How to look after membrane clothing
Before washing
- Fasten velcro properly, otherwise they may cause small cracks in the membrane and reduce waterproofness.
- Beware of forgotten things in your pockets, take everything out.
- We recommend washing membrane garments separately from other garments and, if possible, individually.
- When washing in the washing machine, everything that could mechanically damage the material must be removed.
How to wash membrane clothing
- Wash on a gentle program at a temperature of max. 40°C.
- Do not wring. Select a program without wringing.
- Under no circumstances add any other additives such as fabric softener, bleach or ordinary detergents!
- Do not dry clean!
- After washing clothes, rinse thoroughly to wash away even the smallest residues of detergents and dirt.
- Take out the garment immediately after washing and start drying loosely hanging on a hanger in partial shade, or use the dryer for a gentle program up to 60°C.
Read more tips on what to do to make membrane clothing last as long as possible.
When it is good to wash or restore DWR clothing?
- Were you at a multi-day hike or did you do a high-intense activity and you sweated? Wash clothing according to instructions to wash away sweat and grease from the membrane.
- Are your clothes obviously dirty, dusty, smeared with dirt? Wash clothing according to instructions.
- Have you noticed that the outside of the fabric is no longer as water-repellent as when the garment was new? Does the water not flow down, but does it soak into the top fabric? After washing, put the jacket in the dryer according to the instructions or iron it at max. 110°C.
- If ironing does not help, see point 2, the surface DWR is probably already very damaged and needs to be re-applied with spray. Follow the instructions on the product and use only the impregnations intended for this purpose.
Restoration of water repellent function
All membrane materials have a factory applied DWR (durable water repellent) surface treatment, which creates a water-repellent layer on the surface of the fabric, preventing water from getting through the fabric. The correct function of DWR can be seen by the formation of droplets on the surface, which run down the fabric and do not soak in. By using the product, the effectiveness of the water-repellent protective layer decreases, and the water starts to absorb. In such a situation, the user may feel damp and get the impression that it is leaking into the jacket, even though this is not the case.
At the same time, the breathability of the laminate is reduced. It is therefore important to keep the water repellent function in good condition, which is not difficult and can be achieved easily, using products designed for this purpose. To restore water repellent function, we recommend using, for example, Fibertec Textile Guard or Atsko Permanent water-guard.