Cleaning garments with reflective stripes is tough work. Industrial soiling, such as mechanical oil, soot, or dirt mixed with oil, requires a highly alkaline washing process. At the same time, the reflective stripes on these garments are very sensitive to alkalic water conditions and tend to lose their reflective properties after only five to ten washes, whilst the garments are still in perfect condition to be used for another 20-25 cycles.

In an attempt to solve this challenge, Lindström decided to partner with Ecolab to improve the washing process for garments with reflective stripes, aiming to decrease waste while improving the textile lifecycle.