Why you should reproof Waterproof Clothing and Footwear
Waterproof clothing and footwear come coated in a Durable Waterproof Repellent (DWR). This is applied to the outermost surface of the product at the end of manufacture. It helps to prevent the fabric from absorbing moisture by making water bead and roll off, much like the oil on a duck’s feathers. This works in conjunction with the technical features of the fabric and improves the resistance of the fabrics one-way barrier. The fabric can still breathe out, but the DWR reduces moisture soaking back in. This also helps prevent moisture build-up on the inside of gear, keeping you dry from both directions.
It is important to know that this DWR is not permanent and requires re-application to maintain the best performance of your garment or footwear. If, after quite a bit of use, you notice your jacket or boots starts letting some water in. You needn’t necessarily worry as it is likely just time to reapply the DWR. In most instances, this is likely to happen in areas with the most abrasive wear (for the example shoulders, armpits and back in jackets). Just like a duck replenishes the oil on its feathers by preening from its olfactory glands, we too need to reapply DWR from time to time. This is not a failure of the product but an expected part of its lifespan. Applying a waterproof treatment like Nikwax TX.Direct is a perfect option.
Nikwax was founded in the 1970s by Nick Brown. Nick spent most of his youth walking in Scotland and felt dissatisfied with the waterproof products that were available at the time. So, he started experimenting and created his own product to preserve his boots. He wanted the product to make his boots waterproof but without making them lose their supportive features. This product was a wax and so ‘Nick’s Wax’ turned into Nikwax.
Nikwax’s website states that Nikwax was “first produced commercially from a flat in London in 1977 when Nick was 22. It was first mixed with a discarded tea urn, a primus stove, a jug, and materials bought from a local hardware store. In 1983, Nick found a new approach to the ingredients in the waterproof products by removing the harmful and flammable solvents and using water instead. They were the first company in the world to produce a range of water-based products that could be used easily at home to restore waterproofing in clothing, footwear, and equipment.”[1]
Fast forward and Nikwax is now one of the leading brands helping outdoor enthusiasts enjoy the natural world in comfort. At the start of 2022, Nick Brown passed ownership to his employees, and it is now run by the Employee Ownership Trust.[2] The brand is continuously working to keep their products as environmentally friendly as possible and so, their products are still water based, non-flammable and they do not contain any Fluorocarbons.
How it works
In a nutshell, Nikwax explains that their treatments “coat fabric and leather fibres with a network of elastic TX.10i water-repellent molecules. They bond to anything that is not water-repellent but leave the spaces between fibres open and breathable.”[3] This is what makes water bead and roll off while keeping the product breathable, so you don’t get too wet from sweat.
For clothing, we recommend washing your garment regularly with a technical wash like Nikwax Tech Wash to prolong its life and keep it performing at its best. Dirt, sweat, suntan lotion and insect repellent can stop the DWR working fully by blocking the fabrics breathable pores. Sometimes just washing the garment with a technical wash can give new life to the DWR waterproofing treatment. If, after washing the garment with Tech Wash, you notice that water is soaking into the top layer of fabric (known as wetting out) instead of beading and rolling off, you can reproof it with Nikwax TX.Direct to refresh the DWR waterproofing properties. You do not need to add any heat to activate the waterproofing products. Just simply hang them to dry and then they are ready to use. You do not need to reproof after every wash, if using a technical wash, as Nikwax treatments can withstand several washes thanks to the treatment’s ability to flex and move with the fabric. Nikwax confirms that both Tech Wash and TX.Direct are suitable for use on Gore-Tex®, SympaTex®, Entrant®, Ultrex®, TriplePoint® and all liner and shell fabrics.
It is also important to reproof footwear. Just like with clothing, it is natural for the factory applied DWR to wear off leather and waterproof fabric footwear. Once you notice that water isn’t beading as well, all you need to do is reproof it with the appropriate waterproofing treatment to extend the life of the footwear.
So, please don’t let your first thought be “my jacket or shoes are dead” if you noticed them not being as waterproof as when you first bought them. Try washing them with a technical wash and reproofing them first, and it is likely that you will get many years of use out of them.
Interested in the Nikwax products that we stock? Check them out online or in the shop. We also stock Paramo Waterproof Clothing, a sister brand to Nikwax.
References
[1] https://www.nikwax.com/en-gb/about-nikwax/
[2] https://www.nikwax.com/usblog/nikwax-and-nick-brown-invest-in-the-future/