WILTSHIRE Fire & Rescue Service is warning of the risk of fire breaking out in towels and linen that have absorbed essential oils.
At least half a dozen recent incidents in laundrettes, salons and homes have been traced back to the same issue.
The problem arises when the wash cycle has been at a cool heat as the oil isn’t removed from the fabric properly.
When the material is then heated in the tumble dryer the residue can self-combust either in the dryer or when the linen is stacked.
Group manager Julian Parsons from the technical fire safety department said: “Our message is simple – if you use essential oils at home or in your business, make sure you use a wash temperature of at least 40 degrees to clean the affected towels and linen. It is hard to believe that fire can just break out in a pile of fabric but we have seen a great deal of damage caused by this type of blaze.”
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