Your waterproof clothing and equipment could be soaking up water because the Durable Water Repellency (DWR) has been compromised by dirt, or because it has been cleaned with a conventional laundry detergent. Dirt attracts water and household detergents leave water attracting (hydrophilic) residues, leading to fabric ‘wetting out’ in wet or damp conditions.
If your waterproof clothing or equipment is relatively new, or recently treated with a Nikwax waterproofer, then cleaning with Nikwax Tech Wash® will not only remove contaminants, such as dirt and residues left behind by household detergents, but also revitalize DWR.
Make sure you clean with the right product…
Conventional laundry detergents leave behind a water attractive (hydrophilic) residue which masks the Durable Water Repellency (DWR), causing fabrics to absorb water and ‘wet out’ in damp or wet conditions. Therefore, they need to be avoided when cleaning waterproof clothing and equipment.
Products that claim to clean and waterproof at the same time are generally not very effective cleaners and may seal in dirt.
Use Nikwax Tech Wash® to thoroughly clean your waterproof clothing and equipment safely, revitalize DWR and breathability.
You don’t need to re-waterproof every time you clean…
Regular cleaning will enhance the performance of your gear. With regular cleaning, you should be able to clean your gear 5-6 times with Nikwax Tech Wash before it requires re-waterproofing. When Nikwax Tech Wash® alone does not revitalize the Durable Water Repellency (DWR) of your gear (e.g. water does not bead on the fabric surface) it’s time to re-waterproof using the appropriate Nikwax waterproofer.
