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Does anyone know if someone offers a professional DWR renewal for old gear? I have used the DIY stuff at home but it never works as well as brand new gear. I have Arcteryx shells that don't bead very well, but other than that they are in great shape. With the cost of new gear now, it seems crazy to replace otherwise fully functional stuff.
Anyone have some tips for the DIY stuff that makes it work better, this is for Gortex XCR fabric.
It's never as good as brand new gear:rolleyes2
IMO, DWR is not super durable. Needs to be re-sprayed every season, maybe more than once in wet places like seattle, if you're skiing in the rain...
That said, I have a 15 year old arcteryx coat which is holding steady with yearly refreshes. But I mostly skip super soggy days. If it's liquid, you're gonna get wet.
wash/ short dryer cycle/ spray as needed.
I can't vouch for them ... but this company is pretty popular;
http://rainypass.com/services/
Right in my backyard! Thanks
Honestly I have no idea what Rainy Pass does to restore DWR but if they've got something other than the normal barely works BS then it's worth a shot. I'm not saying it's voodoo because I've worked with them professionally and they do a hell of a job on repairs but I'm just not sure if they do something that you couldn't. In which case it's worth calling and seeing what they do with DWR.
I've had good luck with the Grangers fabric care kits. You wash it with the wash and then spray the DWR on while the jacket is still wet and "set" it with 30 minutes in a warm dryer.
When we lived in seattle we'd do a load 2-3 times a year with all our softshell pants and coats and rarely felt the need for hardshells.
I never really got nikwax to work well by comparison.
I can't imagine Rainy Pass uses anything other than Grangers - that's what Arc'teryx and GORE-TEX recommend.
Key is to make sure all the detergent is out (two rinse cycles, one with water only) and use spray-on, not wash-in DWR. Heat set it in the dryer on medium - I also sometimes spray the shoulders, hood and forearms again and touch up with a warm (wool setting) iron. Fabric manufacturers are reticent to recommend ironing as it sometimes promotes membrane delamination, but the GORE-TEX XCR stuff is bomber. I've had good luck with Grangers, Revive-X, and Nikwax but it's never as good as the factory DWR.
(Some of the inability to bead up on the face fabric may be due to wear; tiny broken filaments on the top surface attract water more than a smooth, hard weave.)
Dropped my shells off at Rainy Gear yesterday, they charge $48 to launder and reapply DWR for two pieces w/ a one week turn around. They use this product: http://www.mcnett.com/gearaid/durabl...proofing#36230
I will report back on how well the DWR works.
Nikwax does their gear revival program and will take care of one piece a year for the cost of shipping it to them.
I ran out of my spray-in product, since I could only get a different brand it was the perfect time to do a test of revivex vs grangers on an arcterxy beta shell, wash the shell in powdered detergent wash a second time in just water with NO detergent, spray the left side in grangers, the right side in revivex, recreate for 1 year AND they work about the same its really too close to call, water beading up pretty good up to about 9 months at which point the shell needed another wash & retreat
I would bet all the spray-ins work about the same
ReviveX is in my experience the best spray on DWR. Legend has it Atsko is even better but I have't tried it yet.
I always wondered why factory DWR is always better than spray on. I suspect it might have to do with some regulations for solvents or stuff like that for consumer products.
A quick and easy way to renew any DWR is to throw it in the drier for a while. The heat reactivates it.
If it's completely worn off, I retreat with the spray-on Nikwax.
I think you are just paying someone a lot of $ to do your laundry for ya,
I am pretty sure as long as you go for the spray on grangers/nikwax/revivex ... its pretty much all the same shit
A spray on treatment still might not be as good as brand new off the rack but close enough and other than coated nylon what else is out there ?
I got gortex paddling jackets that are still water proof years later but you gotta do maintenance, don't be the guy who doesnt wash them , doesnt treat them and then sez gortex sucks
When you do spray any of that shit watch the overspray & drippings, it will make a floor SLICK and a wooden deck will soak it up and repel water where ever it dripped
A non detergent cleaner like tech wash or woolite or the grangers stuff in the fabric care kit is worth it. Pretty much all of the manufactures recommend it. Detergent works by helping water get into the fabric (ie they reduce surface tension) and any residue will help the fabric wet out quicker and prevent beading.Quote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
Dirt, grime and detergent cleaners are probably a big reason that home DWR isn't usually as good. I've never let detergent near my soft shells and don't really notice a difference between a factory coating and a freshly sprayed one...the factory one might last a bit longer but will still wear out with a few months of frequent use.
yeah I have heard that I just do an extra wash cycle to get all the detergent out
I have also used pure soap and not really noticed any gain
In the late 90’s, I was a buyer at a retailer and bought “accessories” (among other categories) for 3 shops. I typically kept 2 or 3 brands of spray-on dwr and adequate nikwax or mcnett “soap” in stock. We typically had very well trained staff, especially for these items because we handled mail order (and some customer service) for several companies. In reviewing sales figures, it was always a wash (pun intended) between the various dwr’s. also, in doing experiments between the various dwr’s, like xxx_er mentions, it’s all a wash. Washing and rinsing of the garment is the most important part of renewing.
I suspected as much, did you ever compare wash-in vs spray-on ... I could never see dumping all that wash-in product down the drain??
hardly sold the wash-in and staff always urged customers to not buy it if asked. who'd want to waterproof the inside material of their jacket, especially the 2-layer versions? i've done it, probably in the late-80's and i can still remember the feeling of sweating in it. :bleck:
hopefully, that stuff going down the drain is diluted and neutralized in municipal sewage treatment processes (I do not know the processes very well for sewage treatment). I can't imagine it's a good thing for septic systems.
There are these folks in Truckee (also by mail) http://www.tec-tahoe.com/
I don't know what waterproofing they use. Nice folks though. Did a nice, very reasonable fix of a wet suit zipper for me.
Can I ask: What were their charges for a zipper repair? I have a jacket that I am debating whether it is worth a replacement zipper installed or not...
Anyone ever use Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap on Gore-tex and the like? I've been wondering if it is something I should try.
Seems like a good gently soap that won't hurt the garment. Is there some reason I shouldn't try it?
The jacket that needs to be cleaned is a $600+ jacket. I really don't want to mess it up.
what product? I kacked the zip on my arcteryx beta and they fixed it gratus after probably 7 yrsQuote:
Originally Posted by RShea
Definitely not any major brand name jacket that would have a warranty, or a name that some may have heard of even. But other than the zipper not working there is nothing wrong with the jacket or material.Quote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
I have a big ugly/uncool goretex/lite loft hill jacket with huge inner pockets the odd grease stain and a skull & crossbones glued over the hole from tagging a tree branch, the local seamstress put a new zip in for 30-40$, if it meets a need ... it meets a need
Don't remember the amount but it was quite reasonable. I had a zipper replaced on a leather jacket by a tailor shop for $15.Quote:
Originally Posted by RShea