GARMENT CARE

      

Do I Need to Wash My Garments and How Often Should I Wash It?

Dirt, mud, and sweat are all badges of honor you collect when you are out doing what you love. However, all of these can also hinder the performance of your waterproof garments. The durable water repellency (DWR) is what causes the water to bead up on a jacket and if it gets dirty, it doesn’t work as good as it should.

One way to prolong the life of your waterproof garments and their performance is to launder them on a regular basis. If you wear your them on a regular basis, we recommend that you wash it multiple times throughout the year. 

Because waterproof garments utilize technical fabrics and are not commonly used in everyday clothes you wear, we recommend that you use a mild detergent that is specifically used for waterproof fabrics and use the low heat setting on your dryer when it’s time to dry it.

 

Our Step-by-Step Guide to Washing Your Waterproof Garments

Step #1: Clean and Prepare your Garment(s)

Look it over and wipe away as much dirt and debris as possible with a wet washcloth by hand.

Step #2: Prepare Your Garment

Go through all the pockets and ensure that they are empty.

Jackets- We recommend that you zip up the main zipper and leave any smaller interior and exterior pockets unzipped.

Pants/Bibs- For bibs, we recommend that you zip up the main zipper like a jacket. For Fly zippers in pants, we recommend that you leave them unzipped as well

Step #3: Place them in the Washing Machine

Before you place your garments in the washing machine, it is always recommended that you refer to the care label inside your waterproof garments for exact care instructions for the garment.

Top loading washing machines often have agitators in them that aides in the washing of the clothes but also can pose a chance to tear technical fabrics when being washed (You paid good money for this waterproof jacket, you don’t want it to tear.)  We highly recommend using a front-loading washing machine due to the lack of agitators in them.

If you don’t have a washing machine, handwashing is a great alternative. 

Step #4: Technical Washing Detergent

The ideal laundry detergent to use on your waterproof garments is one that is designed for technical, waterproof fabrics. These specific detergents are formulated to be used with these kinds of fabrics.

Step #5: Slow and Low should be the tempo of the Washing Machine

You typically only wash 1 or 2 garments at a time so make sure the load setting on the washing machine is at a low setting with low warm temperature setting.

It is always a good idea to run an additional rinse cycle after you wash your waterproof garments. This cleans the tub of the washing machine of any residue before you throw a regular load of laundry in.

Step #6: Dry Tumble on Low Heat

Cleaning the waterproof fabric is half the equation to longevity of your investment. Rejuvenating the water repellent is the other half. Once the garment is washed, simply put it in the dry and set it to low heat until it is completely dry and warm to the touch.

If you don’t have a dryer at home, you can air dry your garment. Hang it up until it is completely dry. Once dry, grab an iron and set it to a low heat setting without steam. Place a towel between the garment and the iron and iron garment.