Body armor only performs at its best when it is properly taken care of. This product care and maintenance manual should serve as an educational platform to teach you the proper ways to care for your newly acquired body armor. It is extremely important that you read and fully understand this section prior to using your armor.

Maintenance
Studies show that age alone does not cause the ballistic resistance of armor to deteriorate. The kind of care and maintenance the garment receives is a more important factor. Taking a pro-active approach to maintain the integrity of your body armor will prove to be a vital part of ensuring its longevity and durability.
Although the label on NFM body armor provides general guidelines for the care and maintenance of your armor, follow these additional DO’s and DON’Ts:
  • DO follow instructions for the care and maintenance.
  • DO drip dry the armor indoors.
  • DO regularly inspect your armor for cuts, tears, and other damage to the carrier and ballistic elements.
  • DO regularly inspect your ceramic plates to ensure that no surface cracks are present.
  • DO NOT machine wash or dry your armor; machine laundering can affect the ballistic material.
  • DO NOT allow to soak in standing water. Water on ballistic fibers acts as a lubricant and allows bullets to penetrate.
  • DO NOT use bleach or products containing bleach in laundering your armor.
  • DO NOT use commercial laundries because they may use harsh chemicals that can affect your armor’s protective capabilities.
  • DO NOT dry clean your armor because dry cleaning solvents can affect your armor’s protective capabilities.
  • DO NOT dry your armor outdoors. Some ballistic fabrics degrade as a result of ultraviolet exposure.
  • DO NOT attempt to make repairs to your armor. Armor should be returned to the manufacturer for repairs or replacement.
  • DO NOT hang your amour. Ballistic material can fold inside the panel and its structure can be affected.
  • DO NOT iron. Some armour materials and casing materials can be damaged with high temperature.

Cleaning your armor panels and plates
Your armor panels are what contain ballistic-resistant fibers or stab-resistant materials that perform in an effort to stop a bullet or edged or pointed weapons.
PROPER CLEANING OF YOUR ARMOR PANELS IS ESSENTIAL.
Improper care of your armor panels can lead to premature fiber degrading and compromise the protective integrity of your armor.
Remove the soft armor panels, trauma inserts, rifle threat plates and/or special threat inserts from the carrier.
  1. Gently wipe the armor panels with a damp sponge and a mixture of cool water and mild antimicrobial soap or mild laundry detergent.
  2. Wipe off excess soap with clean water and a damp sponge.
  3. Wipe dry. DO NOT HANG OR LINE DRY.  DO NOT PLACE IN THE SUN.
  4. Ensure panels are completely dry before reinserting into the carrier
  5. Make sure the panels are reinserted properly with the “body face” side facing your body

Cleaning your Carrier and Tactical Accessories
Remove all armor panels (front and back, supplementary), riffle threat plates, pouches and ID patches before attempting to clean the carrier.
  1. Detach all fixed hook and loop fasteners.
  2. Use a soft, clean cloth in a back-and-forth motion to remove dust, dirt and loose matter.
  3. To treat tough spots on the carrier’s exterior, use a soft brush with antimicrobial soap and water.  Wipe off excess soap with a clean, damp cloth.
  4. Some concealable carriers might be washed in washing machine with delicate laundry program.
  5. Lie carrier on a flat surface and allow to air dry.
  6. Make sure the carrier is completely dry before inserting armor panels, trauma inserts and special threat plates.

Vest Assembly (including accessories, if necessary)
  1. Lay the front of your carrier garment on a flat, smooth surface and open the panel compartments
  2. Identify the “BODY FACE” warning located on the label on the back of the armor panel.
  3. Once verified, insert the armor panel “Body face - in” into the carrier garment.
  4. If using supplementary protection such as throat, neck, shoulders, upper arms, groin identify the “body face” label and insert “body face” in
  5. Attach all accessories before donning vest.
  6. With options and equipment attached, secure/adjust the shoulders first.
  7. Make sure the front of the vest is positioned to cover the collar bone or indentation in the center of the neck.
  8. Fasten the waist straps with moderate tension, making sure to attain a minimum of a 5cm overlap on each side of the vest.

Long term performance
Age alone does not cause body armour’s ballistic resistance to deteriorate. The care and maintenance of a garment—or the lack thereof—have been shown to have a greater impact than age on the length of service life of a unit of body armour. Armour that is 10 years old and has never been issued may be perfectly acceptable for use, provided that the rated level of protection is still appropriate for the typical threats faced. Conversely, 2- or 3-year-old armour that has been worn regularly and improperly cared for may not be serviceable.

Long term storage
To maintain long service live store you armour:
  1. in good and dry ambiance and not exposed to UV
  2. not in contact with water or humidity, gasoline, oil and others chemical substances
  3. removed from outer carrier
  4. in original casing and unfolded
  5. without any damage on casing fabric


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