Machine wash....or not?

[David Gauntlett]

Hi Guys,

My Goretex ex military jacket and trousers are in need of help. They are still absolutely sound and waterproof (as new in fact)...it's just that dirt and general neglect has allowed them to lose their 'beadability', so that the outer soaks up water like a sponge

Now...I know the answer is to remove the dirt and re-proof them, preferably with the appropriate Nikwax products. However (And I know this has been mentioned before)....is it ABSOLUTELY safe to wash these garments in a well used washing machine that has had detergents through it many times?

Bearing in mind that detergent deposits on the fabric are fatal to the proofing agents in Nikwax, and that it is absolutely certain that there will be at least some build up of detergent in the machines pipes etc., is it likely these will enter the water and contaminate the fabric. Or...providing I use 'Tech Wash' or similar, is it safe to do it?

Have any of you guys actually done this, and found it works with no
problems.....or not? I would hate to destroy these garments

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Billy Lowe]

I've always used the two nikwax products, wash and proof and then tumble dried on warm. My gortex is 5 years old and although it looks a bit scruffy it is still waterproof and breathable.

I wouldn't take the chance the nikwax is about £16 for the two products and that will give you about 3 washes and proofs. Hope this helps

 

[Nic Costar]

My Goretex coat and trousers gets washed by hand, i have done this for well over ten years with the same coat/trousers and they both still waterproof

i wouldn't trust putting them in a washing machine

 

[David Gauntlett]

I've always used the two nikwax products, wash and proof and then tumble dried on warm. My gortex is 5 years old and although it looks a bit scruffy it is still waterproof and breathable.

I wouldn't take the chance the nikwax is about £16 for the two products and that will give you about 3 washes and proofs. Hope this helps

Hi Billy,

I understand that it would be madness to wash actually using detergent...what I am saying is, would it be unsafe to use the machine, even if I were using the Nikwax cleaner in it?

Or do you mean you wouldn't risk using the machine at all, but wash the garments another way?

Cheers, Dave.

 

[David Gauntlett]

My Goretex coat and trousers gets washed by hand, i have down this for well over ten years with the same coat/trousers and they both still waterproof

i wouldn't trust putting them in a washing machine

Hi Nic,

I can see washing by hand would be safer, it is just that I don't have anything large enough to do it in....and I don't want to risk 'death by a thousand nags' by doing it in the bath

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Ian Murfin]

i may be wrong but i think the blurb on the tec wash tells you to run the washing machine with nothing in it first to clear out any residue. This may be just for the down wash though.

I've never had that much success with reproofing my gear, i find that you only get the beading back for a week or two and then need to reproof again. I have been told that the key is to reproof before the original proofing fails but i'm not sure if this rumour is just designed to increase sales of the reproofer!

 

[David Gauntlett]

i may be wrong but i think the blurb on the tec wash tells you to run the washing machine with nothing in it first to clear out any residue. This may be just for the down wash though.

I've never had that much success with reproofing my gear, i find that you only get the beading back for a week or two and then need to reproof again. I have been told that the key is to reproof before the original proofing fails but i'm not sure if this rumour is just designed to increase sales of the reproofer!

Know where you are coming from there smurf

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Nic Costar]

Hi Nic,

I can see washing by hand would be safer, it is just that I don't have anything large enough to do it in....and I don't want to risk 'death by a thousand nags' by doing it in the bath

Cheers, Dave.

Very wise Dave but you could just take one piece at a time when your having a bath yourself

 

[David Gauntlett]

Very wise Dave but you could just take one piece at a time when your having a bath yourself

That's an idea Nic....putting that stuff in the bath water with me might even stop a certain part of my anatomy taking on water and wrinkling up like a little prune

Silly things fingers, anyway

Cheers, Dave

 

[Ian Crook]

Dave,

I always use the washing machine, it tells you to do so on the Nikwax bottles, you can even get a nikwax washing machine ball to put the stuff in, in the machine with the combo sets...........

If it is Gortex it will probably not need re-proofing, the material gets clogged up with dirt which stops it beading, ofetn just washing with techwash will clean it and it will be fine.

 

[Jon Frisby]

I generally put them on, zip myself up and get myself or my missus to scrub me down with a brush and a hose pipe. Any holes/punctures will be glaringly obvious also.
Goretex is a great material, its a little like a plastic bag covered with a fabric, so if you are going through blackberry bushes hawthorns etc, it will end up like a tea bag.

Jon

 

[David Gauntlett]

Dave,

I always use the washing machine, it tells you to do so on the Nikwax bottles, you can even get a nikwax washing machine ball to put the stuff in, in the machine with the combo sets...........

If it is Gortex it will probably not need re-proofing, the material gets clogged up with dirt which stops it beading, ofetn just washing with techwash will clean it and it will be fine.

Hi Ian,

Thanks for that mate. I must admit that I have never examined the fabric TOO closely, but something someone said to me once, gawd knows how many years ago, lead me to believe that the Goretex part of it was a seperate membrane? The theory being that the outer fabric was only good for as long as the original Nikwax type proofing lasted, but that the inner Gortex membrane would still keep you dry????

I THINK that was what I was told....certainly I have always understood that to be how it worked...probably a load of old cobblers though mate

Either way, if the washing machine worked for you, and that's what is said on the tin, it certainly is encouraging

Any other views on this?

Cheers, Dave.

 

[David Gauntlett]

I generally put them on, zip myself up and get myself or my missus to scrub me down with a brush and a hose pipe. Any holes/punctures will be glaringly obvious also.
Goretex is a great material, its a little like a plastic bag covered with a fabric, so if you are going through blackberry bushes hawthorns etc, it will end up like a tea bag.

Jon

Hi Jon,

Thanks once again for that mate. I dont know why, but your method sounds like it might be a bit of a turn on ... If I tried that, I might have to make it the back garden, just in case

The 'Tea bag' thing sounds a very valid point though...hmmmmm, food for thought Jon.

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Robert Woods]

I destroyed my Sympetex French w/proofs by machine washing them with Nixwax products. So when my army gortex needed cleaning I hand washed them then reproofed as per instructions. But needed plenty of rinsing to get mud out of them. Not worth chancing washing m/c.

 

[David Gauntlett]

I destroyed my Sympetex French w/proofs by machine washing them with Nixwax products. So when my army gortex needed cleaning I hand washed them then reproofed as per instructions. But needed plenty of rinsing to get mud out of them. Not worth chancing washing m/c.

Hi Robert,

Thanks fella...you are the first person I have heard of that has had that bad a reaction...it's usually just a case of detergent contamination of the outer preventing the Nikwax sticking, thus the 'beadability' fails in that area. That must have been a real ****er for you Is Sympetex supposed to be the same/similar to goretex? That would certainly seem doubtful, considering others have no problems at all doing this with goretex?

Mind you, I have always been confounded by how different folks have such dynamicaslly opposing experiences with so many angling products...any 'best line/bait/whatever threads will prove that point. All good debating points though!

Keep the thoughts coming please lads

Cheers, Dave.

 

[Keith Humphreys]

Dave PM mate

 

[Paul Boote]

This clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYX-eOod1F8&feature=player_embedded - posted by someone, here or elsewhere, a few months ago, might help.

 

[Ben Cook]

I've reproofed my gore tex riding gear for years using nik wax stuff and washing machine with no Ill effects. Once washed use the spray on stuff while still wet, the water beads off lovely!

 

[David Gauntlett]

This clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYX-eOod1F8&feature=player_embedded - posted by someone, here or elsewhere, a few months ago, might help.

Many thanks for that Paul, absolutely spot on fella...you can't get much clearer than that, can you? O.K, it doesn't state that they are talking about Goretex specifically, but I believe the majority of such jackets are, and surely they would mention it if machine washing (as they are recommending) was absolutely NOT suitable....wouldn't they?

Added to this, it does state (as has been said) on the Nikwax cleaner and reproofer product instructions that machine washing is O.K. for Goretex, AND there seems to be a number of people who have done it, some several times, with no ill effects at all.

The only odd thing about it for me is that I have been told by a gent still serving in the forces that several of his Goretex garments (of varying types and ages I believe) state on the label 'Hand wash' ....bleedin confusing, isn't it It may be that Goretex garments vary...it may even have more to do with the non Goretex portion of the article in question being adversely effected by machine washing

I guess the obvious answer is to hand wash, so that there is no risk of harm. However, as I said, I have nothing large enough to do it in, and I am uncertain whether I can remove sufficient dirt this way for it to work

Jeeeez, I can make anything hard work

Cheers, Dave.

 

[David Gauntlett]

I've reproofed my gore tex riding gear for years using nik wax stuff and washing machine with no Ill effects. Once washed use the spray on stuff while still wet, the water beads off lovely!

Thanks for that Ben, it would seem there are many people who have had great success using a machine...it does beg the question though...why has it been a disaster for some? As I say, I guess it is possible that the problem has more to do with the other materials in the problematic garments, rather than the Goretex element itself....who knows

Cheers, Dave.