# Fire Resistant Coveralls - Smell?



## chrisfnl (Sep 13, 2010)

I was issued a set of fire resistant coveralls a few months ago, and I haven't had reason to wear them, and won't until next Wednesday.

Which is good, because they *stink*.

They have an intense smell. I don't know know how else to describe it except "old people" [With no offence intended to any seniors, I pain to describe it that way]. Similar to mothballs (Though to the best of my knowledge, they have not been stored with mothballs) but very intense. Not musty either, so I don't think it's mold. 

They're treated cotton, not nomex. When I was first issued them, it made me nauseaus to wear them. I've washed them in accordance with the wash instructions more than a dozen times, aired them out in the basement for a good month, and the smell *is* starting to fade, but still present. I really don't want to wash them any more until they're dirty, don't want to wash out the treatment.

Just wondering if this is a normal smell for new treated cotton coverals?


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## jefft110 (Jul 7, 2010)

chrisfnl said:


> I was issued a set of fire resistant coveralls a few months ago, and I haven't had reason to wear them, and won't until next Wednesday.
> 
> Which is good, because they *stink*.
> 
> ...


:laughing:


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## Rudeboy (Oct 6, 2009)

Do they smell like thrift shop clothes?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

I don't know. I have cotton shirt/pants thing for the lower calorie things, and they don't smell at all. I have Indura stuff for the higher ratings, and it smells a bit like plastic. 

I wonder if the middle man/warehouse you got yours from stored them in a camphorated warehouse? If your pallet of goods was near the camphor vaporizer, they could well have picked up quite an odor. The best way I know of to get rid of the "moth ball" smell is to launder them and then LINE DRY them. Hang them over your fence or a tree branch if you don't have a clothes line.


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

I can't remember any cotton FR stuff of mine smelling like that ever.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Jlarson said:


> I can't remember any cotton FR stuff of mine smelling like that ever.


Yeah, me either. I think he got some wacky stuff. Everybody and their brother sells arc flash apparel now, and some of them seem less than reputable. I got all my stuff from Salisbury, since I'm used to buying other stuff from them and they've been around since the dawn of electricity.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

I have a great deal of fire resistant stuff for reasons. If left moist, they will smell really bad. but not all, such as my gloves. They always get soaked, but never smell. 

Are they leather, or kevlar?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> I have a great deal of fire resistant stuff for reasons. If left moist, they will smell really bad. but not all, such as my gloves. They always get soaked, but never smell.
> 
> Are they leather, or kevlar?


The glove protectors are nearly always leather from some animal or another. I think the one's I have are from goat. I've never seen kevlar glove protectors, but they might exist. The gloves themselves are a rubber compound. If you use rubber glove liners, they're pure cotton. If you sweat in your rubber gloves for hours on end, to where you have sweat rolling out of them in streams, they will REAK after a while. I just pitch them out if they get to smelling too bad. Glove dust helps with that, though.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> . I think the one's I have are from goat.


No wonder you smell like a goat..:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> No wonder you smell like a goat..:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:


You're probably not too far off. Some days I come home, try to kiss the wife, and she orders me straight to the shower. It's funny how you get get used to your own funk when you built it up during the whole day.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> You're probably not too far off. Some days I come home, try to kiss the wife, and she orders me straight to the shower. It's funny how you get get used to your own funk when you built it up during the whole day.


 Oh YA every day when i get home my wife says you stink:laughing:


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

my daily gloves.

http://www.glovecorp.com/GloveDetail.aspx?gloveID=1090













> A true, 3-dimensional NFPA 1971-2007 certified fire fighting glove
> - Multiple-layer thermal protection
> - TPP rating exceeds NFPA standards by over 70%
> - Palm, fingers, and back have layer of Kevlar
> ...


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> Oh YA every day when i get home my wife says you stink:laughing:


Yeah, my wife can often tell me where I've worked that day from my smell. Cow barn, restaurant kitchen, moldy basement, fire job, etc.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> my daily gloves.
> 
> http://www.glovecorp.com/GloveDetail.aspx?gloveID=1090


Dude, you got issues. I buy my regular work gloves at WalMart for around 3 bucks.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Dude, you got issues. I buy my regular work gloves at WalMart for around 3 bucks.


Lol, I don't only do electrical. 

But I told you I wear kevlar gloves! I can stick my hands in fires with these ****ers, and not feel it. I have about 5 pairs of them.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> Yeah, my wife can often tell me where I've worked that day from my smell. Cow barn, restaurant kitchen, moldy basement, fire job, etc.


When she is home before me it's you will take a shower right now and make sure you shave:laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> Lol, I don't only do electrical.
> 
> But I told you I wear kevlar gloves! I can stick my hands in fires with these ****ers, and not feel it. I have about 5 pairs of them.


Okay, Mike, I know you're a POS/ATM guy too. Why the hell do you need fireman's gloves? Secondly, what compels you to want to stick your hands in fire to the extent that you need gloves for it? I still say you've got issues. Have you spoken to a doctor about this lately? I'm sure they have pills for you.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

HARRY304E said:


> When she is home before me it's you will take a shower right now and make sure you shave:laughing:


I think we're married to the same woman. :jester:


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> I think we're married to the same woman. :jester:


Yes my wife carrys a heavy whip:laughing:


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Okay, Mike, I know you're a POS/ATM guy too. Why the hell do you need fireman's gloves? Secondly, what compels you to want to stick your hands in fire to the extent that you need gloves for it? I still say you've got issues. Have you spoken to a doctor about this lately? I'm sure they have pills for you.


Drunk, and offroading... and we needed to move the logs in the fire. I told the guy my gloves are fire proof. He said bull ****, and well... they are fire resistant!


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> Drunk, and offroading... and we needed to move the logs in the fire. I told the guy my gloves are fire proof. He said bull ****, and well... they are fire resistant!


Okey-dokey.

I think you should call your doctor when they open in the morning. Get something to calm your butt down.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

mikeh32 said:


> Drunk, and offroading... and we needed to move the logs in the fire. I told the guy my gloves are fire proof. He said bull ****, and well... they are fire resistant!


Did he burn his fingers:laughing:


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Okey-dokey.
> 
> I think you should call your doctor when they open in the morning. Get something to calm your butt down.


I think I might be beyond the medication state


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> Did he burn his fingers


not one bit. the gloves are firefighting gloves


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> not one bit. the gloves are firefighting gloves


Yeah, a must for every modern man. :001_huh::001_huh:


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

low voltage guys  :laughing:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Jlarson said:


> low voltage guys  :laughing:


Tell me about it. I'm just pleased as peaches when I remember to wear my gloves at all. I usually don't remember until I cut myself.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

Jlarson said:


> low voltage guys  :laughing:


that way when i lick the wires, it wont kill me


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

mikeh32 said:


> not one bit. the gloves are firefighting gloves


 They must be pretty good


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

Jlarson said:


> low voltage guys  :laughing:


 They need a license around here:laughing:


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Tell me about it. I'm just pleased as peaches when I remember to wear my gloves at all. I usually don't remember until I cut myself.


I routinely get "did you punch a brick wall?", "get into a lot of fights?", "have an accident with a cheese grater?" or something along those lines.


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## HARRY304E (Sep 15, 2010)

:wallbash:


Jlarson said:


> I routinely get "did you punch a brick wall?", "get into a lot of fights?", "have an accident with a cheese grater?" or something along those lines.


 :wallbash:A brick wall:laughing:


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

HARRY304E said:


> They must be pretty good


Every pair is hand made, and USA... i posted a link before, but check it...

http://www.glovecorp.com/Default.aspx

The best gloves ive ever owned


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Jlarson said:


> I can't remember any cotton FR stuff of mine smelling like that ever.



You have no PPE:whistling2:


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## Jlarson (Jun 28, 2009)

BBQ said:


> You have no PPE


:laughing:


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Jlarson said:


> :laughing:


I guess I should have said 'No PPE other than weapons'.:laughing:


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

The guy that wore them before you let out some hissers in em quite a few times after he had a mexican lunch.

~Matt


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

chrisfnl said:


> I was issued a set of fire resistant coveralls a few months ago, and I haven't had reason to wear them, and won't until next Wednesday.
> 
> Which is good, because they stink.
> 
> ...


Old people smell? 
Or "Loin Pig" smell? 


Loin pig is an old military term for burnt flesh.. If you know what I mean. 
IMO that's what's bad about issued clothing. The smell carries thru the wash.


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## chrisfnl (Sep 13, 2010)

No, I spent 8 years in the army, these were issued brand new by the federal government, but by an entirely different and much more confusing department. 

It's definitly not that musty wet canvas smell mixed with a hint of bug dope and somone elses sweat smell from army issued stuff.


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## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

chrisfnl said:


> No, I spent 8 years in the army, these were issued brand new by the federal government, but by an entirely different and much more confusing department.
> 
> It's definitly not that musty wet canvas smell mixed with a hint of bug dope and somone elses sweat smell from army issued stuff.


LoL, seabags/duffel bags all smell the same. Well the newer one smell like plastic. But the good old ones smell like wet moldy canvas.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

chrisfnl said:


> I was issued a set of fire resistant coveralls a few months ago, and I haven't had reason to wear them, and won't until next Wednesday.
> 
> Which is good, because they *stink*.
> 
> ...


No, that is not mormal. What brand are they and what material? Also be careful about washing them, there are very specific home laundering instructions, you can't use fabric softener, any detergent with bleach in it, and you have to limit the drier tempature.


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## chrisfnl (Sep 13, 2010)

Brand is "Geliget", though it appears the fabric is "Indura" manufactured by "Westex". It's treated cotton.

The wash instructions were sewn into the garment, but they've been through a dozen washes now, and they retain the smell (minimal at this point), not sure what else to do with them. 

May just take them back and see if I can get issued a non-stinky pair. Wasn't sure if it was a normal smell, because both sets smell the same way.


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