Manufacturer tips for restoring the water-repellent coating on outdoor jackets
A woman in a water-repellent jacket (collage: Styler)
After rain, wet spots may remain on the shoulders and cuffs of your jacket, even though the clothes underneath are dry. Sometimes, simply washing and drying the jacket according to the manufacturer's instructions is enough to make water beads roll off the fabric again.
Here's how to check if re-proofing is necessary and what signs indicate that the jacket should be taken to a professional.
Why does the jacket get wet on the outside?
The DWR label in a jacket description means that the outer fabric has a water-repellent coating. Thanks to this, water collects into droplets and rolls off the surface. Due to friction, the coating gradually wears off, particularly on the shoulders under backpack straps.
In a membrane jacket, rainwater is held back by a separate layer beneath the fabric. Therefore, even with a functioning membrane, the jacket can get wet on the outside and become heavier. The difference between the action of the coating and the membrane is explained in the Norrøna guide.
Where to start care
Due to dirt, skin oils, and sunscreen residues, the fabric may absorb water even if the coating has not yet worn off. For a membrane jacket, choose a liquid detergent designed for such clothing, and check the temperature against the care label. Patagonia’s guide recommends starting with cleaning.
Different rules apply for waxed cotton. The manufacturer recommends cleaning soiled areas by hand and reapplying the wax layer if necessary. Machine washing, tumble drying, and ironing are not suitable for such jackets.
How to wash and dry a membrane jacket
First, check the care label to see if the jacket can be tumble dried or ironed. For models with a GORE-TEX membrane, an outer textile layer, and DWR coating, the care instructions are provided by the manufacturer.
- Prepare the jacket. Zip up all zippers and secure loose flaps and straps.
- Wash with a small amount of liquid detergent. A temperature of 40 degrees is recommended for these items, if permitted by the label. Do not use powder, fabric softener, bleach, or stain remover.
- Rinse the jacket twice. Use the minimum spin speed for wringing.
- Dry in fresh air or in a dryer. If the label allows tumble drying, select a delicate mode with moderate heat. To restore the coating's effectiveness, heat the already dry jacket in the dryer for another 20 minutes on the same setting.
Jackets with SHAKEDRY technology have the membrane on the outside. Such jackets should be air-dried. They must not be tumble dried, ironed, or treated with DWR coatings.
How to check if re-proofing is needed
When the washed jacket is completely dry, lightly spray water on the shoulders, sleeves, and other areas that previously got wet. Arc'teryx recommends this test.
If the droplets roll off, the coating is working. If the water spreads and is absorbed into the outer fabric, it is time to apply a new proofing agent.
Before treatment, inspect the inside of the jacket. If the seam tape has peeled off or the material layers have separated, a spray will not fix this. Show the damage to a specialist in repairing membrane clothing or contact the manufacturer.
How to apply a water-repellent agent
For a jacket with a lining that wicks moisture away from the body, a spray is convenient. It is applied only to the outer fabric. If the clothing manufacturer allows impregnating the entire item in the washing machine, a compatible wash-in product is suitable.
Here is how the manufacturer recommends applying Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On:
- Protect the work surface from splashes and shake the bottle.
- If the clean jacket is already dry after testing, moisten the outer fabric with water. Evenly spray the product from a distance of 15 centimeters.
- After 5 minutes, remove excess product with a damp cloth.
- Let the jacket air dry. Heating is not required for this proofing agent.
For other sprays, check the application distance, waiting time, and drying method against the instructions on the bottle. When the jacket is completely dry, repeat the water test.
