Waterproof Clothing, the correct way to wash?

sirichmond

Afternoon all,

I have had a waterproof jacket for a year but it's now loosing its waterproofness and I have also now got some waterproof shorts so whats the best way to wash and what to use as well as what to use to reproof my coat.

Cheers
Si

Stu Coops

Easiest way is to use the Nikwax wash-in which you add to the washing machine, zip up the jacket and place it in the machine with the shorts set at 40c wash on a short cycle drip dry on line, if it's Event and not Gore-Tex you can also iron the garment when damp with a warm steam iron to improve breathability.

Nikwax is around £12 from Go Outdoors/Cotswold/Blacks

sniper68

If it's Gortex you can sometimes just wet it then iron it to rejuvenate the DWR.Some Gortex you can tumble dry to much the same effect.(mine says no tumble,iron dry).The heat is what makes the DWR work.Your jacket will have a waterproff mebrane and although it appears to be loosing it's waterproffing properties it isn't.It's "wetting out" because your DWR isn't working as good as it should so it won't bead water so the jacket won't breath as well.
If you are going to wash it make sure you thoroughly clean the machine first as any "normal" soap powder will counteract with the Nikwax/Grangers.The recommended way to do this is to clean out the powder drawer then put the machine on a hot-cycle empty 8)
Oddly manufacturers recommend re-proofing of some sort after 30 hours wear :roll: and that's walking jackets that don't get covered in mud/crap etc :?