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Anyone found anything better than the obvious NikWax stuff?
I've got a sailing jacket, a cycling jacket and walking coat that all need reproofing. I've tried the spray on stuff but not impressed with the coverage.
All GoreTex type materials.
And am I wasting my time with this? I hope not because the kit is otherwise in very good condition.
Ive used both Nikwax and Grangers wash-in re-proofers and found them to be much of a muchness. The grangers stuff smells slightly better to me, but not sure that's a dealbreaker! It's more a case of what happens to be cheapest in Go Outdoors at the time I need some.
If you can (not sure what your label will say) giving some shells a 20min cool tumble dry helps to re-activate the DWR and definitely seems to help my mountain equipment goretex shell clothing. It feels completely wrong to tumble dry it, but seems to work.
Last word of advice, put a towel on the floor under the washing machine door when you take the clothing out, I always end up with a small lake as the re-proofer traps any water until you joyfully empty it all over the floor!
After just re-doing a couple of jackets this afternoon, they towel is an excellent recommendation.
Any recommendations for spray on? We've got a fairly expensive cost that hasn't been worn that much, two goes with Nikwax WashIn and it refuses to bead any water and just wets out straight away 🙄
I've found they changed the recipe, for good environmental reasons, but DWR's are rubbish now. Spray on or wash in.
Thanks all. Hangover yesterday and day out today so just popped back to check the replies.
I tried the Decathlon spray on stuff which does not seem to have done the trick.
I'll grab some wash in Granger's or Nikwax stuff from Go Outdoors this week and have another attempt. 🤞
As I understand it beading is not indicative of waterproofness on GoreTex materials as the waterproof bit is under a fabric outer layer which will get wet. It’s the only way you can have any colour other than black as the GoreTex material is very hard to dye without compromising the breathable aspect and why the “ShakeDry” stuff is only available in black.
Beading doesn't indicate waterproofness, but if it's not beading and the fabric wets out it won't be breathable, so you'll get damp from the inside out
Have used Nikwax for years and it's always done the job AFAICR.
Nikwax works for us, but we have found that we need to reproof more often ( but that is on paramo jackets so not really the same)
As above, have you tumble-dried them afterwards?
It's never as good as new, but I re-proof my jackets every few washes, so maybe wash them once a month this time of year, and re-proof them a couple of times over the winter. They still bead OK, but they do need 10 minutes on low heat once dry to get that.
Wash in and then spray followed by some ironing under a tea towel? seems to have done the trick for me.