McNett ReviveX Best For Cleaning/Restoring Rain Shells?

I have an old Golite Virga that seems to have lost some of its DWR finish. I too would love to know the best way to restore an old raincoat.

I have a Marmot PreCip that has all but lost its DWR. I know part of it is my fault, because I washed it in normal laundry detergent once, not knowing that's a no-no.

I've since washed it in nikwax wash and restorer. That restored some of the DWR, but it still hasn't bounced back to its former glory.

There's lots of conflicting info out there – everything from there being nothing you can do to somehow using a hot dryer or iron to spring things back to life and relaminate the coat. I'd love to find out what the real deal is.

Interesting that the Marmot Precip laundry instructions say "Machine wash warm, powdered detergent, no fabric softeners, do not iron, bleach or dry clean. Tumble dry warm and close all fasteners." That's a direct quote of the label sewn into my Marmot Precip jacket, gotta be accurate, ha ha!

I need to do something, because the last time I wore it in the rain it was leaking like a sieve through shoulders and tops of the sleeves within 5 minutes. I'm also looking at the ReviveX stuff, since it worked great on my WM sleeping bag. If these treatments don't work, I might as well throw the jacket in the garbage!

"I need to do something, because the last time I wore it in the rain it was leaking like a sieve through shoulders and tops of the sleeves within 5 minutes. I'm also looking at the ReviveX stuff, since it worked great on my WM sleeping bag."

There are two things you need to understand:

1. The DWR coating is NOT a water proofing. CSF simply prevents water from sticking to the outside of the jacket.

2. It is the membrain that makes the jacket waterproof and breathable. The membrane is between you and the outer shell of the jacket (typically a PTFE (A special type Teflon plastic film) or Polyurethan plastic coating or a combination of both (Gortex) is.

If you are getting wet in 5 minutes it means the membrain is damaged meaning the fabric is no longer water proof. Applying ReviveX will restore or improve the DWR property of the outer fabric but it will NOT repair the membrane. Marmont has had problems with the membrane delaminating from the fabric. When that happens the membrane can be easily damaged. Your marmont jacket is probably damaged beyond repair and needs to be replaced.

"There's lots of conflicting info out there – everything from there being nothing you can do to somehow using a hot dryer or iron to spring things back to life and relaminate the coat. I'd love to find out what the real deal is."

The solution to problem of a failed DWR coating depends on what the actual problem is.

1. if fabric has been washed in the wrong detergent. Then the best thing to fix it is to wash it with the correct detergent. However rewashing is no guarantee that the contaminate will be removed. If the contaminaten can not be removed it may not be possible to restore the DWR.

2. When you wear the jacket friction between fabric and your pack and other items will slowly damage the DWR. Lite damage to the DWR due to friction can be repaired by heat from the dryer. But if there is a lot of damage due to friction The dryer may not be able to restore the coating.

3. If the loss of DWR is due to either of the two above items, or both your only choice emay be to apply a new DWR coating to the jacket. This may or may not work depending on how much contamination there ise and how much friction damage there is.

There is no single solution to the problem since there are multiple causes and multiple ways of fixing it. The conflicting information you have heard is in fact not in conflict. they are all possible fixes for the problem and in some cases none will work. you need to try all of the solutions and if none of those work then you need to replace the jacket.

Actually my Marmot Precip jacket is about 1 1/2 years old and I haven't washed it yet. Most of the time I've worn it around home for exercise walking with no pack, or for quick shopping trips. About 1/4 of the time I've used it with a lightweight day pack. I don't use it for backpacking. If the membrane is really done for (I see no signs of wear on the inside or outside), this jacket definitely is the rip-off of the century!

I'll give laundering and renewing the DWR a try with the ReviveX products (not with the "powdered detergent" the label recommends) and see what happens. If it doesn't work, I certainly will never buy another Marmot anything!

Mary

Sounds like you may have a defective jacket. I believe all Marmot gear is lifetime warranty, so I don't think it would hurt giving them a ring and seeing if you can get a replacement jacket from them.

…though you may still have to launder the jacket prior to sending it to them.

HTH

KJ

Mary,
Marmot has a world-class warranty. They've been known to replace jackets if the membrane prematurely wears out. If this is truly the case (after you wash and dry your jacket) you should contact their CS department.

From the numerous ways that raincoats fail, and fail fast, it makes me wonder if they're a reasonable investment for backpacking. I got the PreCip last year – hardly justifies the $100 investment. Not that I have $300 or $400 to drop on a top of line rain shell, but if I did, would I see more than 2 or 3 years of satisfactory use?

Might just be time to finally pull the trigger on the GoLite Poncho Tarp

@Kier, Re: "From the numerous ways that raincoats fail, and fail fast, it makes me wonder if they're a reasonable investment for backpacking"

After many drysuits, drytops as well as rainjackets delaminating and wearing from normal use, I have turned to using a short silnylon waterproof cape and skirt combination for backpacking.

Both are easily repaired and the ventilation is better and more comfortable.
The fact that the cape drapes over my pack means that it won't wear in the usual spots under the pack straps.

How strange it was to read this thread, having used a first generation Patagonia Specter pullover for many years with no problems. Last year, put it in the dryer on Perm Press for 20 mins, and the DWR was restored from passable to super. Granted, don't know how long that will last.

This year bought a RAB pulse becasue it is a couple ounces lighter, and packs smaller. Not as much coverage below the belt as the Specter, and the DWR is only passable, but kept me dry last Spring in an all day hard, cold rain. Am still not sure how it will fare under rubbing pack straps. This purchase was based on an article on BPL comparing a number of tops. The Specter purchase was based on Patagonia's well-earned reputation for durable water repellence that is actually durable.

Have flirted with the DryDucks and Frogtogs because they were cheap. The DDs developed tears and pulled out seams just from around home use. The Frogtogs pullover was a little sturdier, but heavier, looked like cardboard and did not ventilate well.

It may be that some have been attracted by the light weight and/or low price of some of the tops without looking more into performance. I admit to having bought a skimpy Sierra Designs jacket, and a similar one from Campmor in the past to save money. They were useless for backpacking, and have been relegated to use around town on rainy days for shopping etc. Only use the BP raingear for BP to keep it clean and avoid the need for washing.

But the Specter was around $100 at an outlet sale (the website also has sales), and the RAB was on sale for not much more. Unfortunately, Patagonia no longer makes a light weight top, and there is a lot of junk on the market.
There have been several great articles on BPL during the last year, each testing a number of WPB tops. It is astounding how much effort the reviewers put into evaluating the tops for what we pay for membership. If you join BPL and pick the best of the lot, don't see how you can go wrong. I have zero connection with BPL besides paying the annual membership fee, and purchase of a super lightweight puffy synthetic top and bottom when BPL used to sell gear. Good Luck.

Anyone have any word on products used for cleaning WP/B jackets and restoring the DWR? Trying to get this train back on it's tracks…

KJ

I may be responsible for the derailing. Apologies there…

Nikwax sells a combo pack: a bottle of DWR wash and a bottle of DWR restore. You wash the jacket in the wash and then wash the jacket in the restore. It does reasonably well against light rain, but of course doesn't stand up to heavy rain (thats what your WP/B tech is for).