HOW TO CARE FOR WATERPROOF PRODUCTS
A waterproof garment will protect you from rain and storms for many years to come. But to keep it performing at its best it does need some help along the way.
Here's how you take care of your waterproof garments:
If you haven't been out in a while, it's a good idea to test the waterproofing of your garments before you head out on a new adventure. For guidance on how to do that at home, have a look here:
If you have already experienced that the outer surface of the fabric is being saturated by the rain, this may prevent moisture from escaping or cause the cold garment to lie flat on your skin, which may feel as though the fabric is leaking. If this is the case, it is high time to reactivate the waterproofing.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Empty the pockets, close all zippers, and fasten any loose flaps or straps.
2. 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.
3. Don’t use powder detergents, fabric softeners, stain remover, or bleach.
4. Don’t wash with other heavily soiled clothes.
5. Rinse twice and minimize spinning.
DRYING INSTRUCTIONS
1. Tumble dry on a warm, gentle cycle.
2. Once dry, tumble for a further 20 minutes to reactive the durable water repellent (DWR).
3. 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.
4. Do not use steam.
Over time the water repellent will lose its effectiveness even after reactivating, and if this happens it is time for a reproofing. Check out how you do that 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.
A HOLE IN THE JACKET?
Our waterproof products are designed to be durable, but accidents happen and a hole in the fabric will inevitably cause water to leak through.
If you need advice on fixing a hole in your jacket, check out our guide.
BROKEN ZIPSLIDER?
One of the most common repair questions we get regarding our waterproof garments is : how do I change a broken or malfunctioning zip slider myself?
Check out the guide on how to do it yourself, at home.