Wax jacket cleaning

[Woody girl]

A few days ago I found a barbour wax jacket in a recycling bin put out for the binmen.
I must admit I took it home thinking that someone had more money than sense. (It was outside a rather wealthy persons home)
Well when I got it home there realy is nothing wrong with it apart from someone has obviously spilt some engine oil on it on the front.
I could get it professionally cleaned and rewaxed. .. very expensive but possibly worth it perhaps? What do you think?
Are there any tips to clean it myself? I'm not massively worried about a stain but it would be good to get the oil off. I know it's a massive job to rewax at home but not impossible and I'm prepared to put the time in if needed. Thanks.

 

[saxonaxe]

If the oil has permeated the wax and stained the fabric this trick may not work, but my mate who was an Enduro maniac and wore the old style belted Barbour wax jacket with all the pockets, used to hang his jacket on a coat hanger and attack it with a steam powered wallpaper stripper!!

Trick was to soften the wax dressing, using the steam jets...The wax dressing used to come off with all the dirt, bits of trees and things that had stuck to his jacket when he threw his bike down the hillside. Hang the jacket somewhere warm afterwards (airing cupboard?) and the new wax dressing goes on easier. Bit of a performance but it always looked pretty good after he'd finished tarting it up.

Maybe try steam from a kettle spout? If that doesn't work you can always make yourself a brew while you have a re-think..

 

[Toddy]

Pretty much what saxonaxe said, but if you're happy to re-wax then the usual way to get oil/fat/not jacket grease off the fabric is fairy liquid and a sponge. Once the gunk's off then you can strip off the wax where it's been adulterated by using cellulose thinners (lidl's is very good, pretty sure the blooming stuff is toxic to the environment, but the wax on the jacket is paraffin wax anyway) or the like. When that's clean then you only have that patch to re-wax. Hairdryers are awfully handy to heat up just an area and not the whole, but you can use the iron too....and that will clean off when you're done using meths.

 

[Dogoak]

I've put a couple of mankey waxed jackets in the washing machine. Give it a couple of extra rinses to remove all traces of detergent, dry and then re-wax, not had any issues.
As Saxonaxe said, warm it first, and also the wax, once it's done blow a warm hairdryer over it it for a factory finish.

 

[sunndog]

I've put a couple of mankey waxed jackets in the washing machine. Give it a couple of extra rinses to remove all traces of detergent, dry and then re-wax, not had any issues.
As Saxonaxe said, warm it first, and also the wax, once it's done blow a warm hairdryer over it it for a factory finish.

My ex did exactly that with a wax waistcoat a few years ago. It stripped a lot of the wax off but didn't half come out clean

 

[firedfromthecircus]

You could always send it to Barbour if it's a real one.
They do a refurb service.

https://www.barbour.com/uk/blog/barbour-repairs-rewaxing/

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I send my jacket to Barbour to get it rewaxed. It is meant to be clean when it goes to them.
I believe Barbour recommend cleaning with Water only and specifically say not to put it through a washing machine, from other forums I believe this is because it will strip the wax out of the material.
I would suggest ringing Barbour, they are really helpful and ask them what they recommend.
Then again it was a free jacket so you have nothing to lose if you try something and it goes wrong.
A third option would be to part ex it, Barbour will give you £50 off a new jacket.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nomad64]

Not a huge fan of the main presenter but quite an interesting insight to how these things are made.

In my defence, I'm currently suffering from acute manflu and not up to much other than watching the idiot lantern!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0007f0f/inside-the-factory-series-5-2-wax-jackets

 

[GuestD]

I know it's a massive job to rewax at home but not impossible and I'm prepared to put the time in if needed. Thanks.

I wear them all the time and 're-proof mine thoroughly once a a year, and give them a "top up" if the wax gets rubbed off in between. The thought of doing it is worse than the job itself. I did mine last Sunday in under 2 hours, because I timed it just to see how long it took. As mentioned, Barbour recommend water only, but I've used this stuff (at my own risk) to remove bad stains.

It costs £1, and doesn't appear to have anything nasty in it. I've used other stuff, but Barbour reproofing wax is the best, so I've gone back to using it, just be careful not to put too much on. If the jacket is "dry" and not obviously covered in wax, this stuff cleans it up as well,

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JACKET-OILSKIN-WASH-CLEANER-AUSTRALIA/dp/B00BN9NFWW

but if the jacket is well waxed, it ends up in a gloopy mess.

I put the wax on cold by lightly applying it with a fresh shoe brush, then followed with a hot hair drier, and rubbing in with a cloth at the same time, then hang it somewhere warm for a couple of days. Try spraying the jacket with water, and if the water beads and runs off, the jobs fine. The most important thing to watch out for is not to apply too much wax.

 

[MikeLA]

If all the above doesn’t work you still have a great coat if the stain is small and liveable if not the cost of it getting it fixed sending it back to Barbour is still cheaper than buying the coat. “Good Find”

 

[Woody girl]

If all the above doesn’t work you still have a great coat if the stain is small and liveable if not the cost of it getting it fixed sending it back to Barbour is still cheaper than buying the coat. “Good Find”

Yes true! A very lucky find, I never stop foraging or "hunting" I have bought the wax today.. just a tad over a tenner. Hopefully I will have a decent jacket by the end of next week.
I've just cleaned and reproofed a north face gortex jacket I found in a charity shop for £3.00. I do so love other people's rubbish... all the north face needed was a wash. I reproofed it for added waterproofness with the nikwax stuff and it's like new now. Tested it in a downpour today... perfect!

 

[MikeLA]

I hope it cleans up well. Barbour are bomb proof and have their place in cold windy rainy weather.

 

[Woody girl]

Yes the north face will be for autumn and spring as it is missing the zip in fleece. But if I need to I can use one of my home made " woolly pullys " for the warmer winter days. The wax jacket I want for walks in the woods or by the river when I'm able to get out and about. Blends in a bit better than the bright red gortex.
So far I have these two jackets for a total of twenty pounds If you count the wax and nick wax stuff but only three if you don't!
I have no idea why someone would pay out loads more money to get a new jacket when a tenner or less and it can be as good as new. As I said more money than sense in this throw away world. Sad .... but my advantage!

 

[Janne]

Depends on how you value your free time and how much of it you have I guess?

If you have lots of free time it makes sense to try to revive it. If you are very busy, maybe not so!

Keep us updated about the result! We expect nothing less than perfection !
( was it Prue @ Great B. Bake-off that says that?)

 

[Woody girl]

Well this is the north face in all its glory

 

[Janne]

I think you are fibbing.
That is a brand new jacket!

 

[Woody girl]

Well I did say all it needed was a wash and reproof. It was pretty dirty when I got it.

 

[Brizzlebush]

I've got an old oilskin vest that could do with a reproof.
Most of the commercial waxes are about £20. However, I've got some Fjallraven wax left over. Would it be silly to use that? It would save me a few quid.

 

[TLM]

As I understand most of the textile waxes are variations of the same thing. It is very unlikely that you could do much damage if over heating is avoided.

So the odds are on your side.

 

[Ramjoe]

I cleaned mine with a jet washer and fairy liquid. Then rewaxed with Nikwax spray for wax cottons. Came out alright.