Washing
Instructions
Frequently washing your technical garments not only ensures optimal performance, but also prolongs their lifespan.
This is a guide to how you best wash and re-impregnate shell and down garments.
Taking care of and repairing worn or damaged garments is the best investment you can make, both for your wallet and for the planet. It doesn’t just extend the life of the garments; it also helps reduce our environmental footprint by reducing the need to manufacture new items.
To ensure the functionality of your technical garments, you need to wash and re-impregnate them. Dirt, sweat, salt, and the like can clog up the materials and eventually impact the garment’s water repellency, breathability, and insulation.
Just like your shells, your down garments need to be washed and waterproofed. Remember that a thin down garment that’s worn during intense activity will probably be more affected by sweat than a heavy down parka, and need to be washed more frequently.
Follow the instructions on your garment’s care label to get the most out of it, and ensure that the warranty will stay valid. The instructions are quite straightforward and easy to follow, but we have also drawn up some more detailed instructions on how to wash and take care of our shell and down garments below.
Gore-Tex &
Shell Garments
1. Preparation
Read the washing instructions on your garment’s care label.
Empty all pockets, and close all zippers and Velcro fasteners.
2. Washing
Choose a gentle wash program with a low temperature (105°F/40°C) and a low spin cycle. Rinse twice if possible.
Use a small amount of technical liquid detergent. We recommend NikWax® Tech Wash, which will also reactivate the DWR treatment.
Never use powder detergents, fabric softeners, stain removers, or bleach, as they might damage the fabric or the membrane.
Wash with other technical garments, without overloading the washing machine. Avoid washing with heavily soiled garments.
3. Drying
Hang-dry your garment or tumble dry on a warm, gentle cycle. Don’t dry at high temperatures.
Once dry, tumble dry for another 20 minutes to reactivate the DWR treatment. You can do this any time you feel that the water repellency needs a boost.
4. Re-Apply DWR
The membrane of your shell will not be affected by or start to leak as a result of wear or washing, but the water repellency treatment of the outer fabric will eventually wear down. This usually happens after 4–5 washes or periods of heavy use. You can tell this has happened if the outer fabric soaks up water and looks damp.
If the water repellency needs a boost, wash the garment again with a waterproofing wash-in liquid. Alternatively, use a waterproofing spray, ideally on a damp or wet garment.
We recommend PFC-free NikWax® TX.Direct or OrganoTex® products.
Tumble dry your garment, or hang-dry in a warm place.
Down & Insulated
Garments
1. Preparation
Read the washing instructions on your garment’s care label.
Empty all pockets, and close all zippers and Velcro fasteners.
2. Washing
Choose the gentlest wash program, with a low temperature and a low spin cycle – many washing machines even have specific programmes for down.
We recommend using a specialised liquid detergent for down, like NikWax® Down Wash or OrganoTex® Wool&Down wash, which will preserve the down’s natural oils. Never use powder detergents, fabric softeners, stain removers, or bleach.
Wash separately or with other down garments, without overloading the washing machine. Avoid washing with heavily soiled garments.
3. Drying
Drying a down jacket will always take time, and you shouldn’t try to force things by using excessive heat.
Hang-dry your garment or tumble-dry it. Choose a gentle, low-heat, and low-spin setting on your dryer. Take the garment out now and then to pull apart any down clumping and redistribute the down, either by hand or by shaking the garment. Some people prefer to throw in a couple of tennis balls or specialised dryer balls, but they aren’t essential – the process can work well without them.
The outer fabric will dry much faster than the down, so don’t activate the auto stop feature of your machine.
4. Re-Apply DWR
If you feel that the water repellency needs a boost, which will usually be the case after 4-5 washes or periods of heavy use, you should either wash the garment again with a waterproofing wash-in liquid made for down products, or use a similar spray, preferably immediately after washing, while the garment is still wet.
We recommend NikWax® Down Wash or OrganoTex® Wool&Down Wash.
Tumble-dry your garment, or hang-dry it in a warm place.
Professional cleaning and re-proofing service
If you don't feel comfortable washing ad re-proofing your garments by yourself, you can use a professional service like the one from our partner online-impraegnierung.de