Whether it’s a hiking jacket, walking boots or a pair of socks, GORE-TEX technical outdoor clothing is specially designed to be windproof, waterproof and highly breathable – keeping you dry and comfortable whatever the conditions.
Although GORE-TEX is an extremely robust material, it’s still important to take good care of your GORE-TEX® gear in order to keep it performing at its best.
Read on to discover how to take care of your GORE-TEX products…
So, following on from our recent guide to GORE-TEX (where we focused on getting you up to speed with what GORE-TEX is), we thought it would also be a good idea to provide information on how to clean and care for your clothing – so that it looks and performs as if it were brand new for many seasons to come!
Your GORE-TEX gear was made for the great outdoors. So, at some stage, it will inevitably get dirty and require a thorough cleaning. However, you’ll be happy to learn that washing GORE-TEX clothing is a relatively easy task, but it’s always important to remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Here’s what GORE-Tex had to say about caring for products that are made using this material:
“Care should include regularly washing, drying and when necessary, reapplying DWR (Durable water repellent). Follow these three steps and you’ll get better performance out of your GORE-TEX gear and it will last longer. Make sure to always check the manufacturer’s care instructions — usually found on the inside tag of your product.” – GORE-TEX.
Before washing your outerwear made using GORE-TEX (e.g jackets), be sure to zip up the front, the pockets and the pit zips. If your outerwear features any flaps or straps, be sure that these are also securely fastened.
Always pay attention to the care instructions provided, however, in most cases – machine washing your GORE-TEX garments on a warm cycle (no more than 40º C) should be okay.
Avoid using detergents or any products that contain fabric softeners, conditioners, stain removers or bleach – as they will affect garment performance. Instead, we recommend using a specially-formulated cleaner for waterproof and breathable clothing.
If you can, line dry your garment naturally. Alternatively, you can tumble dry on a warm, gentle cycle. Once dry, tumble dry your garment for a further 20 minutes to reactivate the durable water-repellent (DWR) treatment on the outer fabric.
Tumble drying should get rid of any creases. However, if you don’t have access to a tumble dryer, you can iron your garment once it’s dry. Be sure to use a low setting (no steam) and place a tea towel between the garment and the iron.
As GORE-TEX is known for its innovative technology, there are certain garments that will require special care, depending on the type of GORE-TEX technology.
An example of this would be GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY™ or other garments that feature persistent beading surfaces. This is because it’s slightly different from other technologies, with the GORE-TEX membrane being the outer layer (so it doesn’t require DWR).
So, if you’re products feature persistent beading surfaces, you’ll need to read the following instructions:
As well as cleaning your products, you may also need to re-proof your GORE-TEX gear in order to prevent ‘wet out’. This is when liquid soaks into the surface of the outer fabric, making it feel as though it has leaked.
To prevent ‘wet out’, all GORE-TEX products are treated with what’s known as Durable Water Repellency (DWR), a factory-applied coating that clings to the individual fibres of the fabric, causing water to bead up and roll off rather than soak in. However, this coating wears off over time through general wear and tear or as a result of exposure to dirt or detergents.
But, you can re-proof your waterproof products using a water-repellent treatment, which are available in handy pump sprays or as wash-in treatments.
Taking care of GORE-TEX footwear is very important, but also very straightforward. Of course, always follow the care instructions provided by the manufacturer, however, see a brief guide below on how to take care of your GORE-TEX footwear.
Do not use any bleach on GORE-TEX footwear or put them in the washing machine. Instead, start by removing the laces and shaking out any residue from the footwear. And, if it’s possible for your particular pair of boots – take out the food bed (or insole) and shake it out.
Then, using a brush, you’ll want to get rid of any loose bits of dirt and scrub them down with lukewarm water that has a little bit of liquid detergent added to it.
As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, always follow the specific instructions provided to you by the manufacturer. This is especially important if you’re cleaning leather boots.
Dry GORE-TEX footwear naturally, avoiding direct contact with heat. It’s important to not let the footwear stay soaking wet for too long, so either let them dry naturally at a moderate temperature or use a trusty boot dryer if it appears to be taking too long.
If it’s time to re-apply DWR to your GORE-TEX footwear, you’ll be able to do so by using a water-based restorative. Avoid using any type of waterproofing greases or waxes as there’s a good chance they will negatively affect the overall breathability.
You’ll be able to tell whether or not your GORE-TEX footwear requires DWR treatment by checking whether or not water beads and runs off the shoes. If it doesn’t – you’ll need to re-apply DWR.
We hope that you’ve found this ‘how-to’ guide useful. Armed with all the info above, you can make sure your GORE-TEX® is ready to face the elements for years to come.
If you need any more advice on how to care for your equipment, or you want to know more about choosing the right cleaning & proofing products, feel free to contact us directly or pop into your local Winfields Outdoor store and speak to our team of outdoor experts.
We’ve all heard of GORE-TEX, but what makes this fascinating fabric so special? Read the Winfields guide to find out everything you need to know about this material and how it can enhance your next outdoor adventure.
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