HOW TO REACTIVATE OR REPROOF A GARMENT
A waterproof garment will protect you from rain and storms for many years to come. But it needs some help along the way. This is why occasionally you’ll need to wash it and reactivate its waterproofing.
Here’s how you reactivate your waterproofs:
1. Empty the pockets, close all zippers and fasten any loose flaps or straps.
2. Wash the garment at 40°C 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. Don’t wash with other heavily soiled clothes.
4. Rinse twice and minimize spinning.
5. 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 will lose its effectiveness even after reactivating. If this happens it is time for a reproofing!
1. Select a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) reproofing product designed for outdoor clothing. These are available in both spray-on and wash-in options at most specialised outdoor stores.
2. Follow closely the instructions provided.
Note: the above instructions do not apply to Gore-tex Shakedry garments as they do not use a DWR. Follow the care label for these items.