I've re-proofed my gear a few times with albeit limited success (Grangers cleaner followed by re-proofer). Does fabric become "more" waterproof if you put them through a second re-proofing wash or is it a waste of effort?
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Re-proofing waterproof fabric question
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Posted 4 months ago #
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i tumble dried my waterproof jacket on low/delicate setting and it seems to have helped!
Posted 4 months ago # -
What brand did you use?
Some say air dry, others tumble dry to activate.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Assuming the gear you're waterproofing is a laminate (e.g. Goretex, Event etc.) then it will always be "waterproof" until the waterproofing layer, or seam tape [b]is damaged in some way.
When you re-proof a jacket, what you're trying to do is get water to bead off the outside to help make it more "breathable" so that the moisture your own body makes stands a fighting chance of getting out of the jacket. The "re-proofer" attempts to replace the Durable Water Repellant finish, and generally you need a source of gentle heat (hair dryer/cool tumble dry) to achieve the best results once you've applyed it. Applying more won't help. Applying some to a dirty jacket won't really work very well either, so make sure the jacket is clean (possibly with multiple washes, e.g. once with detergent, then once with pure soap/techwash) and detergent free before you apply the re-proofer
Posted 4 months ago # -
avoid detergent.
It works by breaking down any barrier between the material's fibres and the water, to allow cleaning in the material. effectively its an "anti-dwr", doing the opposite of the re-proofer, and is therefore even worse than the dirt. use the soap flakes, or tech-wash, for cleaning.Posted 4 months ago # -
If its leaking the membrane has failed. "reproofing" might get the water to bead up better but cannot have any effect on a failed membrane
Posted 4 months ago # -
avoid detergent.
Unfortunately, pure soap isn't actually a very good cleaner, and the oils your body naturally produces and general worldly grease, in the case of eVent stop the actual membrane from doing its job* and being completely waterproof. In general these oils will also reduce the ability of the DWR coating to attach to the outer fabric.
The only way to clear off the oils your body produce is to use a detergent, and the residue this leaves behind can then be washed away with pure soap, hence the recommendation to do two washes before re-proofing.
*eVent is more breathable, because the the oleophobic "layer" is actually a coating within the expanded polymer matrix that makes up the waterproofing layer. If this gets contaminated by a buildup of oils, it will allow water to pass through the membrane, and so not be waterproof
Posted 4 months ago # -
+1 to what Dan says if it's eVent or similar.
See the reply from Julie from Montane at the bottom of the first page in this outdoormagic thread. Since i've followed this advice i've had no problems rejuvenating my waterproofs.
There was another thread i read on there about warm iron vs tumble dry for restoring the DWR. Iron is supposedly better as the tumble bit of tumble drying isn't as good for the garment.
Posted 4 months ago # -
Tumble-driers tend to abrade things slightly that's where the fluff comes from... Also, if you have a faulty thermostat, there's a small chance you could melt elements of your garment accidentally. Ironing carefully at a low heat - see care label - does the same job, but more labour intensively and you'll be aware of the iron being too hot before it's too late. If you do iron, avoid contact with reflective trim as you'll trash it.
Most of the latest aftermarket DWR or 'reproofers' will air cure, but using heat will improve the performance even then I think. The exception is the Grangers 2-in-1 cleaner and proofer which needs to be heat treated for it to work. The newest version of Nikwax TX10 is reckoned to last up to six times longer btw and does seem quite effective, though it's hard to quantify without side by side lab testing. Blah...
Posted 4 months ago #
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