Foul Weather clothing/cleaning

C2 RIBS · 29 October 2010, 12:51

Does anyone recommend a company for cleaning waterproof clothing whilst maintaining the waterproof levels.

Mollers · 29 October 2010, 12:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Does anyone recommend a company for cleaning waterproof clothing whilst maintaining the waterproof levels.

Nikwax. Use wash-in not spray-on.

Starovich · 29 October 2010, 14:57

I know Henri Lloyd do a clean/refurbish service, not sure about Musto et al.

Trailer Bloke · 29 October 2010, 16:43

Ian

Do it yourself !

We wash all our jackets in a washing machine with a tiny amount of non bio powder (max 2 table spoons) on a tepid wash

DO NOT tumble dry

I have been doing this for years and you know how much all our equipment is used. All the jackets havnt suffered any ill effects, they may have faded a bit but this is the UV and salt water

My Gill jacket is now 4 years old and is as waterproof is it was when new

treerat · 29 October 2010, 17:10

Stick it in the washing machine with Tech Wash by Nixwax then rinse in TX Wash.

Simples

GordyP · 29 October 2010, 17:19

The musto Gore Tex stuff gets put in the washing machine and then tumble dried, I was told that the tumble drying bit was important for the fabric for some reason.

C2 RIBS · 29 October 2010, 18:04

Cheers for ideas, yes washing all forty seems like fun

So I think I will follow this route with solutions mentioned but run down to a service wash to save my domestic machine.

Mollers · 29 October 2010, 18:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Cheers for ideas, yes washing all forty seems like fun

So I think I will follow this route with solutions mentioned but run down to a service wash to save my domestic machine.

I'd buy a gal of Nikwax TX Direct wash-in and do it myself using a commercial machine at a launderette. Wouldn't trust a service wash.

m chappelow · 29 October 2010, 21:46

wash my 1995 musto offshore jacket /salopettes in the washing machine about twice a year and had no problems,,except for the elastic braces freying ,,but they all seem to do that eventually anyhow,
its also not a bad idea if you have an internal harness to remove it or put the buckles in some socks,also tie some rag though the zip toggle, helps stop it sounding like a cement mixer.
think the only mark that i cannot shift is when i got some grease on it used for greasing lifeboat slipways about 15 years ago .

mcolston · 30 October 2010, 00:14

In actual fact washing your gear in a washing machine is meant to be good for it! Something to do with realigning the fibres?!

Mollers · 30 October 2010, 09:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcolston

In actual fact washing your gear in a washing machine is meant to be good for it! Something to do with realigning the fibres?!

We only wash what really needs it (usually my jacket with grease on pockets and sleeves.

) , the rest is thoroughly dried and stored in a dry place.

Steve_B · 30 October 2010, 15:40

Ian

we went through this process some weeks back. With 50+ sets, we did 3 lots at a time on a 30C wash, minimal powder and all dried naturally. Took about a week or so, the main difficulty finding enough room to hang whilst they dried (used conservatory).

Have fun ...

Steve

alant1 · 01 November 2010, 11:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Does anyone recommend a company for cleaning waterproof clothing whilst maintaining the waterproof levels.

Asked the same question of Nikwax recently & was told that other than leather, their stuff would work on any foul weather clothing.

Apparently each normal/regular wash, degrades any proofing & Nikwax advised using 2 different products. one to remove the problems caused by washing, then another wash using their reproofing gunk. This then again should last for 4-5 regular washes.

Would this be viable if proofing lots of clothing sets?

Onboard · 02 November 2010, 23:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Cheers for ideas, yes washing all forty seems like fun

So I think I will follow this route with solutions mentioned but run down to a service wash to save my domestic machine.

Domestic machine is a rather "un-gentlemanly" title for the good lady isn't it .... ? :-)

C2 RIBS · 03 November 2010, 07:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Redbond

Domestic machine is a rather "un-gentlemanly" title for the good lady isn't it .... ? :-)

Welcome Kevin. Trust you to spot that obvious link

I was at Helly Hansen yesterday and they have recommended Nikwax and even sold me the two solutions.(along with more gear!)

Mollers · 03 November 2010, 09:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

I was at Helly Hansen yesterday and they have recommended Nikwax

See post 2.

PBAY · 20 November 2010, 20:41

Hi Ian,

...Well something like that, and as long as they are not cold or male, it's fine with me.

More to the point, a clothing cleaning tip - Fairy washing up liquid. My step son has worked in a large national dry cleaning company for many years. Apparently when you pay extra for that special "spot treatment" on delicate garments or ultra difficult stains the thing they use is fariy washing up liquid!

This little known trade secret is apparently kept secret to avoid us all feeling ripped off at the dry cleaners but Fairy is apparently better than any of the so called special chemicals to treat difficult bit with.

I have tried it on many of my regular clothing articles and the odd suit after a too good a restaurant night out with collateral damage on the sleeve or lap etc.

I have got a favourite Gill jacket that is about two seasons of hard use in and one particularly bad grease or oil stain on the bottom bit. I will give it a go and have a bit of a rub in with the Fairy (Kevin not even one single word from you please :-) !)

My washing machine/wife has just treated herself (at my expense of course) to one of these new large capacity machines out now that do commercial size loads. I figure that allows me to try and break it or overload it at least once :-) I will have to read the instructions and do it whilst she is out.

Will feedback here on the results soon, if I am still alive after tinkering in areas that I am not normally allowed to without first passing my RYA washing machine L2.

PBAY · 27 November 2010, 12:47

Well I no longer have a big black grease mark on the rear of my jacket :-)

The grease all but came out with the application of the fairy liquid. I spot cleaned some other marks that looked just as stubborn at the same time on the basis of make it or break it with the jacket. (The grease was as far as I can ascertain off an engine mount at some stage.)

I rubbed in about a tablespoon of fairy liquid and rubbed in gently in by hand to start with and then rinsed in luke warm running water. Then did it again but this time gave it a light brush with a softish nail brush on the repeat application. Rinsed again.

Then into the washing machine (Well done hotpoint with two jackets in even it didn't break, the wife hasn't even noticed I have used it yet so I am not in trouble :-) )

1 large capful of lidl's formil washing liquid in the machine this time. Turned the jacket inside out not sure why but the wife always does it so I thought it best to copy the technique but with no technical justification I could think of.

Net result is jacket looks like new. It was looking so rough before I was thinking about retiring it from charter work and downgrading it to the when I go fishing one. So I am very pleased with the outcome. Total cost estimated to about 25p I think.

Will do the rest of the jackets now I know I am not going to melt them or something.

Andy_Rs600 · 14 December 2010, 14:28

Just come across this thread and thought I'd add:

If you use Nikwax 2-step (wash and then re-proof) you are FAR better off using the spray on re-proofing, not the wash-in. You want the outside of your clothing to be water resistant, not the inside, as it markedly (according to the WL Gore rep who did my training when I worked for Snow&Rock) decreases the breathability of the garment. H had some lab data, and I found it repeated by another test centre on-line a few months ago.