Washing Flylow Pants...

[JayPowHound]

The label says that after I drink a cold beer I should wash with a mild detergent.

Does that mean I shouldn't use something like the nikwax tech wash products to renew/refresh waterproofing? Cuz that's pretty much standard procedure for my once-a-year outerwear cleaning...

[iscariot]

You may want to repeat the first step a few times to make sure the pants are cleaned properly.

[bfree]

Tech wash = expensive mild detergent. You're good.

Hang dry or use low heat in the dryer - I melted my Flylow seams apart once on a regular dry cycle.

[oftpiste]

our flylow specifies tech wash after the beer.

[Skihuckster]

Flylows hold their stink like nuthin else. The sign of quality. Have had the same issue with rash guards. Try this:

1. Drink a cold beer
2. Soak in cold water and high efficiency detergent for a day
3. Drink plenty of PBR during the soak
4. Wash cold, normal cycle, normal soap
5. Hang dry

[hopelesslyadolescent]

My understanding is that detergent clogs any waterproof/breathable barrier. The tech wash is not detergent, but soap. It may be that the original poster has softshell pants that do not recommend the more expensive tech wash.

[axebiker]

I use that orange bottle of tech-wash you can get at places like REI for a LOT lower price than the Nikwax stuff.

http://www.rei.com/product/837238/pe...etergent-42-oz

Wash cold with lotsa water, maybe even run a second cycle with no soap. Then I usually hang dry them, and then a quick tumble after they're dry. Treat with TX Direct after that, let it dry, short tumble again.

[Lindahl]

Walmart, Atko Sportswash. Heat dry cycle reactivates DWR coatings.

[XXX-er]

I never use expensive wash products, all I use is powdered detergent followed by a second trip thru the machine with just water.

Pull the piece out of the washer and use a spray on like grangers/nikwax/revivex which I found cost & work pretty much all the same

thro in the dryer

IF you got a piece that uses heat sealed seams I would be very careful with the dryer, maybe use a lower heat setting or maybe take it out after 5-10 min

[old goat]

Woolite is a lot cheaper than tech wash (woolite for delicates, not all purpose--they make two kinds now.) Interesting that the maker of my goretex parka--Spyder--says use powder detergent but goretex recommends tech wash. What plugs up the pores in waterproof breathable membranes is wash in DWR. Bet to use the spray on kind so it doesn't get into the membrane.

[calisnow]

old goat - you sure that wash-in DWR plugs up membranes?

[old goat]

old goat - you sure that wash-in DWR plugs up membranes?

I read it on the internet so it must be true. Goretex itself says to use spray on or wash in. So no, I'm not sure. But it does make sense to me that wash in might plug up the membrane.

[bfree]

I don't know that it plugs up the membrane, but wash-in stuff goes everywhere, thus the inside of your jacket is waterproof too. Instead of allowing the moisture to transport through the membrane, the waterproof coating on the inside likely encourages the sweat/water vapor to stay inside the jacket. Spray-on is quicker and better.

[hopelesslyadolescent]

bfree, spray on might indeed be better, but you're a little confused about the washin. It doesn't waterproof anything, it's the DWR, durable water repellant that results in the water beading up rather than soaking in. I find the washin easier and more uniformly applied, but there was a study years ago that suggested spray on was a bit more effective.

[XXX-er]

spray on the spray-on when the piece is still wet from the second spin cycle, if you can't figure this out you shouldn't be allowed to go into the outdoors alone, I have a problem paying $$ for the bottle of wash-in and letting it go down the drain

I ran out of product could'nt get the same stuff so for kicks I sprayed a shell half with revivex / half with grangers and wore for a year


they both worked pretty much the same and they should have been redone at about 9 months

[LC]

IF you got a piece that uses heat sealed seams I would be very careful with the dryer, maybe use a lower heat setting or maybe take it out after 5-10 min

Bumping this thread as a warning not to use a dryer on Flylow. I washed and proofed my 2012/2013 Quantum and Stash today, put them in the dryer a low setting and checked after 20 minutes (I've previously dried items on low for 30-40 safely). Half of the jacket seams had separated plus some of the edges of the pants', and the fabric was still pretty wet. My fault for ignoring the instructions on the label and not checking it sooner. Seam Grip will fix it up fine but this could have been avoided. Air dry, like the label says.

[Wasquatch]

Powdered "free" detergent (no dye or fragrance) works great. Wash warm, rinse twice and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycles (vinegar is an awesome rinsing agent with zero negative effect on coatings or membranes). Spray with Revivex, hang dry till damp, then tumble dry on the lowest heat setting with a couple of dry towels and take it out after 5-10 min if your dryer runs hot (like mine). If your jacket has heat-sealed seams (FYI, pretty much all taped seams are sealed using heat to melt the glue) they shouldn't separate with a gentle drying. I guess if your label says otherwise though, do otherwise. I've washed my old Flylow Chemical pants using this exact procedure. Good luck.

[axebiker]

...vinegar is an awesome rinsing agent with zero negative effect on coatings or membranes

...except that you smell like a douche.

[XXX-er]

Seam Grip will fix it up fine but this could have been avoided. Air dry, like the label says.

ya but its a nasty fucking mess doing it so my tip is to use aqua seal or seam grip under the seam tape and cover that whole mess with a piece of saran wrap which will keep the product from going everywhere

and you can stick the edges down after 6hrs or so when the AQS has cured a bit without gettign goo all over your fingers

[Peruvian]

Bump from the past. The missus washed my FlyLow Especial pants in techwash and they still smell like sweaty ass. I know I should have washed them back in February, but the skiing was too damn good. Any other thoughts to get that funk out?

[Soups]

Bump from the past. The missus washed my FlyLow Especial pants in techwash and they still smell like sweaty ass. I know I should have washed them back in February, but the skiing was too damn good. Any other thoughts to get that funk out?

MiraZyme. Shit works pretty well.

[Peruvian]

MiraZyme. Shit works pretty well.

Got some, but was afraid it might effect either the fabric or waterproofing.

[Soups]

I used it awhile ago on a Bibler single wall tent and had no problems