How to Reproof Your Waterproof Jackets and Pants
How to reproof your waterproof jackets and pants.
Your waterproof jacket and pants have a DWR (durable water repellent) coating on their outer fabric. It's what makes the water droplets bead and roll off, ensuring there is no standing water on the fabric and the membrane is able to breathe. Learn more about how waterproofs work.
Up until now, the chemicals used to give fabrics their water repellency - in the outdoor industry and beyond - have been so durable that they don’t break down when they get into the environment. These are called ‘forever chemicals’, and as more of them enter our environment, we start to see bioaccumulation in wildlife and in people. We don’t yet have a full picture of how this has impacted our environment, but we know it has some pretty serious side effects.
That's why we’re moving away from these longer chain chemicals and looking for other ways of maintaining water repellency, breathability, and durability from smaller chain chemicals that are less harmful to the environment. Learn more about our journey to phase out fluorocarbons (PFAS).
As we make this move to fluorocarbon-free DWRs, the way we look after our gear is changing. Fluorocarbon-free DWRs need more regular maintenance than you might be used to. You may notice that your waterproof jacket or pants start to appear wet more quickly – this doesn’t mean they’re no longer waterproof, but rather that the breathability is compromised and you might feel a little clammy as a result.
Frequent washing and reproofing will help prevent this and are more important than ever to keep our waterproof jackets and pants in action for many more adventures to come.
Reproofing tips for your waterproof pants and jacket.
When you notice water's stopped beading and rolling off, it's time to revitalise your jacket’s DWR.
If your waterproof jacket or pants are clean but water is not beading on the outer surface, you can tumble dry the garment following product guidelines on the care label, which may re-activate the factory-applied DWR coating.
If a tumble dryer is not available, iron on a medium heat ensuring you use a clean tea towel (or similar) as a barrier between the iron and garment.
As an all-in-one solution, you can wash and reproof at the same time using a technical wash and proofer. Simply follow our washing instructions.
If you’re hand washing your waterproof pants or jacket, you may find it easier to use a spray-on DWR re-proofer. While the garment is still damp, spray the outer fabric with the spray-on proofer, following the bottle's instructions.
However you reproof it, we recommend finishing off by tumble drying on a low heat setting for 20-30 minutes where possible.