How to restore the GORE-TEX DWR (durable water repellency) | Wash & Care

[@andrashavas]

Just a comment: I have had jackets since 1990, more than 30 years. The "DWR" rubbed off after 2 weeks of use on every type of jacket, Gore-tex and not. So I used Nikwax in the first instance. It became very white and quickly dirty. Why? Because I used too much. Use too little and it will not restore DWR. Also tumble drying I think is a bad bad idea. Ruining the fibers of the jacket, folding breaking it everywhere. Why don't you just place it in the drum of a washing machine, and use a hair dryer to blow hot air, then close the door on the drum. Effect will be the same. Also using the iron is again dangerous. First, how do you know the temperature is good and will not unpeel the plastic seals? Did you know that recently gluing is made so that threads can be saved? Glue will give away after some time while threads will not. I used MCNet to reglue the wall hanger of my jacket, which suddenly gave away... Were it sewed, it would have stayed. Also when proofing the jacket a light heat does help. However DRW WILL COME OFF. All that rant about reactiviting is a half-solution. The real thing is that if you want your clothes to be 90% good as factory, you will have to do 2 stages. First get a DWR that is NOT thick and white like Nikwax, which is appx 60% effective in keeping the waterdroplets running on the surface after 5-10 minutes. The ad shows water running. Yes. But water does not run on you. It FALLS on you, STAYS on you and the surface pressure to keep water away needs to be maintained. Nikwax does this ONLY if you put a ton on the jacket, which will change color due to the wax and will get dirty. Did you try the wax on a dark jacket? Try it an see white, grey spots all over. If you heat it the wax will flow and disappear into the fabric. Go for a walk, and the wax will come out, break and white streaks will appear where you fold the jacket. This is quite waterproof 80%, but unattainable and ugly. So what you have to do is get a proper DWR that is NOT WAX based. German, Swiss brands will do. A wash-in is a must. So I dilute the wash in only 50% and I spray on my garment with a hand held pumper. No Waste! Then I get the hairdryer and dry it half. Next place the garment into the dryer or the drum of the washing machine and continue blowing heat. Turn the drum once in a while to get heat everywhere. Once done hang you jacket. Modern DWRs-are ACTIVATED through heat. That means that the structure of the stuff will change and start hating water. Not Nikwax. It is just diluted wax. If you add too much, it will fail because of dirt. The other stuffs if you add will not color your jacket much, AND will ACTIVATE and WILL HAVE A TON OF DRW. Finally depending on the jacket you may experiment with sprays from the same brand. The thing is a thin layer of spray-on DWR on the soaked in DWR will make sure that the garment is 90% factory quality. Why? because if you just use the spray, it will not penetrate deep enough, while bouncing off the garment most of the stuff. If it penetrates, then still it is not as durable typically as the solution-based pumper wash-in. Imagine the wash in as a crude soluble crystal that is half melted on the top layer. You add a higly soluble solution to make the surface mirror smooth. Sometimes the spray-ons will work differently against the wash-in, so make sure you experiment a bit on a different garment. But if you get it right, you can make a proofing that will not suck up water after 20 minutes of good rain. Unfortunately the advertisements do not show reality, but some lab sequence that is far from reality. In reality, you stretch, rub, soil the garment. How could the DWR stay on unless the very fibers of the cloth are water hating? That is why DWR has to be very soluble, heat activated, and penetrating. Unfortunately Nikwax is not so soluble. And once its there it is bulky meaning that the wax is not flexible enough. If you use silicone-based stuff, then you kill your jacket, and sprays could also mess with the glue in your jacket. So water soluble heat actived DWR is a must. Oh, I have a jacket bought in 2010-is that still has the DWR I placed in it. Ok, did not use too much, but can take 30 minutes of rain before wetting out. That is saying something. I also ruined several garments but either using the iron on a hot setting making the glued parts come off, sucking up DWR with the cloth under the iron..., and stuff, even making a hole into the garment when I forgot to use the cloth... I managed to peel off the glued pocket due to the solvent in the sprays... So never buy something that is glued. That means it is simplified for manufacturing, bound to fail. Even shoes have their laces sewn to the leather for good reason. So finally the truth: Nikwax works best for polar sweaters, with mushy fibers, not thin jackets. Oh, and if you want a rain jacket, get the one that has the thin outside material, which will dry fast, because it will not suck up water much. That is the trick. And if you want to avoid clammy feeling in rain, get a size bigger jacket and breathability is 50-100% more!

[@GORETEXBrand]

Thanks for taking the time to note down all your thoughts on this topic. ℹ First of all, it is very important to always check and follow the care instructions of your individual garment, which can be found on the sewn-in tag on the inside. ⚠ We strongly advise against using a hairdryer as that might damage the garment. Since heat needs to be applied to the garment in order to reactivate its DWR treatment, we recommend using either a tumble dryer or an iron. When using an iron, place a thin towel or cloth in between the iron and the garment for protection. Use a low setting and no steam. For detailed care instructions click here: bit.ly/3x7eCop 🧴 Both wash-in and spray-on DWR solutions are available on the market. For them to be effective, it is important to follow the instructions that you can find on the product's packaging. ❔ If unsure, please contact the manufacturer of your GORE-TEX garment in order for them to recommend a specific care/DWR product for your individual garment. 💪 Finally, we test all of our products in the lab as well as in the field with our valued athletes. For details click here: www.gore-tex.com/testing

[@andrashavas]

@@GORETEXBrand Thank you for your comments. Been there, done that. In the past years I have gone through at least 10 jackets of various brands. Would be preferable if a real-world usage is shown instead of the lab, where the athlete or mountain trekker actually has mud, slime and rain on the jacket, goes home washes the garment, reproofs it and looks at how it performs afterwards. Then goes on a trek again.... That shows how the garment DWR actually rubs off and how the reproofing needs to be done. That would sell the knowledge and the product.

[@GORETEXBrand]

@@andrashavas That's great feedback! We'll keep that in mind for future content creation. Many thanks! 🙂

[@andrashavas]

OK people, one question: How many years does a professional use their Gore-tex jacket before replacement? 1-2 max?

[@N_D_]

What is the point of the waterproof membrane if the outer material needs reapplying the water repellent? If the Gore Tex membrane was indeed waterproof as advertised, wetting out would not be an issue, because water could not penetrate inside. Now it turns out that the membrane is waterproof only when the outer material is competely dry, which doesn't make sense. This means that you pay premium price, say, for a jacket, and after a while you need to reapply DWR and restore its water reppelency. Both my Gore Tex Pro and Gore Tex Active jackets have failed me even in light rain, as they wet out in a matter of minutes and the inside gets moist almost immediately. That means that the membrane is not doing what it is supposed to. In my experience, having a reliable and a trully waterproof jacket with underarm zippers for venting is the way to go and it costs only a fraction of the price of a Gore Tex jacket.

[@LeungKaWun]

I work as an outdoor instructor. The gortex jacket worked well when I was in Asia. When it failed to keep me completely dry it wasn't unbearable cold and it was breathable in the heat. Since I moved to Vancouver, the gortex jacket didn't work very well when it could get SO COLD when I got my base layer damp. I turned to 100% Polyurethane jacket now.

[@licangdi]

Me too, and even after following the exact procedure and applying the dwr it's still getting wet when I put some water on it, feels useless...

[@theenglishtrucker1849]

The water cannot pass through the membrane. When the DWR has worn off the OUTER material which is usually tightly woven nylon, will absorb the water. You won't have water touching your skin, but it could be on the other side of the membrane, this can strip your heat. This has always been the case with any Gore Tex jacket. Columbia Outdry Extreme has the membrane on the outside, so no DWR is needed.

[@ashleyphotog]

DWR is there to protect Breath-ability not waterproofness, the membrane sits inside the outer fabric, once the fabric wets out it is no longer breathable, which is why you start to feel moist on the inside. Unfortunately user applied DWR is not quite as effective as factory applied DWR, however applying heat (not too hot) to the DWR after application can help to 'activate' it

[@ПетарВ.Петровић]

I am always glad to see people using brain. You are right 100%. Gore tex is NOT waterproof any more and thats it!!!! 10 years ago my gore tex sneakers and jackets was waterproof, now every brend of sneakers with gore tex I try simply leeks water. So 10 yrs ago gore tex label means good product, these days that label scream avoid this product.

[@craiggriffin5410]

This is great. For a jacket: Can I use a washer with an agitator in the middle or is that too harsh? And one concern: Am I coating the inside of my dryer with the DWR/waterproofing? I don't want it to affect other clothes. Thanks!

[@GORETEXBrand]

In regards to washing machines with an agitator, we would recommend contacting the manufacturing brand of your jacket in order to make sure that they are safe to use. We generally recommend using the most gentle cycle on a regular washing machine for all GORE-TEX garments. While we do advise drying your GORE-TEX jacket in a separate cycle without any other garments, the DWR treatment does not leave any noticeable residue and it does not rub off on other garments in later dryer cycles.

[@CharlesRobinson-j3c]

Dean Gateway

[@Cat10Noiryt]

I have bought an used arcteryx acto fl jacket and water bleeds into it, it says its dwr but im not to sure, should i buy an spray or wash for this, Thanks!

[@GORETEXBrand]

We would recommend to try and reactivate the DWR treatment by washing the jacket with only water (no detergent) and two consecutive dryer cycles afterward. If that didn't do the trick, try reapplying a DWR product by following the instructions on the product's packaging. Otherwise, kindly contact Arc'Teryx for further assistance.

[@Cat10Noiryt]

@@GORETEXBrand Thanks

[@theenglishtrucker1849]

Video says avoid wax products, yet seems to be spraying Nikwax from a bottle thats had the label pulled off. Liquid even looks like nikwax.

[@josiah3807]

I believe that was with respect to leather components of the gloves. They did not say avoid wax-based products for jackets at all.

[@andrashavas]

Nikwax is the WORST DWR you can put on the jacket. Over the past 30 years I have been hearing durable, durable durable... Yes durable, but not effective. Its a pain to wash out the material dirtying your garments....it is durably dirty.

[@frontier_etc]

what about GoreTex hats?

[@GORETEXBrand]

The process would be the same or similar. We would recommend checking its care instructions with the manufacturer directly.

[@JamesHayden-p7l]

Padberg Terrace

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[@jandone100]

How many degrees Celsius shall I set my tumble drier to based on what they say in the video: “tumble dry for 20 minutes on a warm, gentle cycle”?

[@GORETEXBrand]

As a rule of thumb, we recommend to tumble dry garments with GORE-TEX technology on a warm, gentle cycle (60°C exhaust temperature). Once the garment has been dried, the same temperature setting can be used for a twenty-minute cycle to re-activate DWR. When following the above instructions, please make sure to respect the care guidelines specific to your garment, found on the care label of the garment.

[@andrashavas]

40 degrees will do with a hair dryer...

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[@BadgerBotherer1]

Can I use Nikwax TX.Direct to restore the DWR on my Gore-tex jacket? If so, should I use the wash-in or spray-on type? Thanks!

[@GORETEXBrand]

Due to the large number of high-quality products available, we cannot recommend any specific product for restoring the DWR of your jacket. When choosing a product we recommend checking that it is suitable for breathable and functional clothing. You will find this information on the product's packaging.

[@BadgerBotherer1]

@@GORETEXBrand Thanks!

[@theenglishtrucker1849]

You can but its crap. The absolute best stuff you can use if called Fabsil Gold, its for tents, but it will bead up the water like NEW. Paint it on with a brush for best effect. Do it outside as the stuff STINKS. Smell will disappear after a day.

[@andrashavas]

@@theenglishtrucker1849 Do not mistake sprays intended for tents with sprays intended for breathable wear!!!!! One has silicone content, meaning oils, and stuff, which will stifle the gore-tex and can have an effect on the glue in the jacket.

[@EdmundQueena]

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[@marcoliver7914]

what about if u don't own an iron or dryer?

[@GORETEXBrand]

Heat is needed in order to (re-)activate the garment's DWR treatment. We would not recommend using a heat source that is not designed for garments, such as a dryer or an iron.

[@MVTTE]

Hair dryer

[@user-nk1wq4zf9f]

@@GORETEXBrand What about laying it out in the sun for 20min?

[@GORETEXBrand]

@@user-nk1wq4zf9f We do not recommend using a heat source that is not designed for garments, such as a dryer or an iron. When you lay your garment in the sun for drying, you cannot control the temperature and the heat will not be distributed evenly around your garment.

[@GORETEXBrand]

@@MVTTE We wouldn't recommend using a hairdryer as that might damage the garment. Since heat needs to be applied to the garment in order to reactivate its DWR treatment, we recommend using either a dryer or an iron.

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