A complete cleaning guide for fire hoses

Fire hoses lead fairly rough lives, when you think about it. So any way you can treat your fire hoses kindly is a very beneficial thing, and the payoff will be fantastic with regard to the performance and longevity of your fire hose.

One excellent way you can improve the life and reliability of your fire hoses is by properly cleaning them. This is especially a good habit to get into for woven jacketed hoses.

Follow these procedures to make sure you deliver a solid cleaning to all dirty fire hoses:

1) Unroll the hose. Dragging hoses kill the life of the hose, so whenever possible avoid it.

2) Stretch the hose out entirely on a clean and level surface.

3) Be careful to protect the exposed threaded couplings. If you are cleaning multiple sections, lay them next to each other but separated enough so they drain properly.

4) Consider what hazardous materials the hose has been exposed to: Gasoline, oil, etc. Check out the manufacturer’s recommendations to decontaminate the hose.

5) Dry brush the hose with a soft- or medium-bristle brush to clean off the surface debris before washing it.

6) Rinse the hose with clean water using low pressure so you don’t push contaminants into the hose jacket.

7) Use a cleaning solution of warm water and mild detergent. Using a long brush with soft or medium bristles, scrub the hose.

8) Thoroughly flush all the detergent from the hose jacket on both sides.

9) After rinsing, dry the hose completely by whatever method works best for the weather conditions in your area and your facilities’ equipment. Avoid drying hoses on hot pavement or under direct sunlight, which can damage hose jackets and the lining.

10) Before loading into the hose bed or storing for a long time, make sure the hose is thoroughly dried.

Always remember care and maintenance for fire hoses must comply with the NFPA’s Standard for Inspection, Care and Use of fire hoses, couplings and nozzles. For all NFPA codes and guidelines, be sure to check their website.

And when it’s time to purchase a new fire hose, make sure your first stop is Rawhide Fire Hose. We have same-day shipping and our orders are delivered in one to two days. We also custom build fire hoses to make sure your hose is the exact fit for what you need. Be sure to call us today at 800–321–3715.