Dwr

most softshells i dry on moderate heat for about 15 min

which shell do you have?

You wear ten times and you've washed it three times already? And yes, it helps to specify the brand/model of your garment.

yup i have washed em 2-3 times as they smell a bit, have coffee spilt all over them from an 2-3 8 hour round trip drives and show lots of stains. Plus i just hate the feel of dirty clothing on a clean body. Lets just say the pant is a year old and i have washed them 2-3 times and they are soaking through, i would still feel like "really this is a solution to wet weather" sweet disposable $200 pants!!

Care instructions say hand wash hang dry!

use sports wash

and throw it in the dryer for 15 min on low-med heat

if yr not satistied just call OR … theyll likely swap them out for you

DWR wears out very quickly along the sleeves, hem, bum and leg hems … because of abrasion from general wear

you can also use spray/wash in DWR on those areas and then dry it

Does drying the spray on DWR leave any residue or affect the dryer at all? I've been interested in doing this but use "community" washer and dryers.

jeff …

i dont think so … i just let it all dry a bit first and then throw it in the dryer … however i dont use community dryers at home

however if you stay at a hostel in some ski/outdoor areas … chances are someone may be using dwr revitalizer in the communal washers and dryers anyways … so i wouldnt be too concerned

REVIVEX is the best spray-on DWR I've used. Gore requires its use on products made from their laminates.

Are you using detergent by any chance? Detergent is the anti-DWR. Go to walmart (ugh, sorry ;) and get a bottle of Atsko Sports Wash in the camping section. Use only plain water or Atsko (or other non-detergent soap).

+1 on using REVIVEX. I think it really helps in not deteriorating the DWR on clothes and products.

I have been hand washing with Arm and hammer powder detergent. I asked at Rei when i bought them and i think on this forum and was told that powder would be fine and that extra rinses would go a long way. I think i need to just call OR as the pant saiz hand wash and line dry only!! Also the pant gets soaked from just snow off the backs of my shoes like soaked!!

sports wash … and dryer ;)

you need heat to reactivate the DWR …

Listen to Eric. I would use a non-detergent soap like nikwax techwash and wash out all the gunk thats built up in it due to the arm and hammer powder detergent. Hell, I'd wash it twice to be sure. Then dryer time. I usually hangdry the garment until it's almost dry than I put it in the dryer for 15mins on high.

You need heat to revitalize dwr. I once thought my arcteryx jacket was dead after trying spray on and wash in dwr treatements to no avail. Then I decided to put it in the dryer and its as good as new

@Patrick – My Exos pants say to "machine wash cold, line dry" not "hand wash." I just got a used pair on ebay and they smell suspiciously fragrant like dryer sheets or detergent. They are wetting out in the places Eric mentioned too. I am washing with TechWash right now on gentle cycle, maybe twice as Konrad suggested, with a good rinse or two. Will hang them until damp then use the dryer on low for 15 minutes. If they still wet out I'll try Revivex I guess. Going to check out the Sport Wash too.

Spot wash the coffee spills when you get home?

like … ahem … vancouver cougars …

note they dont list the effect of drying … maybe theyre trying to sell ya more products ;)

i use grangers spray on myself … its also what dead bird recommends …

http://furtech.typepad.com/care_maintenance/files/trail20proofing20story1.pdf

This is really interesting to me, as I am getting back into backpacking after more than a decade and just now in the process of purchasing jackets, and DWR is new to me. How often do you experienced backpackers (Eric, Benjamin, Konrad, and others) find that you need to apply a DWR treatment? I assume it would depend on the kind of use the jacket gets. A rain jacket that will get some use while backpacking might need more frequent reapplications than a down sweater that is only worn in camp. Thanks for any insight you can give me on this.

However … in general, you cannot put a silicone DWR over a fluorocarbon DWR, and you cannot put a fluorocarbon DWR over a silicone DWR. They are incompatible and won't stick to each other.

I've not tried Comfort, so I don't know whether it is any different from other silicones.

Cheers

grangers is the compound closest to most DWR's. you HAVE TO dry EVERYTHING that has a dwr. the heat moves it back over the complete surface. I've sold all the kinds of DWR soaps over the years and i only use grangers now. there's a reason them and GTX are partners along with arcteryx directly, as the product for restoring their brands.
never use any detergents, it can permanently damage the jacket leave residue that the DWR can't bond to.

how i was my stuff:

either normal or gentle depending on how dirty it is

then a 36-40 min dryer cycle on low heat, low tumble.

Ha!

I've never reapplied a DWR…. and been backpacking for 25 years!

Seems for the price of Dri-Ducks ($18) you may as well wear them until you are no longer happy with the performance and just chuck them.

richard …

i do a quick test a day or two before … if the water beads off in a quick run under the tap, shower, its good … if not it goes in the dryer for about 15-20 min

if that still doesnt pass the test, i spray on grangers to the affected parts … and then put it in the dryer, that will do the trick

usually the abrasion areas such as the hems, sleeves, butt, knees, shoulders, etc … are the first to go and need reapplication

it all depends on the wear you put it through

hope that helps

My experience is similar to erics. Usually do a quick test and play it by ear. DWR treatment is very durable, and most people mistakenly think that their DWR has worn off when in fact it just needs to be revitalized through heat. I've only had to retreat certain garments that have been subject to high abrasion. For example, my snowboard clothing gets retreated because a) im not that great of a snowboarder b) I fall a decent amount c) when I fall, it usually involves me dragging my jacket or pants across icy snow which does a number on the DWR. The same is true for my mountaineering shells. For my backpacking stuff, I've never had to retreat the DWR. Some people have experienced wear-out of the dwr in areas underneath the shoulder straps and waist straps, but again that because of abrasion while hiking. Another thing to keep in mind is that different companies have different treatments. Montbell has something like a 100 wash guarantee on their DWR. So just give it a quick test with the faucet or a spray bottle and evaluate from there.

oops…answered my own question right after I posted..