Gore Tex reproofing SOS

[thackstonii]

Just washed my (aged) gore-tes in Grangers 2 in 1, and have just read that I need to tumble dry or iron the gore tex to activate the waterproofing. Don't have a tumble drier, but how hot does the iron need to be?

(PS, the goretex is pretty dry now, should the ironing be done while it is still wet?)

Thanks!!

Mark

 

[big_swede]

Nja, it's probaby still ok. I wouldn't use an Iron, better to use a hair-dryer or radiator. If you use an Iron, use it on minimum heat setting, one 'dot' usually.

 

[scanker]

Or pop along to a laundrette and use their drier.

 

[kram245]

I see you used grangers, but out of interest, a while back in, i think, Trail magazine, they did a comparison between re-proofers. Comfort pure , which you can buy for about a quid at any supermarket, fared as well as all the big name reproofers.It comes in a 750ml container, so would last for loads of reproofing. This is for treating Goretex type garments, dont think it would work for ventile.. Did my wifes gore-tex Sprayway jacket with it, and water just beads off.

 

[falcon]

Not tried ironing goretex but if I did, I'd use a teatowel or thin cloth to provide protection against damage which would still allow heat through. The laundrette tumble drier sounds best and will only cost you £1 or so.....

 

[bingobadgo]

I have an E-vent jacket that i wear at work that has started wetting out in the rain, the water no longer beads off of it. Do you think its worth trying the Comfort pure in that or is the E-vent fabric different to Goretex?

 

[kram245]

Hi Bingobadgo, i think it'll work on any hard shell waterproof. Best to wash it with pure soap, travel wash or something like that, then leave it in the machine and put the pure in the washing machine drawer and run another cycle.

 

[bingobadgo]

OK, i will give it a go. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Rebel]

Don't iron your Gore-Tex (or other similar jacket)!

The material is laminated and a wrong setting could easily cause the fabric to bubble up. You might also damage the glued on strips that seal the seams.

Drying in a dryer is recommended but not essential. In the product care they say that the steam passing through the material as it rolls around in the dryer helps the breathable properties to work better.

I never heard about using Comfort on Gore-Tex type garments before. Is that the fabric conditioner that makes garments smell nice and feel soft and cuddly? I'd read that you shouldn't use conditioners with Gore-Tex but if it works I'm up for giving it a try.

At the moment I spray ScotchGuard on the outer fabric. A big can from B&Q lasts quite a while. It really smells bad though and I can't stand to wear anything sprayed with it for at least a day after (unless it's shoes which are a long way from my nose - thank God ).

The recent weather has sure been a test of my waterproof gear. I have some Timberland boots that have "waterproof" stamped into the leather. Even if I coat them in beeswax they are only water resistant at best. I wrote to them to complain but they never answered so I won't be buying their products any more.

 

[robadams]

NIKWAX produce the best stuff around for reproofing your gore-tex.

They have various products for breathables, fleeces and their cotton proof is the dogs b******s for any cotton or cotton mix clothing. Used it for years on my army kit and worked a treat.
I use their ''tech wash'' on all my goretex and my mountain jacket served me well for years. It increases it's ability to shed water.

Check out the care instructions on your jacket or the goretex website. The rule of thumb was always ''wash it lots and iron it hot''.
The reason being that if the pores are blocked then it can't breath and the ironing makes sure that the weave of the outer material stays in line and helps the material to shed water. If the shell becomes water logged then the vapour is prevented from passing through.

 

[Chopper]

My Berghause leaked like a sieve, until I was told to tumble it by them, it completely brought it back to its new state, I would not iron it at all.

 

[robadams]

Further to my earlier post.
I tumbled and ironed my North face suit for years. Make sure you use the lowest setting and if it's a steam iron drain all the water. A lot of this depends on the outer fabric, read the care label.

DON'T USE FABRIC SOFTNER It contains wax(this is what makes it feel smooth) and that will block all the pores in the Goretex membrane. All you have then is a £200 sweat suit.

 

[kram245]

I mentioned earlier the Trail magazine test, using comfort. I did a bit of checking on the web, apparantly comfort contains silicon , and the jury is out wether is hampers breathability. Common sense would say it would, although my wife Goretex jacket we treated has shown no difference in breathablity in evryday use, obviously not scientific. On balance, if you've got a £200 waterproof breathable jacket that you use for genuine outdoor activities, probably worth using Graingers etc. However, if you only go shopping or walk the dog etc, i would still use comfort. Interesting, though, that after the Trail test, where comfort was the most efficient. the big name re-reproofers declined to comment! Maybe they know something we dont!

 

[daved]

Just found the original label from one of my Sprayway Goretex jackets.

It says to wash using pure soap rather than regular washing powder and rinse a second time to remove any residue. It also says to avoid fabric conditioner.

To quote the label:

"Water repellancy: Over time rain will no longer run off your waterproof garment. To restore the water repellancy do one or more of these things: tumble dry on a cool setting; iron face fabric (very cool iron) reproof using non-silicone water repellant spray"

It also offers a customer helpline number whcih might be worth a call if you aren't sure what to do (0161 827 4503). Other manufacturers will probably offer a helpline too - try having a look at their websites.
Dave

 

[addyb]

Adam the Fabric Junkie says:

1) Ironing your Gore-Tex is not at all a bad thing, and trust me on that. It's an old mountaineers trick from back in the day. Just be damn sure that you use a medium settting. Too hot and you end up melting your jacket.

2) In a pinch, if you're on an expedition and your DWR starts to fail, you can heat up your cooking pot over your stove by boiling water in it and running the pot all over the jacket, much as you would an iron.

3) Nikwax and Grangers are two completely different products. I've tried both, I prefer Grangers. The difference is that Grangers (and Storm) are flourocarbon based proofings and are (generally) heat activated.

Nikwax is far more environmentally friendly as it is a water-based formula, but I've found it to not last quite as long between proofings as flourocarbon based products.

4) Washing with normal soap and water isn't quite as effective as say, buying "Tech Wash" but if you wash normally and do at least two extra rinse cycles your Gore-Tex should be fine. Most people don't know this, but because the Gore-Tex membrane is made from PTFE (think: Teflon Plumbers Tape) it is far more resiliant to strong chemicals, soaps, and insect repellents than PU (Polyuratane) membranes such as found in Entrant and other WPB manufacturers. Does this mean it's more breathable? That's debatable.

I hope this helps.

Adam