To Wash or Not To Wash (Jackets)

[birdboatboy]

I'm cheap and have used Fels-Naptha instead of Techwash. I believe that it is pure soap with no added perfumes or softeners.
http://www.purex.com/index.cfm?page_id=47

Just take a cheese grater and grate some into the machine.
Thoughts on that?

[Kirby]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I think my anxiety over this topic is starting to wain enough that I'm going to finally wash my stuff.

Now about these dreadlocks......

[Jer]

Definetly wash your jacket once in awhile. DO NOT wash your hair!

[RShea]

I'm cheap and have used Fels-Naptha instead of Techwash. I believe that it is pure soap with no added perfumes or softeners.
http://www.purex.com/index.cfm?page_id=47

Just take a cheese grater and grate some into the machine.
Thoughts on that?

I too have been using Fels-Naptha to wash many of my ski jackets, pants, shells, etc. No local store carried the Tech wash stuff when I was searching and I did not want to order the stuff on line. It does not have the detergents in it so no extra rinse cycles, etc. but still cleans. Instead of carving some off, I just stick it the bar in a cup of water for a day or 2 and let the water get it all soft and gooey. Just dump the water in like it is liquid soap and if you need some more add some of the soft goop off the bar.

[wcf3]

For gortex or their wind suits MEC used to say "wash it lots , dry it hot"

you CAN use detergent just wash the piece a second time in JUST water/NO deteregnt to get all the detergent out,the purpose of detergent is to wet out and wash out dirt ...in use you want gortex to NOT wet out

use a wash in or spray on treatment from nikwax /revivex/ grangers ,I think spray on works best ,I tested grangers & revivex (one half of a shell in each and wear ) I found em to be virtualy the same

thro it in a hot dryer

i have never washed a down puffy but I understand you must be careful not to wreck the internal baffles in a coat

nowdays just about any coat or anything you buy has instructions for care and feeding on a website somewhere

Can't concur with the "dry it hot" suggestion above, at least regarding goretex. I've owned alot of goretex gear used mostly for kyaking (drytops and such). There you find out in a hurry when the water resistance starts to go.

My experience has been that to avoid losing the waterproofing quality of goretex you want to avoid drying if in a dryer. Hang dry or toss in a dryer without heat. Used to only get a season out of a drytop when hot drying it. Cool drying them I'll get two or three.

[GeezerSteve]

Can't concur with the "dry it hot" suggestion above, at least regarding goretex.

Gore recommends tumble dry on warm setting, claiming that "heat from the dryer will help to reactivate the DWR." See http://www.gore-tex.com/remote/Satel...g-instructions

[Sierra Hotel]

Here is what Mountain Hardware says...
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/imag...re_shells.html

[XXX-er]

Can't concur with the "dry it hot" suggestion above, at least regarding goretex. I've owned alot of goretex gear used mostly for kyaking (drytops and such). There you find out in a hurry when the water resistance starts to go.

My experience has been that to avoid losing the waterproofing quality of goretex you want to avoid drying if in a dryer. Hang dry or toss in a dryer without heat. Used to only get a season out of a drytop when hot drying it. Cool drying them I'll get two or three.

Even if you agreed with the concept of heating gortex to reactivate it you don't want to put a dry top in a dryer, it could wreck the latex seals ...I use a medium steam iron which is a way to heat up the gortex without touching the latex .

I dry everything gortex in a hot dryer ,nothing has ever delamed and thats arcteryx/MEC/Tiaga/OR/kokotat ,wikipedia even tells you to put yer gortex in a dryer or iron it

MEC's care & feeding
http://www.mec.ca/Main/content_text....=1228879282762

[skiing-in-jackson]

Joinded TGR on 4-26-04. 100th post today! I need to get a life.

There are a few 10K posters that need to get a life, you're doing just fine.

[wizard604]

The instructions for my arcteryx hardshell also says to hang dry. But I've also heard machine dryer with warm heat, so I'm confused. Which is correct?

My experience has been that to avoid losing the waterproofing quality of goretex you want to avoid drying if in a dryer. Hang dry or toss in a dryer without heat. Used to only get a season out of a drytop when hot drying it. Cool drying them I'll get two or three.

[Ted Striker]

There are a few 10K posters that need to get a life, you're doing just fine.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

I wash my gore-tex jacket once at the end of each season and put it away in the back of my closet. The pants and bibs may see a few washings per season (obviously depending on how dirty they get). I use tech wash and use the spray-on dwr stuff once the factory coating starts to wear off. All of my shells stay water repellent long after they go out of fashion and/or the zippers break.

[Hugh Conway]

Can't concur with the "dry it hot" suggestion above, at least regarding goretex. I've owned alot of goretex gear used mostly for kyaking (drytops and such). There you find out in a hurry when the water resistance starts to go.

My experience has been that to avoid losing the waterproofing quality of goretex you want to avoid drying if in a dryer. Hang dry or toss in a dryer without heat. Used to only get a season out of a drytop when hot drying it. Cool drying them I'll get two or three.

WLGore advised me to dry my Goretex in the Dryer to rejuvenate it.

[hafilax]

Nikwax DWR doesn't need hot drying. Granger's and Revivex require drying in order for it to bond to the fibers properly. I believe they are fluorocarbon based. Popping it in the dryer every once in a while seems to improve it a bit. As I said before, Nikwax doesn't work as well IMO.

[strum]

this has been covered well, but here is the Official word from Gore (Via Kai to the MountainTechs)

Caring for GORE-TEX®

It doesn’t take much effort to care for your GORE-TEX® garment – far less than it takes to keep your car or your bike clean, for example. It’s really easy…and it’s really important in order to keep it in top (waterproof) condition.

Proper care is largely misunderstood. Some research shows that 40% of owners never wash their GORE-TEX® outerwear because they think that may damage the waterproofing. On the other hand, some wearers report their jacket is leaking because it feels damp and cold – when it is actually because the outer layer has started absorbing water (a condition known as “wet-out”). The two situations are often related.

The GORE-TEX® membrane is bonded to an outer fabric, which is the outer layer of your garment. The membrane won’t leak (unless you puncture or rip it), but if the outer fabric absorbs water you will feel like you are wet. And since wet clothing draws heat away from your warm, dry body 23 times faster than air, this is not good. Furthermore, wet-out results in a heavy jacket – which dries out slowly.

To keep all of this from happening, all GORE-TEX® outerwear is treated with a durable water-repellant coating (DWR) when it is made. This causes water to bead up and roll off. As long as rain beads up on the shoulders, back and arms of your jacket, the DWR is in good condition, and you won’t experience wet-out.

Over time (usually several years), this DWR coating can be worn off in spots from rubbing or abrasion (e.g., a backpack shoulder strap or branches and bushes) or become contaminated with smoke (campfire or cigarette), dirt, body oils or detergent.

If you have not let your jacket go too long without cleaning, the solution to “wet out” (or the prevention if you haven’t yet experienced the problem) is pretty simple…just machine wash warm with regular detergent, rinse twice (to remove all soap residue) and tumble dry warm for an hour. (Do NOT use bleach or fabric softeners). Washing and especially drying can restore the original DWR water-repellant performance of the outer layer. You should do this once each season (fall, winter, spring, summer) in which you wear the jacket.

Eventually too much of the original DWR will become worn away to be revived by washing and drying. Then it is time to restore the garment’s water repellency with a spray-on (if your jacket has a wicking liner) or wash-in treatment available at all outdoor stores (ReviveX®, Grangers or Nikwax). After washing the garment, hang it up and spray the areas that are wetting out with DWR, then toss it in the dryer on warm until completely dry. If you are using Nikwax, which has a primary ingredient of wax, hang-drying is best.

If your garment has other instructions from the manufacturer, be sure to follow those instructions, as they may supercede the above. If you still have questions, call Gore’s hotline - 1.800.431.4673.

[reganized]

Taped seams on shells DO NOT do well in the dryer.

[TI]

I know that for my North Face shells, they do fine with a couple of washings per season and just a cool air tumble dry.

[XXX-er]

Taped seams on shells DO NOT do well in the dryer.

In the past I used to see tape fall off,I returned 3 pairs of taped mitts cuz the tape fell off .

If tape falls off you should return the product thats a definate failure but from what I have seen tape stays on nowdays

if it isnt a product you can return use seam sealer or aqua seal to stick loose tape down

[mb2778]

The only time I have ever washed a jacket was when my dog shit all over a shell of mine. . . and the smell was so awful I had to get rid of it. . .(no joke). She's got colidis - so her shit really does stink worse than everyone elses.

that's horrible! to clarify, you got rid of the jacket or the dog?

[DasBlunt]

Bump for getting the smelly shit out for the new season.
?
Any new products that are better than Nickwax? That shit has pissed me off for 20 years.

[XXX-er]

I have field tested revivex & grangers on the same garment at the same time ,IME they work exactly the same I would just use whatever spray-in you can buy localy that is cheaper

[kombo]

I know it's been mentioned over and over; especially for Gore Tex... But it holds true for other brands and their waterproof fabrics as well. My friend works for Patagonia as a textile engineer for their outdoor gear and he's told me this over and over.

The original DWR is the best. Wash the jacket if you have to (sounds like you're due for it). The first few washes shouldn't require reapplication of DWR. Just throwing it in the dryer (warm) helps reactivate the original DWR. No need to apply DWR if this is your first wash.

I'll ask him about the best DWR to use and best method to apply. Also, I'll check with him on the insulated stuff, and post again if I get an answer.

[lynchdogger]

Wash. Often. More often depending on fabric. Follow instructions on label.

I've had a a pair of Patagonia Gore-tex pants that are 20 years old and still in use (back ups now) because they were washed on a regular basis. They have been repaired twice by Patagonia and are still in great shape.

For Gore products - Nikwax products are the best! Techwash and spray on DWR not wash-in.

Just bought my first Event shell (Montane) and interested to see how it breathes and wears.

[Rossta]

i've found that i do need to wash my jackets occasionally. I just put them on the "delicate" setting and then let them hang dry. i've seen special detergents made for this type of thing that (i believe) are supposed to re waterproof them or something. never tried that stuff though...

[DasBlunt]

Wash. Often. More often depending on fabric. Follow instructions on label.

I've had a a pair of Patagonia Gore-tex pants that are 20 years old and still in use (back ups now) because they were washed on a regular basis. They have been repaired twice by Patagonia and are still in great shape.

For Gore products - Nikwax products are the best! Techwash and spray on DWR not wash-in.

Just bought my first Event shell (Montane) and interested to see how it breathes and wears.

How are Nickwax products the best? I find their Leather product to be awesome. Everything else, lamesauce and not great.

[DasBlunt]

Powdered detergent, gentle wash, dry to revive the DWR.