ROOTS WASHING POWDER

Our own washing powder & liquids for cleaning heavily
contaminated Flame Retardant (FR) garments

During the early days of our very successful business, ROOTS listened to customer concerns about not being able to get garments cleaned whilst working offshore. Oil based mud is one of the heaviest contaminants in the industrial market and is extremely difficult to remove from any Flame Retardant (FR) garment. So, we rose to the challenge and developed our very own washing detergent; ROOTS Clean At 60, which is proven to remove the heaviest of contaminants, including oil based mud without deferring from the garment washing instructions. This is an ideal solution for any company washing garments on their own premises.

It seems obvious that a decent washing detergent for ‘the last line of defence’ is standard. Unfortunately this is not true especially for offshore caterers whom often use ‘general’ detergents or powders as part of the catering contract. It is quite a common thing to come across detergents that contain bleach - hereby stripping the flame retardant properties already after a few laundry cycles.

An effective laundry is not rocket science, however… Lots of customers tell us that it is not possible to clean heavily contaminated garments at only 60°C. Boil washing is the only way to clean these garments, resulting in a series of negative effects such as shrinkage and losing (safety) properties. At ROOTS we prove that cleaning at 60°C is possible; also on rigs, vessels and platforms. We use the scientific Circle of Sinner in our approach.

Circle of Sinner

A Sinner Circle usually consists of 4 independent factors, influencing the wash results of cleaning dirty garments. At ROOTS we have added a 5th factor, which is the amount of water. The reason for this additional factor is the daily practice on rigs and platforms where tumblers are consequently overloaded with coveralls, hardly leaving room for water to drain the dirt. If one factor is reduced, the loss must be compensated for by increasing one or more other factors.

1ST FACTOR: CHEMICAL ACTION
This represents the action of a detergent solution. The action is increased or decreased by the concentration and quality of pure product in the solution (water – which is the ROOTS’ 5th factor + product). It is important to follow the dilution instructions of the product. Over-concentration and under-concentration has an impact on the outcome.

2ND FACTOR: MECHANICAL ACTION
This is the action of the washing machine, which generates friction and pressure. In cleaning, care must be taken when using mechanical action to avoid damaging the items being cleaned.

3RD FACTOR: TEMPERATURE
Heat is often used in cleaning activities. Hot water promotes the detergency of a product, as well as other powers (wetting power, sequestering). The challenge with FR garments is to leave the temperature at a maximum of 60°C. Not only for the benefit of the fabric, but also for the life expectancy of the reflective tapes (usually lasting 50 cycles of washing/drying at 60°C).

4TH FACTOR: TIME
During cleaning operations, the time is combined with the chemical action. This is how long the product is allowed to act, which boosts cleaning power.

5TH FACTOR: WATER
Enough water to drain the dirt from the dirty garments after the pre-wash. If there is not enough water it needs compensation from one of the other 4 factors.