Washing ventile

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Toots

Full Member
Aug 22, 2005
579
42
Sutton in Craven, North Yorkshire
I have finally admitted that my westwinds ventile smock is in need of a wash. The care label inside (didn't know that was there- thanks SWMBO) says to use Grangers Pure Liquid Soap, but can't find any locally. Feel I should use what is reccomended. Any ideas where I can order this from or what else to use. Thanks.
 
If you can't get hold of the Grangers stuff then Nikwax Tech Wash should do the same job I should imagine,or if you want to save a few quid, I use Granny's Original soap flakes from a large supermarket :rolleyes: I've used this on a ventile smock and it seems to do the trick.Its fragrance free with no UV brighteners, so I don't frighten the wildlife :D I wash most of my kit with it and a packet has lasted about a year ;)
 
Hi I use pure soapflakes with my ventile jacket, dissolve them in your bath with warm water, then soak and rinse by hand a few times. Worked great for me and a damn site cheaper than Nikwax or grangers :D .
 
I just use non bio soap powder in the machine along with all my other pure natural fibre fabric clothing....
An occasional go of Cotton Proof tops up the surface repelancy of the fabric.
Works for me!
We are dealing with a cotton fabric here - one that is used to taking a beating so does it realy need mollycodling?
Mine does not seem to suffer from this regime.
 
Bah, just shove it into the washing machine, give it an extra rinse cycle and when you pull it out and its stiff as a board, stand it up in the corner of your garage and make a statue out of it until it dries. At least that's why I do!

Adam
 
The label on the inside of my country innovations ventile jacket says to put on a 'warm, synthetic wash with pure soap'. Where do I get 'pure' soap? :)
 
Bah, just shove it into the washing machine, give it an extra rinse cycle and when you pull it out and its stiff as a board, stand it up in the corner of your garage and make a statue out of it until it dries. At least that's why I do!

Adam

I was speaking to an old boy recently who had a double layer ventile coat....He had had it for years but said it no longer kept the water off. He said he washed it the same way as you describe Adam, just chuck it in the washing machine...He reckons its because he washed it that it now leaks. Personally, I think its because he washed it with the wrong soap.....
 
I would guess that not washing Ventile and/or using a detergent that does not rinse out easily (detergent being no more than a wetting agent) would lead to ventile not keeping water out.
Even then once the fabric is wet and swollen tight no more than a little dampness should be noticable.
I will stick by my methods.
 
GIVE!?
Now, I know the BCUK is full of wierdos and nutters.......but GIVE?! I am not that much of a nutter...and I tend to use all my Ventile, ALL of it!
Nice try though!
 
Jon,

It's possible that the soap your buddy used MAY have caused the garment to leak, but then again, all Ventile leaks at a certain point of saturation. Mind you, my double layer anorak (which I recently retired) is pushing 40 years old so I don't really have much to compare it to! I use a gentle soap and a front load washing machine which is a bit more gentle on clothing than your standard top-load machine. Do you think that that makes a difference? I think it does.

Cheers,

Adam
 
I just use non bio soap powder in the machine along with all my other pure natural fibre fabric clothing....
An occasional go of Cotton Proof tops up the surface repelancy of the fabric.
Works for me!
We are dealing with a cotton fabric here - one that is used to taking a beating so does it realy need mollycodling?
Mine does not seem to suffer from this regime.

Spot on John, same here, even with down:eek: :eek: :eek: Before any of you keel over in shock, trust me it does work, but as I've gone soft in my old age I did try a free sample of downwash, the results appear the same though. Modern washing machines really do give a gentle wash and the non bio powders seem to work well enough.
 

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