How to care for your waterproof products
A waterproof garment can protect you from rain and storms for years, but it requires proper care to maintain its performance over time.
Here is how you take care of your waterproof garments:
If it's been a while since your last outing, it's wise to check the waterproofing of your garments before embarking on your next adventure. For tips on how to test this at home, click here:
If you’ve noticed that the outer surface of your garment becomes saturated with rain, it can make moisture escape less effectively or cause the cold fabric to stick to your skin, giving the impression that it’s leaking. In this case, it’s time to reactivate the waterproofing.
Washing instructions
- Empty the pockets, close all zippers, and fasten any loose flaps or straps.
- Wash the garment at 40oC, using a small amount of liquid detergent. If possible, use a detergent specifically designed for outdoor gear – this can be found at specialised outdoor stores.
- Don’t use powder detergents, fabric softeners, stain remover, or bleach.
- Don’t wash with other heavily soiled clothes.
- Rinse twice and minimize spinning.
Drying instructions
- Tumble dry on a warm, gentle cycle.
- Once dry, tumble for a further 20 minutes to reactive the durable water repellent (DWR).
- If you are unable to tumble-dry the garment, line-dry it and once dry, iron the garment on low temperature, placing a towel between the iron and the garment.
- Do not use steam.
Over time, the water-repellent finish may lose its effectiveness, even after reactivation. When this happens, it’s time to reproof your garment. Find out how to do this here:
Special note on Gore-tex Shakedry™ products:
These jackets are different to regular waterproof products as they have no textile outer layer – the outer layer is the Gore-Tex membrane itself and there is no need for DWR.
Machine wash on delicate cycle at 40oC. Don’t dry clean, tumble dry, iron or use bleach. Don’t apply a waterproofing treatment.
Got a hole in your jacket?
Our waterproof products are built to be durable, but accidents can happen, and a hole in the fabric will allow water to seep through.
For tips on how to fix it, take a look at our guide.
Broken zip slider?
One of the most common repair questions we receive about our waterproof garments is how to replace a broken or malfunctioning zip slider.
Check out the guide on how to do it yourself, at home.