How to wash and reproof your waterproof 

Thanks for the kind words. Really glad it was of help! Like you say, the smell test never fails 😅

Hope it was of help!!

I’ll have to re-watch it. Maybe I should just have spoken a bit quicker throughout - or had a quick coffee before we’d begun filming 😅

Thanks. That helped alot!

​@@ukclimbingofficial a couple of coffees 😄😋😉

@@chrisharder4854 I think that'd have bumped me up well beyond 1.25x speed and into something far less comprehensible 😅

this is the greatest comment I have read.

Thanks for the feedback

Thanks Francisco!

hope it was of help!

you're welcome 😀

I can indeed - hopefully it does the trick!

You're quite right, for that particular type of application you're best using TX Direct Spray. Much like a waterproof, I only tend to use this intermittently, in between a few washes using TX Direct. If anything, it's the washing that makes a massive difference, particularly if you're used to using a detergent, because with Nikwax you'll notice it takes a lot longer to wet out (whereas that's pretty much immediate with a detergent). Hope that's of help!

That's a good suggestion. There's probably a separate video to be created, looking specifically at more stubborn stains.

You'll be glad to hear TX Direct is entirely PFC free 😇

It is indeed, I absolutely love it too - one of my favourite fleeces

It's water soluble, so it tends not to leave any stains or spots, and if it does it's probably a sign that it hasn't been washed for long enough. When it comes to the inner/outer, it depends on the jacket but there is always the option of using TX Direct Spray (as opposed to Wash-In) if you want to focus all efforts onto the outside of the jacket.

You shouldn't have to if you're using Nikwax Tech Wash + TX Direct. It definitely used to be the case that you needed to, but not anymore thankfully - as it was a right faff!

Interesting question. I'm presuming you're using it somewhere you're likely to get wet? Interestingly I very rarely proof my windproof jackets, despite living in the UK (where it's almost always wet!!), because when it is wet I try to wear a waterproof. In terms of wash-in vs. spray, I'd opt for the former for a more thorough result, and wouldn't have thought it'd have too great an impact on breathability.

Shouldn’t interfere with the breathability, but be mindful about the longevity of PFC DWR treatments and this being tied to the density of the shell (since the treatment affixes to fibers) means an ultralight weather jacket will need more frequent treatments. As well, depends on the time until your first application because the treatment binds to itself well, and if your high wear spots are already lacking the dwr coating then you may never restore the condition of the jacket there.

Hi Harvey, if you use the combination of tech wash and TX Direct, there should be no need to tumble dry.

Firstly, I would never wash a waterproof jacket with detergent, because if you want a way to strip a jackets DWR - that’s the way to do it. Your best option having done so is to give it another wash with Tech Wash, which will hopefully help to reset it, then do the same with TX Direct and that should hopefully bring it back to being as good as new. After that you should be able to wash it without proofing for a while, but whatever you do - don’t use detergent!!

@@ukclimbingofficial A bit of update here: After dry hanging it i did i little test with water and its beading well -so i guess there is still hope :) .Next time tho gonna use some tech wash for sure and maybe a reproofing agent as you stated.Thanks alot for the tip and keep the good job !

@@huihuiev2329 Phew! Glad to hear all is not lost.

Good question. I'm not sure anyone has a scientific answer, but my answer would be to go face out, as that way you can guarantee it's going to get all the mud/muck off the outside. That said, I can see the logic of doing it inside out, as you'll give the scrim a better wash, which could help with the jackets performance and breathability. I suspect it ends up being about the same, but I'd probably opt with face out based on the fact that's what I've always done - and it's always worked.

I think i will try Face out the next time, My jacket is bright yellow so i will like it to look as clean as possible.

I’ve always done a few at a time and it’s been just as effective. Certainly makes doing it more efficient too, as doing then one by one would be a right pain!

Nothing whatsoever, the next wash will be completely normal - no after effects whatsoever.

That’s amazing - what a bargain!!

We're afraid so, it's all part of the reproofing process. Dirt in the fabric is one of the reasons it loses it's water repellency. Once you've reproofed it, you should be able to just wash regularly with Tech Wash and then only reproof occasionally.

We should do this as standard in every waterproof jacket review 😅

Wash in undoubtedly the better of the two, as it gives much more complete and even coverage. It’s much easier to get gaps with Spray-on, which is exactly what you want to avoid, as you ultimately want to proof the jacket as a whole.

Nikwax advice to wash a maximum of two at a time.

Hi Alan, we’re releasing a video on this in two weeks time. But long story short: buy a Nikwax Down Wash Direct kit and follow the instructions.

@@ukclimbingofficial thanks for the speedy reply! Is this just a single bottle application or do I need an accompanying product? Thanks 😘

@@Alan_H82 Yes, it seems to have changed to a single bottle. Instructions on the Nikwax website here: www.nikwax.com/en-gb/products/Cleaning/down-wash-direct/

@@ukclimbingofficial prefect! Thank you for answering my query

Try a friend's house?

You have a couple of options. The first of which would be to hand wash, which is a bit more involved, but does work - just make sure to be quite thorough as it's hard to replicate the length or intensity of a machine wash. Your other option would be to try a laundromat, but take out the drawer before hand, give it a good clean through, and try pouring some warm water down into it to wash any residue through the system. If there's a little left in it won't be a crisis, especially if you're re-proofing afterwards. If you're only washing it then you want the system as detergent free as possible. Hope that's of help!!

The vast majority of people don’t wash/proof their jackets, and don’t understand why it might be necessary, so we opted to focus on ‘why’ first. If you look at the time stamps you can go direct to when to wash and how to wash, if that’s what you’re specifically interested in.

There is always one ! Perhaps you could do better @chrishardon 😂

If you’ve used both Tech Wash and TX Direct as the video shows, then that will do the trick!

@@ukclimbingofficial Thankyou

@@ukclimbingofficial I know nikwax had changed their packaging so I was wondering if it was different

@@danieltantram82 This is the combo you'll want: www.nikwax.com/en-gb/products/Cleaning/tech-wash&tx-direct/

They're similar, but not the same, and there's a few things to be aware of if you are using soap flakes. The first is that if you're washing on lower temperatures they can, depending on exactly which product you're using, have trouble dissolving properly, which lead to them leaving a residue. This residue will then have a knock-on effect to performance. Obvioulsy you can avoid this by turning up the temperature, but that'll have an effect on the cost of each wash. The other thing to be aware of is what exactly is contained within the soap flakes/liquid soap, as it needs to be pure. If it contains any extra chemicals then it has the potential to do more damage than good.

Do you know what you’ve got on your jacket? If it’s dirt, and it’s not shifting, it might be worth trying applying some Tech Wash neat and giving it a gentle scrub beforehand. Having washed countless jackets over time, and knowing countless others who’ve done the same, it definitely works; however, some dirt is definitely more stubborn to shift.

So I'm led to believe, although I'll admit - it's a lot more than I've ever spent on one!!

@@ukclimbingofficial I meant say... thanks for the video, very informative. I think I may now be able to breathe new life into my old jacket 👍 I'm subbed to your channel now 👍

Hi Wendy, let us know which coat you washed and how old it was and we'll try to help.

Out of interest, what did you wash it with - was it Tech Wash or another product?