Can I use Nikwax wash-in DWR treatment as a spray if I dilute it?

Put some water in a 5 gallon bucket. I never measure how much water. Pour in your bottle of “wash in”. Dunk your garment until it is good and wet. Pull out the garment and get as much of the excess water as you can back in the bucket. Repeat until you run out of fluid. You will be surprised how many pieces you can do like that. Works for me.

Would the dipping method be ok for eVent jackets? I don't want to mess with the breathability.

You could check with Nixwax too. Make 'em work for the money!

They do say it is okay for eVent, just not for clothing that has a wicking lining:

"Safe for use on Gore-Tex®, REI Elements®, Ultrex®, Entrant®, SympaTex® and eVent® laminate fabrics"

I've used the wash-in version for stuff like soft shells and used the bucket method. As other's wrote, you can get a lot more miles out of a bottle that way. The washing machine method is for the rich :)

Here's what I do with Atsko Sport Wash and Water Guard, the best re-waterproofing combination I've found. Wash the garment in Sport Wash, air dry or use dryer on extra low, hang upside down, and spray with Water Guard. After a few hours,run in dryer on medium high.

Works great for eVent and Gore-Tex Pro Shell. Remember that both of those fabric makers recommend frequent washing (without re-treatment) to maximize performance.

Richard

Nikwax is not a fluoropolymer but a wax/elastomer combination. That makes it different from most other DWR treatments, which are either silicone-based (and pretty feeble) or fluoropolymer-based.

Now to the questions:

> Almost all of it is wasted in the rinse cycle.
Not so. The whole idea is that your garment absorbs the treatment out of the water and it then sticks to the fabric. The idea that most of it is rinsed away is quite wrong.

> could I mix in some of the bottle in one of those mister/manual sprayers with water and spray it on?
Why not? Same story.

> i'd let it soak in a half hour, then dry on low per garment directions.
You probably don't need to leave it for 1/2 hr – 5-10 min might be enough. Nikwax does NOT need heat to cure on the way fluoropolymers do.

> How doe sit go on Goretex?
Well, that's more tricky. If you spray it on the outside that might be OK. I wouldn't soak the Goretex membrane in it myself: it might foul it.
However, most Goretex fabrics use a fluoropolymer DWR treatment on the outer fabric. I doubt that Nikwax and fluoropolymer are really compatible. I know that silicone and fluoro are NOT compatible. So if refreshing a Goretex fabric I would stick with the full Atsko treatment as Richard has suggested.

Cheers

I was just at a Gore-Tex event where Nikwax had a booth. I asked the exact question about compatibility with certain fabrics that had fluoropolymer-based DWR and I got a sort of non-answer, but the rep said it works with and is endorsed by Gore-Tex and eVent. So I guess it works…

Thanks everyone! I used the bucket method, let items soak for about 15 minutes and then squeezed as much as I could out, then put it through a spin cycle in my washer.

Everything turned out great. I even DWR'd my running shorts and tights and favorite Mariners hat (that were in no way water resistant) for the coming wet months, and water just beads right off now.

I wonder if it would work on my Aussie?

From the Gore-Tex web site:

"You can restore the garment’s water repellency by applying a topical water repellency restorative (DWR treatment) for outdoor fabrics, available at your local outdoor retailer. We do not recommend wash-in treatments, as they can hinder your garment's breathability."

"Topical" means "spray on".

YMMV

Thanks for the idea. I just got more spray bottles, and one will be used for this.

I like the DWR dog, although the way dogs shake themselves dry is rather incredible. I dare say this might be a better idea for the SO. It'd reduce bathroom hair drying time significantly.