Late last summer I bought a Gore jacket and bottoms for the tidy sum of ~ £300. First ride and the water beaded straight off.

Now, the garments just soak up the water. I even washed it at the weekend with Nikwax Tek Wash and Wash In in the hope it would restore the beading, but I got soaked today.

Here are a couple of pictures after a 1.5hr ride showing the inside of the jacket and trousers. What is annoying is that I have only used them for a handful of times.

You could try sending it back. Could be a fault

My feeling though is that there’s nowt that will keep out prolonged heavy rain.

I’ve had to reproof mine – gore alp x gt with nikwax spray. Its’s good as new now.

Have you tried tumble-drying on a low heat?

Did you clean washing machine out first? Otherwise if you use bio detergent the residue can strip the DWR. Also tumble-dry as suggested to revitalise the DWR.

It does make you wonder why we pay hundreds for this stuff and it never stays waterproof

Take the stuff back to where you bought it. Gore has a lifetime waterproofing guarantee. If water’s genuinely leaking through the fabric from the outside, they should replace the item.

If you’re getting wet because the outside has wetted out and you’re getting condensation on the inside of the garment, the surface fabric needs its DWR restoring as above. Clean out the detergent dispenser, run a hot wash through the empty machine first then wash and reproof.

If it’s hoying it down & your’e sweating like a rapist in a lineup, your’e going to get wet.
If it’s slightly damp & your’e a bit warm…you might stay dry-ish.
If it’s dry & your’e sweating…you’ll probably stay dry.
If it’s hoying it down & your’e standing still…you’ll probably stay dry.

I’m no scientist but after 23 years of trying all sorts & spending £££’s on stuff….they’re the facts.

I did use the Nik Wax tech wash first, so I would have though that would have cleaned the garments properly and then used the wash in NikWax stuff.

I must admit that when I bought the garments I thought they would be hassle free to keep really waterproof, but the opposite is true. It’s a right royal pain.

I didn’t tumble dry the garments post Nik Wax as the instructions said you could leave to dry on the line.

Detergent doesn’t actually strip the DWR.

You just aren’t really supposed to do it as it clogs the pores in the membrane. However if you rinse well afterwards, or tech wash afterwards then its okay. If your gear is really filthy then tech wash doesn’t clean that well, but detergent does.

Just make sure it is non-bio

I ruined a perfectly good jacket by using Bio liquid, annoyingly the manufacturer didn’t warn about it, just said wash with liquid detergent and rinse well.

Once I’d washed with Bio the jacket has been pretty terrible, no amount of washing or spray-proofing has improved it. 🙁

esselgruntfuttock – Member
If it’s hoying it down & your’e sweating like a rapist in a lineup, your’e going to get wet.

😆 😆

I remember the first Goretex Berghaus jacket I ever had (20 years ago!). Took it on many multi-day off-road cycling trips round Deeside and the Highlands. I was constantly amazed by being able to cycle for days through heavy rain and stay warm and dry, day after day.

The only jacket that’s come close in recent years has been my military issue faux-Goretex jacket from eBay. But it’s *much* bigger and heavier, and takes up my whole rucksack when not required.

Ruined my nice waterproof clothing with bio powder, it would have been nice if the care label mentioned appropriate detergent.

Apparently manufacturers don’t want to put off prospective buyers with detailed care instructions, because killing garments by washing them normally builds real brand loyalty I presume.

I have 4 different varieties of Gore Tex clothing of varying ages. Only on the new ones does the water bead off. The others are still completely waterproof though.

However I wouldn’t use any of them for biking in in conditions much above zero degrees as they just simply get you too hot, and then you sweat like a pig. I just accept getting wet, wear the right gear and you can be wet and warm all day.

To be fair the lining on that clothing does look odd. Take it back if in doubt

If you have a tumble drier it really is worth washing then drying on low heat. It helps the waterproofing, whereas line drying does not.

The Wife never buys bio so I know they have not been washed in that. Now I wish I kept my receipts for longer

The lining of the trousers does look like I p!ssed myself

Unless it’s very cold & the jacket is a windblocker, I’d rather be warm & wet than soaked inside a sweaty jacket. If it’s a short commute I use a cheapo Peter Storm & ride slower.

Wash in reproofer is wrong for that jacket – I’d use the spray on to reproof the outside only.

Clean out the machine
Tech wash
Spray on TX Direct
Tumble dry low

imho.

Detergent doesn’t actually strip the DWR.

You just aren’t really supposed to do it as it clogs the pores in the membrane. However if you rinse well afterwards, or tech wash afterwards then its okay. If your gear is really filthy then tech wash doesn’t clean that well, but detergent does.

No, it doesn’t clog the pores in the membrane. What happens is that stuff like Persil and the like contains a whole bunch of chemical additives, things like optical brighteners and, particularly, wetting agents which help water to penetrate fabrics. The latter, in particular, are the last things you want on a waterproof jacket.

The residue from this stuff masks the DWR – Durable Water Repellant – finish on the fabric and stops it beading. The surface layer of fabric – face – then soaks up water. The material is still waterproof as that’s down to the membrane layer, but because the outer layer is soaked, it’s no longer breathable, so you get wet from condensation from your own sweat more rapidly.

Using a detergent – it doesn’t matter if it’s bio or non-bio, that’s a myth – doesn’t permanently trash your jacket, it just means you need to remove it for either the original DWR to work or to reproof it effectively. A couple of washes with a pure soap detergent – Nikwax, Grangers or similar – plus a double rinse should do that.

If the jacket’s relatively new, try gentle heat-treating, either a careful iron avoiding reflective areas, following care instructions or, if the label permits, a low temperature tumble dryer session. That may be enough to revive the original finish and allow the face fabric to bead again.

If not, you need to re-treat it. The usual guideline is to use wash-in for single layer (actually 3-ply fabrics) and spray-on for two-layer fabrics which have a separate mesh liner. Neither Nikwax or Grangers need heat treating any more apart from the Grangers Two-in-One combined cleaner and proofer products, they work fine with just air-drying and Nikwax make a real point of this as they don’t use fluo-chemicals which need heat to work.

Of course you can do all this and if you run hot, you will still get sweaty and the fabric will struggle to cope. If it’s really wet, water will rub down your neck and you’ll get wet that way. And even the factory DWR will lose effectiveness after a few hours…

Both the Grangers and Nikwax websites have comprehensive instructions and explanations etc…

I’ve machine washed Gore goretex kit (jacket and shorts) along with lots of other stuff in Nikwax tech wash and then wash in and it’s been fine. Try contacting Gore directly and see what they say, they should hopefully either advise you on how to restore it or replace if it’s faulty.

lazy riders guide to keeping goretex (or equivalent) lasting.
– avoid washing it ..rain = water = self cleaning 😉
– brush offdried mud
– if its really stinky rinse under the garden hose drip dry.
– If you really really have to wash it – use only pure soap flakes

it should have worn out/torn/zip broken before waterproofing fails.

PS major savings on expensive tech sprays etc

the factory dwr always so much better than nikwax or grangers

anyone know what the difference is?

It’s a fluoro-chemical with questionable eocological credentials. Greenpeace Germany released a detailed analysis of outdoor clothing last year and while there’s the usual ambiguity over just how hazardous the levels of such chemicals actually found in clothing are, it’s also clear that they’re not good for you or the planet in general terms.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/the-cost-to-our-water-for-some-protection-fro/blog/42788/

Nikwax doesn’t use fluoro-chemicals, which is why it doesn’t need to be heat treated (as I understand it, heating the original mobilises polymer chains and allows them to spread over the individual fibres of the fabric). Not sure about Grangers these days, they certainly used to be closer to the original treatment’s formulation.

There’s other stuff going on too – Polyesters tend to take DWRs better than other fabrics for example – but the bottom line is that the DWR treatment is often the weak link in real life fabric use. It wears off, gets contaminated and masked by dirt and oils, and needs regular renewal.

Plenty of scope for the fabric manufacturers to improve in that area.

madxela I like your stile 8)

I just throw my water proof gear on the floor and hose it when I do the bike if it gets too stinky, then hang at let dry 😀
My Attack trousers commuter / riding in wet weather gear are well into there 2 year now without issue.

funny, i was going to attempt re waterproofing mine tonight! as its useless now, i think it can be the only thing in the machine, as I tried doing a few waterproofs and it worked for about 15mins then wetted out again. it is best to wash with detergent, then grangers, then tumble drier?

I`ve always found it useless unless using the tumble dryer to re-activate it.

Goretex in my experience is great for breathability in alpine conditions, but not so great in warm wet british summer.

I would like to know which of the fabrics are good at active (Ie Sweaty)pursuits while still being breathable and water proof ?

I suspect I`ll come back to Merino wool / buffalo type shirt again, in that its impossible to stay dry while riding so warm is the best compromise ? 😐 ❓

I would like to know which of the fabrics are good at active (Ie Sweaty)pursuits while still being breathable and water proof ?

It doesn’t exist. As you suggest, focus on staying warm when wet.

Get a neoshell jacket…most breathable waterproof material around, fact.

neiloxford – Member

Get a neoshell jacket…most breathable waterproof material around, fact.

Under what conditions ?

Like I said, what works in alpine (Cold, Low humidity) conditions it totally different to 20deg ambient 80% humidity, pouring down in a British forest while chasing your mates up a climb……

Got any links to back up the statement ?

A great development Engineer I once had the priviledge of working with had a sign on his desk……

“In god we trust………..

All others must bring data”

Review are the best I have and wearing it for the last year 🙂

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/gear-news/just-in—rab-myriad-jacket/10809.html

Are you breathing comfortably? Sugoi announce NeoShell rain layers

http://terrybnd.blogspot.com.es/2011/09/rab-neo-stretch-polartec-neoshell.html

http://coldthistle.blogspot.com.es/2012/03/polartec-neoshell-soft-game-changer.html

http://coloradomtb.blogspot.com.es/2013/07/sugoi-rse-and-rsx-neoshell.html

Do I tumble dry gore tex inside out or does it not matter?

I’ve given up on Gore-Tex…pertex only for me now ..if it cold a softshell underneath…

azy riders guide to keeping goretex (or equivalent) lasting.
– avoid washing it ..rain = water = self cleaning
– brush offdried mud
– if its really stinky rinse under the garden hose drip dry.
– If you really really have to wash it – use only pure soap flakes

it should have worn out/torn/zip broken before waterproofing fails.

PS major savings on expensive tech sprays etc

Best advice above, never ever, ever, ever, ever wash it. Hose yourself off if its dirty when you finish the ride. If it really stinks, lob it in a plastic bag in the freezer once you’ve hosed it down,(when its dry!)

Wash it in a machine . or with any sort of soap and then moan about it not being waterproof it’s your own fault.

It’ll last a couple of years without persil, then buy a new set.

You very rarely get people complaining about new goretx, only when they’ve washed it.

By the way, did I say – never ever ever ever ever wash it with any soap based substance.