does not automatically mean a garment is undamaged. Protective clothing must still be approved for the intended task.
If you have one dry jacket and one still-damp jacket ready in the morning, the dry one is not automatically the right protective clothing: its markings and condition must also match the intended task. Equally, you should not put a suitable protective jacket back on while it is damp simply because its label meets the requirements. If you frequently work in wet conditions, arrange a workplace rotation that allows enough time for actual drying and inspection.
High-visibility clothing needs more than a wash
Dirt can reduce visibility. Faded background areas or damaged reflective areas also call for inspection. DGUV Information 212-016 requires compliance with the manufacturer's instructions on care cycles and storage of high-visibility clothing in a dry, well-ventilated place away from direct sunlight. Choosing your own limit on the number of washes is therefore no more appropriate than assuming a stain can be treated as aggressively as you like.
For ordinary winter clothing without a protective function, the care label may permit a different routine. Do not apply that routine to high-visibility, flame-protective, chemical-protective or other protective clothing. Additional water-repellent treatments or repairs must not alter the tested configuration without first confirming that they are permitted.
Storage is part of care
Only put clean, completely dry clothing in a cupboard, bag or vehicle. For high-visibility clothing, the DGUV specifies dry, well-ventilated storage away from direct sunlight. Do not stuff a wet jacket into a closed compartment until the next morning. If a garment cannot dry overnight according to the manufacturer's instructions, arrange a suitable spare set or postpone using it again; improvised heating is not an approved shortcut.
Checklist before the next use
- Is the garment completely dry?
- Are the markings and care information still legible?
- Are seams, fastenings and visible functional areas undamaged?
- Has any stated maximum number of care cycles been taken into account?
- Is the garment still suitable for the task and the other clothing and equipment worn with it?
- For protective clothing, have workplace approval or inspection requirements been met?
To choose or add to your kit, browse our categories for Workwear, Winter work jackets and Winter work trousers. Our guide to layering workwear explains how multiple layers work together in changing temperatures.
