What Can Decrease the Ballistic Performance of your Military Body Armor?

Your military body armor is not just an ordinary garment. Military body armor means your safety and protection so make sure that they are handled properly in order to maintain their ballistic performance and effectiveness throughout its service life. The following are the things that can cause degradation on the ballistic performance of your military body armor. Be sure to avoid them so you can be able to enjoy uncompromised protection of your body armor for a longer time.

1. Ultraviolet rays of the sun – The ultraviolet rays of the sun can cause major degradations on certain types of ballistic fabric when exposed for a long time. Various tests have proven that the effectiveness of the ballistic materials is significantly affected when exposed to sunlight. To avoid this, never dry your military body armors directly under the sun. Choose a well ventilated area indoors where you can dry your body armor.

2. Soap – Strong detergents can also decrease the ballistic performance of your military body armor. When soap residues are accumulated in the ballistic fabric, it can cause water absorption which can diminish the protective properties of some ballistic materials or fabrics.  

3. Water – One of the basic care and maintenance of military body armor is not to submerge or immerse the body armor in water. This is because immersion in water can weaken the materials used in the military body armor.

4. Dry cleaning – Never have your military body armor dry-cleaned. This is because dry cleaning solvents can degrade the ballistic efficiency of the body armor. There is only one solvent which cannot degrade the body armor and that is the perchlorethylene which is sometimes not present or often mixed with other dry cleaning solutions.

5. Improper storage, handling and washing – Improper storage, handling and washing can also cause degradation on the ballistic performance of your military body armor. Storing the body armor that is damp from water and perspiration can cause molds to grow. Hanging it will cause creases and wrinkles on the body armor.