Wash waterproof clothing or leave dirty

I think that heavy dirt does affect breathability. If the clothes aren't particularly muddy, I'll try to dry them, then see if they need a wash. I tend to wash dirty stuff with proper outdoor clothing detergent (our washing m/c also has an outdoor clothing and a proofing programme). After a few washes they do tend to need re-proofing.

Loose mud/dirt I brush off. Smeared/soaked in mud affects breathability so I wash in nikwax eventually but washing isn't good for waterproofs so I only do it if necessary 

I have limited success with washing. I'm also unsure about the reproofing.

The washing machine gets a boil wash thing to clean it all out (grudgingly as that just wastes water, heat, electricity and money!) and I then do a wash with the cleaning stuff - and the clothing doesn't appear any cleaner, just smells better. I follow the washing instructions which seems to be a 30c wash.

I then do a reproofing cycle - again, seems to be a 30c wash.

Tumble dry on a low heat for about 30 minutes and then hang to dry the rest.

The kit smells much better, but doesn't look any cleaner. The jacket does seem to be more waterproof, but the trousers don't appear to be any better.

I suspect I'm doing something wrong which is annoying as the kit isn't cheap - clothing or cleaning stuff.

I take mine in the shower with me, rinse them in warm water then hang them up to drip. This seems  to work well, they stay waterproof although they get a tumble dry every so often.

I rinse the worst of the mud off with a hosepipe, rinse in the washer and hang up to dry. No way I wanna put dry muddy clothes back on again. Reproof every 4 months or so. I live in the Lakes. Summer rides are wet enough 😂

I hose myself off when wearing waterproofs, after rinsing the bike, waterproofs only get washed when they are pretty bad and I think it's time to follow it up with proofer.

I did once wash a hivis yellow coat with black waterproof shorts, the coat went very dull but thankfully I immediately washed it again and it pretty much came back to full yellowness, so I'm careful now to only wash similar colours.

I have had great success with soaking waterproofs cold in Tech Wash in a (clean) bucket.  The dirt falls off and it barely needs rinsing such is the nature of Tech Wash.

I also read recently that the main cause of loss of water beading is in fact dirt on the jacket and not loss of DWR. Garment manufacturers now recommend washing every 10 uses.

mine go  in the washing machine on a 15minute 30 degree heat with nothing added just water..

Manufacturer’s advice tends to be wash early, wash often. I’ve been doing that for a while and it seems to work, including reproofing every six months or so

If you've got a garage with enough room an outside washing machine is an excellent idea. One of my mates advised it years ago, his old one was stuck on a single cycle so he plumbed it in.

I pick one up off marketplace whenever the current one breaks (only on my second in c.10 years), plug the garden hose in it and drain on the driveway (make sure it is above ground or the water all just free flows out). Never put any chemicals or powder in it and rarely any layers that get in the indoor machine. Perfect for launching kit in no matter how filthy with no dripping in the house. Also great for blankets the cat sleeps on (or has been sick on).

I've been experimenting with washing a jacket and a pair of mixed softshell/waterproof riding trousers.  I chose these two because they were bought new relatively recently and haven't been inside a washing machine (yet). I washed them for the first time yesterday by soaking in a bucket with Tech Wash and then giving a quick rinse in the bath until they felt clean. After I air dried them the jacket had no DWR effect.  So I rinsed it again more thoroughly and now it's not half bad. The trousers still aren't dry but the waterproof panels seem ok too. They were much better after the first rinse - water was draining from the waterproof bits straight out of the rinse, whereas the jacket had to be air-dried first before it would start to bead. It's still wetting out in patches, so I will iron it and see if that restores it.

The trousers had been worn twice but were a bit mud splattered; the jacket has been worn maybe 10 times, two of which were all day walks but not in the rain.

I usually put waterproofs through a rinse cycle when they get proper minging ( don't really bother if it's only a bit dirty) so at the moment every couple of rides. Will then reproof them after quite a few rinses or it feels like it's starting to wet out.

I really should just hose myself down after a ride, sounds like I  could stretch out my existing routine 

Roadie stuff - nope, Outer layer waterproofs don't get washed.  The rain is clean enough for that. Seems to work out fine. 

Other kit that claimed to be "DWR" like windproof jerseys and bib-tights I ignore and just wash it as normal.  They might have beaded the first ride, but 8 years on they're just windproof and might not actively soak up water but certainly don't repel it.

MTB stuff - gets washed all the time.  Fighting off the wet off road is a loosing battle so I treat the outer layer as at best keeping the wet mud off and the wind out.  

My jacked now has barely any water repellency.  All I've done is soak in tech wash and rinse.  All I can think of is that either a) it's so damp currently that it hasn't dried out enough, or b) it's not rinsed properly.

I've had a good look at my washing machine. It has never had powder in it. It looked clean but inside the door seal was a blue patina from the liquid tabs we use, so that has to be cleaned out.

Molgips tech wash is just wash you need a reproofer as well

Posted by: nwgiles

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Molgips tech wash is just wash you need a reproofer as well

Not according to the garment manufacturers or Nikwax. They say Tech Wash does not remove DWR, they also say that washing will rejuvenate DWR and that it only needs repeoofing after long periods if it's kept clean.

Clearly this hasn't happened for me this time.so I'm trying to work out why. I don't believe that they are all blatantly lying, but there is something happening in their setup that is different to mine.

I didn't wash my patagonia waterproof jacket almost ever, but then found this article and now I wash and tumble dry it fairly regularly, and the waterproofness of it is significantly improved after the wash and dry.

https://eu.patagonia.com/gb/en/guides/care-repair/how-to-wash-waterproof-jacket/

Right so I put it on a towel rail last night and it was slightly improved, up to about 50% repellence rather than 10% by area.  So I've ironed it and it's now back up to 99% in the shower test, which is where it was before I washed it (but after I'd ironed it after getting it).  So clearly the heat is the thing.  Having ironed the trousers, the waterproof panels are slightly less repellent than the jacket but the softshell now sheds all its water like duck feathers.

My armchair theory is that since the DWR effect relies on microscopic hairs supporting the droplets of water, these need to fully dry out in order to bristle up, in much the same way that down insulation does.  Air drying inside a house in Britain's rainiest city on a filthy wet mild day where the air is palpably humid probably does not dry it out fully; at least compared to an air conditioned lab somewhere.  That might be where the ironing or tumble drying comes in.  The jacket feels a bit lighter, it feels different and more crinkly.

That Patagonia article is good, and the most recent Nikwax one also.  What's interesting is that these have changed a bit - they now emphasise that dirt is the main reason your jacket wets out at first, and that regular cleaning might sort it.  This either wasn't known or wasn't made clear in the past.

Posted by: molgrips

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My armchair theory is that since the DWR effect relies on microscopic hairs supporting the droplets of water, these need to fully dry out in order to bristle up, in much the same way that down insulation does. 

I always understood that it was about polymer chains, but whatever. Anyway, Gore who spent ages saying that you didn't need to heat-treat garments have changed their minds relatively recently and now recommend gentle heat application to re-activate DWRs - ironing or tumble-drying. The potential issue with the latter is that tumble driers are abrasive, hence the fluff they accumulate, and if something goes awry with the thermostat, they can melt the garment or bits of it.

Anyway, the current thinking seems to be wash with a soap-based detergent - eg: Nikwax Techwash or the Grangers alternative or soap flakes, if you can find them - then heat treat. If after that then reproof.

The basic waterproofness of modern waterproof stuff isn't compromised by stuff being dirty, but contamination by dirt, oils, body fluids etc. compromises the DWR which is what stops water soaking into the outer face-layer of fabric, which in turn gets damp and basically screws any breathability. 

But basically, yes, wash the stuff. Current DWR less good than old ones thanks to the reduction in the use of PFCs, but different fabrics 'take' DWR treatments differently, Polyesters generally better than Nylon, but depends on the individual fabric.

The potential issue with the latter is that tumble driers are abrasive

Yeah most of my garments say not to tumble dry but they do allow ironing with one dot.

different fabrics 'take' DWR treatments differently

Yeah also my experience, I think the tighter the weave and finer the thread the better it takes. And the more crinkly the end garment.

This is a pretty good short summary of the current take on washing/reproofing Gore-Tex, but it'll be roughly applicable to most waterproof fabrics.