FreshPowder

So i know you can ruin your waterproofing on your pants/jacket by washing them. Is there anyway to clean them without ruining them? Thanks for any andvice.

DC5R

The DWR will always wear away whether you wash it or use it. Once you see that it stops beading water, just wash your pants/jacket in Nikwax to replenish the DWR coating.

dharmashred

For sure you don't want to wash them too often. If you need to wash them, use a gentle soap, something like dreft, ivory or woolite, hand wash in a tub or sink (not too much water and only a minimal amount of soap) no washing machine. Hang dry, you can take a towel to suck out some moisture. Don't expect them to be dry overnight though. Make sure whatever you use does NOT have any softener in it, as this will for sure damage the waterproofing. (this goes for layers and their wicking as well, no softener!) Hang dry, never put them in the dryer. You could probably also use like an alcohol free baby wipe and just do a spot clean, I've done that. I honestly don't know when the last time I washed my pants or jacket was .

edit: actually...What DC5R said...

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banana420

well arent i just an asshole i have been washing my pants for the past 5 years in the washer than drying them in the dryer and they still bead water and keep me dry

FreshPowder

i just want my shit clean lol but i dont want to take any chances and messin up my new stuff i just bought. note to the future me dark colors are your friends. lol

Leo

I rarely wash my snowboard clothing. Think about it, it repels the water and dirt on the mountain anyway. You worried about sweat? Well, your base layers should take care of that.

I do have one jacket I wash every year, but I wear it off the mountain a lot too. With this jacket, I just toss it in the washer with a little bit of detergent on delicate wash with cold water. Then I hang dry it. If the jacket doesn't bead off water anymore, I use a Nikwax spray on water proofing spray after the jacket dries. Careful though, that stuff stinks. Make sure you do the spray on outside or somewhere with good ventilation. Wear a mask if you can.

So yea, no real need to wash jackets that you only use for snowboarding unless you don't layer correctly and sweat like a dog it.

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Tarzanman

If you are going to wash your shell then:

• Hand wash it. Gently!
• Use a very small amount of mild soap (no bleach! no fabric softeners)
• Air dry it

Leo

Hand washing is really not necessary these days. Most washers have a delicate wash cycle, even my older washer. I've lifted the lid while its on this cycle and I can tell you that it is really gentle. I have washed numerous "hand wash only" clothes in it without any problems. Granted, I still hand wash the finer things like silk and smaller fine knit garments. The main thing you need to worry about is drying the jacket. Absolutely no Drier. Always air dry inside out (keeps it from deforming also works great on jeans). Check your washer first though. I've seen some delicate wash cycles that still spin harshly on some older machines.

But... yea. Hand washing is always the absolute best way to do it. I just rather toss it in delicate wash cycle and go do something more productive.

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hanzosteel

keep in mind gore-tex is different, machine wash in warm, tumble dry and then iron. the gore-tex laminate activates with heat. the cleaner the gore-tex garment, the better its waterproofness and breathability.

not sure this thread is necessary, why don't people just read the care instructions on their garment labels?

milner_7

funny how most wash instructions say wash in cold water and tumble dry low LOL