Dear customer,
First of all, we sincerely thank you for your purchase at Pro-Racing.
We hope you will enjoy a lot of racing fun from the purchased items, with hopefully a podium finish as a reward for your efforts!
You can rest assured that the items you have purchased are of top quality, but despite this, proper care of the products is necessary to maintain quality and maximize lifespan. Therefore, we are informing you in this article about the various treatment methods that you can apply.
Maintenance Tips
- WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOMEX (FLAME-RETARDANT) UNDERWEAR AND OVERALLS
- SPECIAL MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS FOR NOMEX UNDERWEAR AND OVERALLS
- WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR KART OVERALLS
- MAINTENANCE OF SHOES AND GLOVES
- MAINTENANCE OF HELMETS
- ADVERTISING ON RACE OVERALLS AND (UNDER)CLOTHING WITH FIA 8856-2000 HOMOLOGATION
- ADVERTISING ON RACE OVERALLS AND (UNDER)CLOTHING WITH FIA 8856-2018 HOMOLOGATION
1. WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOMEX (FLAME-RETARDANT) UNDERWEAR AND OVERALLS
The way you need to treat your flame-retardant Nomex underwear or Nomex overall can always be found on the washing label. For example, there are overalls that may only be cleaned by dry cleaning ("Dry Clean"), but also overalls that may only be washed. It is therefore very important to always check the washing label before you take action.
View the PDF here with an overview of possible washing labels.
If your underwear or overall may be washed, do so as follows;
- Turn the overall inside out (do not do this for underwear)
- Close all zippers and Velcro fastenings if present
- Place the overall / underwear in a laundry bag
- Select a short program on your washing machine
- Temperature 30 degrees (or follow washing label if the temperature differs)
- Add special Nomex washing detergent (otherwise a small amount of normal detergent) or possibly an X-Cool Recharge*
- Absolutely do not add FABRIC SOFTENER
- Let the overall / underwear dry after washing in a cool and well-ventilated place
The overall / underwear MUST NOT BE PUT IN THE DRYER!
*) X-Cool is a chemical product with which the fabrics of certain overalls and underwear are impregnated. X-Cool consists of microcapsules with an active ingredient that is released when a specific temperature is reached. The active substance consists of an essence of menthol and contributes to lowering the driver's body temperature and moving hot air molecules away from the skin. The active ingredient is gradually released, ensuring the effect for a longer time, even after multiple washes. In case the effect diminishes over time, a special X-Cool Recharge is available. This Recharge is applied as a detergent in the washing machine and is sufficient for one overall or a complete set of underwear.
2. SPECIAL MAINTENANCE PRODUCTS FOR NOMEX UNDERWEAR AND OVERALLS
All flame-retardant racing clothing is made of Nomex or a derivative. This technical fabric has excellent flame-retardant properties but needs to be maintained carefully. The brand Molecule Sports has launched a special line of maintenance products for Nomex, namely;
- Wash: detergent for Nomex and other technical fabrics for use in a normal washing machine
- Protector: helps repel dirt, oil, grease, and other stains
- Spot Cleaner: cleaner for stubborn stains on Nomex and other technical fabrics
- Refresh: 'deodorant' for overalls, shoes, gloves, and underwear
The range from Molecule Sports is available in our store as well as through our webshop.
3. WASHING INSTRUCTIONS FOR KART OVERALLS
The basic principle for washing a kart overall is the same as that of a Nomex overall, with the only change being that adding a small amount of fabric softener is allowed. If you do not use a laundry bag, we recommend not turning the kart overall inside out to prevent wear on the lining, which is more sensitive than the outer layer of the kart overall.
4. MAINTENANCE OF SHOES AND GLOVES
If your shoes become dirty, the dirt can be removed with a soft cloth dipped in lukewarm water. By dabbing and gently rubbing, most dirt can often be easily removed. If the dirt is particularly stubborn, we recommend using an active cleaning foam and letting it work for a short time. Afterwards, wiping with a soft dry cloth is usually sufficient to restore the shoes to good condition.
Gloves should generally only be washed by hand, with the exception of some types that can be machine washed. If the washing label indicates that the gloves can be machine washed, do this in the same way as the overall.
Want to 'refresh' your shoes and gloves in between? Then use the Refresh from Molecule Sports.
When the shoes and gloves eventually have an unpleasant (sweat) odor, it is possible to reduce this by using a multi-equipment dryer. This device works using antibacterial air, thereby reducing unpleasant odors and preventing the growth of bacteria.
5. MAINTENANCE OF HELMETS
Even car and karting helmets, despite often limited cleaning options, still require some maintenance. For example, it is detrimental for a helmet to be stored directly after use in a helmet bag. The lining cannot dry properly in this way and will eventually start to smell due to the bacteria present. To prevent this, you can let the helmet dry for about 1 day in a well-ventilated, cool, and dry area, preferably upside down in the helmet bag or on a neck strap to prevent it from falling.
Even better is the use of a special helmet dryer, which is available in various models.
When the visor of the helmet has become dirty, we recommend following these steps;
- Detach the visor from the helmet
- Rinse the visor under lukewarm running water until all superficial dirt (sand) is gone
- Rub both the inside and outside of the visor with a drop of dish soap to remove attached dirt
- Dry the visor with a clean lint-free (tea) towel
- Reattach the visor, ensuring that the screws are tightened by hand. Do this carefully!
To drastically reduce fogging of the visor, the inside can be treated with an anti-fog spray after following the steps above.
To ensure that raindrops glide off the visor almost immediately due to the airflow while driving, the outside can be treated with Rain Repel. This is especially recommended for mirrored visors, as it greatly reduces the tendency to rub the visor with a glove and thus damage the mirror coating.
The (painted) outer shell can be wiped down with a damp cloth, and over time you can clean it with a special maintenance product or a bit of car wax.
Note: Do not use car wax on matte helmets!
For this, a special cleaning product for matte finishes is recommended, namely Molecule Matte Detailer.
The helmet is the most essential part of the racing outfit in terms of protection for the driver. To transport and store it safely, special helmet bags are available. There are also helmet bags on the market with a built-in fan to dry the helmet.
The brand Molecule Sports has launched a special line of maintenance products for helmets and visors, namely;
- Cleaner and Polish: cleans and protects the outside of the helmet
- Refresh: ensures a fresh lining inside the helmet
- Rain Repel: prevents water and other liquids from sticking to the outside of the visor
- Anti-Fog: prevents fogging of the visor
The range from Molecule Sports is available in our store as well as via our webshop.
6. ADVERTISING ON RACE OVERALLS AND (UNDER)CLOTHING WITH FIA 8856-2000 HOMOLOGATION
A FIA 8856-2000 homologated race overall consists of 2 or 3 layers of Nomex. Nomex is the flame-retardant material that protects the driver in the event of a fire. To maintain this protection, the layers of Nomex must not be compromised. If you want to apply advertising, this is possible in the following ways;
Printing directly on the overall
The newest technique for applying advertising is printing. Using a special elastic and flame-retardant foil, the logos are pressed onto the overall. The main advantage of this technique is that there are no embroidery programs involved, resulting in significant cost savings. Additionally, the print is so thin that wearing comfort is not compromised. Compared to other techniques, this one can also be realized the fastest, often within a few days.
Printing on underwear and team clothing is also possible.
We can take care of the printing for you, inquire about the possibilities.
Embroidering directly on the overall
When advertising is embroidered directly onto the overall, this may only be done on the outer layer of Nomex. This must all be done with Nomex thread. Generally, this is only done at the factory since it is very difficult to disassemble the overall afterwards. You should indicate this at the time of ordering the overall.
With an embroidered badge
When you have purchased a ready-made overall and want to add embroidered advertising afterwards, this is done using a badge. This badge must be made of Nomex thread. The badge can then be attached to the overall with a single stitch, also using Nomex thread. This single stitch may go through all layers of the Nomex.
Since there are virtually no embroidery companies in the Netherlands that work with Nomex thread, we can provide the badges through one of our overall manufacturers.
7. ADVERTISING ON RACE OVERALLS AND (UNDER)CLOTHING WITH FIA 8856-2018 HOMOLOGATION
After the introduction of the FIA 8856-2018 homologation, the application of advertising on racing clothing has become much more complicated. With this clothing, it may only be done at the factory or at a service point appointed by the manufacturer, of which there are only 5 in Europe. The FIA has decided that the transfer sheets on which the advertising is printed must come from the manufacturer (indirectly from the FIA) and must be provided with a unique number. After the transfers have been applied, photos must be taken of all modifications to the clothing. After that, an FIA passport must be requested for the specific garment, in which the transfer sheet number and the photos must be included. When done at the factory, a QR code is placed in the garment that links to the passport. When done afterwards, the passport is on paper and the driver must always be able to show it when the garment linked to the passport is worn.
This entire process is very complicated, but the most frustrating part of it is the enormous cost increase that comes with it.
The above rules only apply when participating in (FIA) events where it has been regulation that FIA 8856-2018 clothing is mandatory. If the driver uses the clothing solely for track days or other events without regulations, we can still print the clothing. We work with special flame-retardant transfers that do not negatively affect safety in any way.
By following the above tips, you will enjoy your items for years to come.
All that remains is for us to wish you many enjoyable but especially safe racing kilometers!