Home > Knowledge-base > Product Care
The Outside Cleaning and Waterproofing and Repair Categories
Look after your gear and it will look after you!
Always refer to the manufacturers garment cleaning guidelines and the cleaning product guidelines. Always clean your washing machine of normal household detergents before using specialist outdoor detergents.
Down Product
Washing down products yourself is a difficult and long winded job. There is a risk of damaging baffles and the down in the process. Professional cleaning is a far better option resulting in a better clean and less chance of damaging your garment or sleeping bag.
We recommend: Franklins (Sheffield), +44 (0) 114 268 6161. Email franklinsgroup.co.uk
If you want to do your own washing follow the instructions below:
- Hand wash the item in warm water (30-40°C) with a specialist Down Wash from Nikwax or Grangers (do not use normal washing detergent).
- Gently hand rinse until there is no Down Wash left in the item. This can take some time.
- Tumble dry the item in a big commercial (the kind you'd find in a laundrette) drier on the coolest setting. Small home tumble driers are often not big enough. Make sure you turn the item inside out repeatedly during drying and 'fluff' it gently to ensure a more even drying effect.
- The amount of time an item should be tumble dried for depends on the item size. However tumble drying should continue for some time after the outer fabric has dried. This is because the down inside will still be damp long after the outer fabric has dried.
- Tumble drying can take a couple of hours and when finished the item should be stored in a cool dry place, uncompressed and allowed to air for 2-3 days before use.
Waterproof Breathable Fabrics
If you want to clean your jacket:
- Read the label on your product or refer to the manufacturer's website.
- Do not use detergents or softeners, these damage the jackets breathable membrane.
- Use a specialist cleaner from Nikwax or Grangers.
- Wash the product with the appropriate cleaning product paying close attention to the jacket and the cleaning product instructions.
If you want to clean and reactivate the DWR (Durable Water Repellent) outer to your jacket: Follow the same cleaning steps as above but instead of drip drying, tumble dry or iron on a very cool setting (always check on jacket care label for this).
In time all breathable waterproof jackets start to loose their ability to shed water. This is not a sign of a faulty jacket. The DWR outer which makes water bead up and roll off wears out and needs reactivating. If the water does not run off the breathability of the jacket is compromised and it feels as if the jacket is leaking because your body moisture is not escaping ('wetting out').
If you want to totally re proof your jacket because cleaning and tumble drying are no longer reactivating the DWR: Follow the same cleaning steps as above but before putting in the tumble drier spray with Grangers XT proofer or alternatively wash again with Nikwax TX Direct and then tumble dry.
Soft shell fabrics
If you want to clean and re invigorate the water repellence of your garment: Use the appropriate Nikwax or Grangers wash in cleaner in a machine wash and then tumble dry (this will help rejuvenate the DWR finish). Don’t use standard household detergents.
Fleece
If you want to increase the warmth of your fleece by maintaining the air gap between the knit and the weave and reduce the speed with which your fleece absorbs water: Clean with an appropriate cleaner (Nikwax Tech Wash) and then machine wash with the most suitable Grangers or Nikwax product. Tumble dry on a low setting referring to the care setting.
Synthetic insulated clothing
Regularly cleaning your synthetically insulated jacket will slow the speed that the insulation absorbs water and increase the water repellence of the jackets outer. Wash with a specialist cleaning product (Nikwax Tech Wash) at 30°C. Much technical artificial insulation (like Primaloft) has a silicon coating that reduces water absorption. Detergents damage this silicon coating.
Athelete: Cedar Wright Location: Trango Valley, Pakistan © Tim Kemple, The North Face
