Caring for patagonia houdini windshirt

The Houdini's "EPIC light" fabric doesn't need a DWR treatment. Wash it with normal detergent, rinse it well (twice), dry on medium heat for ~15 minutes.

Done.

is it ok to use woolite, thats what i normally use on my hiking stuff.

Ike, I'm not sure. Foggy recollection has it that normal, powdered detergent is preferred for cleaning EPIC, Woolite might not get all the oils out (which is what kills the DWR-effect in the first place). I don't know enough to speak authoritatively on this.

FYI, you don't need to dry the Houdini–hang it up and it'll dry in a couple of hours. I got a couple of tears in my sleeve, and I suspect that they came from the dryer.

And +1 on just washing with regular detergent, normal cycle.

thanks, just gonna wash normally, low force hang dry. Appreciate all the advice. Just trying to make gear last for years instead of a season.

My thermawrap used to be a thermawrap, now its a ductapewrap, has about 30 pieces of duc tape cover it. I actually think it makes it more water resistant and warmer! Bit heavier though, lol. Its went through a forest fire incident , and many thorn bushes. But still works great.

Same for the froggtoggs, or ducfroggs now.

My iniov-8 315s got the mesh burned off as well, but still going strong.

From the Nextec website:

Body oils, dirt and soap residue can contaminate the surface of any performance fabric, diminishing its water repellent properties. We recommend regularly washing and drying your garments and gear that feature EPIC by Nextec® fabric. In fact, washing actually rejuvenates the performance of the fabrics. Just follow the manufacturer's instructions.

Never use liquid or sheet style fabric softeners.

No need to treat with re-proofing products that wash in or spray on. Save your money.

Dry-clean this garment with clear solvents only.
Other solvents will ruin the application and it's performance.

And remember, you can't wash out the performance of EPIC by Nextec® fabrics. The encapsulation is permanently inside the fibers.

I’ve always followed Patagonia’s advice for washing/dring/treating their DWR products. So far, so good…

Dry-clean this garment with clear solvents only.

what are some examples of clear solvents