Washing waterproofs

What does the hive mind say about this?

Do you use standard detergent and softener? Specialist detergent like nikwax? Hand wash only?

What’s the best way to look after them and ensure they stay waterproof?

I tend to avoid washing them as much as possible.

I was mine with liquid soap from the DIY shop when they need it. Much cheaper than the nicwax/grangers stuff and does a good enough job. Reproof at the end of night riding season.
My washing machine has waterproof clothing setting😀
This stuff

Specialist detergent like nikwax?

Or pure soap flakes if you can find them (edit: or that stuff above). Normal detergents and softeners have a bunch of additives that’ll stop the water repellent treatments applied to the fabrics from working, material gets soaked instead of beading. Just follow the instructions on the cleaner / website.

Edit: this is mostly about right. the Nikwax FAQ is a bit hopeless

https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/the-knowledge/waterproof-care-guide.html

Riding waterproofs I just tend to leave muddy and only wash them when they are starting to smell.
The one I wear to work that I spilt curry sauce on, will get washed with nikwax

With my Gortex hill walking clobber I tumble dry after the wash.

Normal detergents and softeners have a bunch of additives that’ll stop the water repellent treatments applied to the fabrics from working

So, let’s say an over enthusiastic MIL had washed your expensive jacket with persil and comfort, how would you recover the waterproofness?

A couple of washes in a clean machine with soap flakes, then wash in reproofer then tumble dry.

The Persil shouldn’t cause a problem. However the cationics in the softener are rather substantive and not very water soluble. Three or four washes with soap flakes and it should be ok.

Liquid soap from Wilko’s.

So, let’s say an over enthusiastic MIL had washed your expensive jacket with persil and comfort, how would you recover the waterproofness?

Divorce

NSMB Published something on this recently

https://nsmb.com/articles/2-minute-expert-how-gore-tex-works/

https://7mesh.com/gore-tex-product-care

Quick hose down with the bikes. Rinse and spin cycle (most machines do this), with no detergent, works for me.

I wash mine with one of the specialist soaps and then a reproofer – and a minimum spin / no spin

I wouldn’t go looking down the high street for soap flakes. The ancient machine that used the make them was apparently worn out and combined with the non-green usage of palm oil in the recipe, they stopped production and now sell liquid soap, the brand name is dripak.

Check the labels, a lot of waterproofs actually benefit from a warm (not hot) tumble dry.

P.S Fabric softener has no place in your house, its completely pointless.

All these kind of jackets are flawed – they stop working effectively as explained in that article.

What they don’t really tell you – is you can never return it to the same level as effectiveness as when it’s new. I’ve tried all those things and they never bead very well again. (3-4 washes and it’s not great) Lumping all the responsibility on to the consumer. We also generate too much heat too for the breathing to ever work well.

My life has been changed by the Goretex Shakedry stuff – which actually works how you expect it too.

Shame the cut is a bit weird. Super long arms and slightly tight under the armpits. I hiked in mine yesterday in full on rain – no sweat or rain – even against the skin with a cotton t-shirt on. Amazing.

Check the labels, a lot of waterproofs actually benefit from a warm (not hot) tumble dry.

Good advice as some melt at the seems! Odd how some jackets can be tumbled and others not.

Shakedry or just a non-waterproof job.

DWR outer fabric is the great con of the 2000s.

So here’s a question. If I wash at 30c with some sort of specialist re-proofer, that re-proofer is going to go everywhere. By that I mean on the inside of the jacket as well as the outside. Will waterproofing the inside stop any breathable properties from working?

DWR outer fabric is the great con of the 2000s.

I’d tend to agree. Great when new, but very quickly detereiorates into being a bit rubbish and will never come back to 100%.
I’d be interested to try the shakedry stuff in time.

Check the labels, a lot of waterproofs actually benefit from a warm (not hot) tumble dry.

You want to be careful with tumble drying for at least two reasons: one is that if the thermostat in your tumbler goes bad, you may find you’re tumbling at a much higher temperature than you think and you can’t really tell because the jacket is out of sight. In a worst case scenario, you can melt plastic trim etc. The other is that tumbler drying is abrasive, that fluff that comes out of the filter is your clothes’ fabric being degraded.

Quite a few modern jackets use lamination and heat welding in their construction, overheating them is not a good idea for obvious reasons.

Most aftermarket DWR treatments are designed to work without heat activation despite what the Gore guy in that article linked above says btw.

Gore ShakeDry is brilliant as it doesn’t need a DWR, but it’s mostly not specced to work with packs and is mad expensive and easy to damage in a crash – the membrane is essentially on the outside. It’s also mostly black.

So here’s a question. If I wash at 30c with some sort of specialist re-proofer, that re-proofer is going to go everywhere. By that I mean on the inside of the jacket as well as the outside. Will waterproofing the inside stop any breathable properties from working?

Not in my experience because you’re dealing with vapour transmission not water. The exception is with 2-layer fabrics, which are the ones with a separate drop liner – three layer fabrics, confusingly are a single layer of fabric, but it’s a sandwich of three components – you don’t want DWR on the lining fabric, so use a spray-on reproofer for that sort of jacket and just treat the outside surface.

Gore ShakeDry is brilliant as it doesn’t need a DWR, but it’s mostly not specced to work with packs and is mad expensive and easy to damage in a crash – the membrane is essentially on the outside. It’s also mostly black.

Shakedry as has been on *offer* for around £150 over xmas. GF got one. I got a dark blue one and the insulated one. The insulated one can only really be worn around zero degrees with just a jersey. But is amazing.

Whether you would pay £270+ for it … It will come down I reckon.

I have a fantastic DHB waterproof jacket. Really nice cut on the bike and supremely waterproof, pit zips etc.

Was very kindly washed for me when it was disgusting, it killed it. I’ve washed it in soap, tech wash and then TX direct more than once, never been satisfactory. Used for wet commutes now (hour each way, will cope with that OK)

On the bike i went to Columbia Outdry, not worried about mud in that. Not bad for hillwalking either but not stiff enough to be a good winter hillwalking jacket. Will get a shakedry when they become more robust (lots of companies offer a jacket in that material)

As above, never wash them.

Rinse muck off with just water, ideally before the mud dries on. Don’t forget the inside too as sweat and oil from skin will trash it from the inside.

Fine particles will get in the fabric and destroy it eventually. But if you wash it will degrade much faster.

If you give in and wash it, hand wash in pure soap and sometimes tumble dry will bring the DWR back.

I’ve never had a jacket thats survived more than a couple of wash cycles.

I’ve never had a jacket thats survived more than a couple of wash cycles.

What happens to them?

What happens to them?

Either no longer waterproof (membrane dies), or the water no longer beads off meaning the jacket outer fabric wets out and the jacket is no longer breathable (DWR killed).

So, let’s say an over enthusiastic MIL had washed your expensive jacket with persil and comfort, how would you recover the waterproofness?

Does sir now have a new patio?

Either no longer waterproof (membrane dies), or the water no longer beads off meaning the jacket outer fabric wets out and the jacket is no longer breathable (DWR killed).

Yeah, that’s my experience too.

Anyone have any experience of ‘professional’ reproofing, like:

Reproofing

As a counter to the “don’t wash” comments above (which go against the recommendations of most clothing companies), I wash my waterproofs often.

I use Grangers Performance Wash followed up with Performance Repel Plus spray on (applied to a damp jacket). It doesn’t need heat to activate.

I’ve never had any issues and all my waterproofs bead off properly (GTX/GTX Pro & Event).

My process, minus the tumble dryer as Grangers no longer needs heat.

Either no longer waterproof (membrane dies), or the water no longer beads off meaning the jacket outer fabric wets out and the jacket is no longer breathable (DWR killed).

What are you washing them in – it sounds brutal. I’ve never had any of these issues with regular washing in recommended cleaners/pure soap and reproofing, though I’ve had lightweight waterproof fabrics basically wear out with extended use.

If Gore-Tex in particular stops working because the membrane’s died, you can return it under warranty. It has a lifetime ‘guaranteed to keep you dry’ thing. It’s one of the reasons the stuff’s so expensive in the first place.

I avoid washing them at all costs, but I also avoid wearing waterproofs unless I have to

The only waterproofs that seem to like or need a wash is paramo

The folks that say they are able to mirror how they were from the factory are in the vast minority. In practice you’re just giving them more life. MTB and waterproofs aren’t a match made in heaven. I have some waterproofs I keep for walking or commuting that don’t see any muddy action

Another vote for Columbia Outdry. It looks a bit cheap on account of its glossy surface but seems to be working well.

On the whole, I tend to wait until waterproofs are dry and then brush off most of the dirt, washing as infrequently as possible.

I’ve had more success reproofing (restoring DWR really) doing it by hand in a sink. Just remember to wear latex gloves 😉

The instructions for Event are to keep it as clean as possible, washing frequently.

Very rarely washed.

On the heat treatment I put mine on the radiator turning them so all parts spend some time in direct contact. Seems to work.

As above tho – they only get washed very occasionally

all the fabrics have different instructions ….so follow the instructions for your product not someone else’s product

I’ve yet to find a fabric I can smash into gravel and rocks without tearing so I can’t see the point spending much on a waterproof for riding. Previously I’ve worn my goretex walking jacket but ended up taking it off before I crash and ruin something I can’t afford to replace. Sods law you crash wearing the expensive jacket.

My current options are a reduced to £25 or so one seems great and keeps me mostly dry… and one for a tenner from sports direct which just gets kept in the boot for unexpected use.

Never machine washed – if really bad, they get a hosing or a showering, otherwise let it dry completely and give them a shake and a gentle brush off.

Avoid black (I learnt this too late), just like cars, they always look filthy with even the tiniest amount of dirt on them. Earth tones and greys seem to be the best.

Is this Outdry Extreme stuff the equivalent of ShakeDry?

(I don’t understand this not washing – how is it meant to work with a load of crap on the outside – you are blocking its ability to breath and function.)

Anyone have any experience of ‘professional’ reproofing, like:

Reproofing, no. However I have used LSR before, for a tent repair, and they were brilliant. It helped that they’re round the corner from where I used to work in Burnley and I could pop in during my lunch break.

all the fabrics have different instructions ….so follow the instructions for your product not someone else’s product

This. There is, somewhere, a web page with a big long list of different fabric types and care instructions for each. I can’t remember exactly where now as it was ages ago when I found it so I appreciate that’s not directly helpful, but it might be worth a google.

outdry is the equivalent of shake dry in that you don’t need to replenish the DWR, so it’s there for life so to speak

In practice it’s not as breathable but it’s more robust (I wear mine with a pack no problem). pit zips helps a lot

Reproofing, no. However I have used LSR before, for a tent repair, and they were brilliant. It helped that they’re round the corner from where I used to work in Burnley and I could pop in during my lunch break.

Do they also do resoleing of shoes ? Seem to remember finding a company off Accy road did resoles and maybe the same one?