Technical boating clothing—your foul weather gear and the layers of specialized clothing you wear underneath—are wonderfully efficient, purpose-built garments. They’re somewhat expensive—OK, they can be just plain pricey—but great technical clothing really is worth the cost just when conditions become nasty. How can you keep your foulies and mid-layer garments doing their jobs for as long as possible? It’s easy. Just follow the label instructions on the inside of the garment and the instructions below, and you will improve the longevity of your gear.
- Cleaning Dos
- Cleaning Don'ts
- How to Remove Stains from Foul Weather Gear
- Restoring the Durable Water Repellant Coating
- Washing Foul Weather Gear
- Washing Heavily Soiled Foul Weather Gear
- How to Wash Boots
Cleaning Do’s
Nikwax Tech Wash® safely cleans and revitalizes the breathability and water repellency of foul weather gear.
Nikwax Basefresh is a deodorizing conditioner for all technical underwear and wicking clothing worn next to the skin.
Outerwear garments: rinse fabric thoroughly and completely in fresh water after use. Open and close all pop studs, zippers and snaps to remove any salt residue. Remember that salt is a desiccant — it will attract moisture — so a good rinse is especially important if you use your gear in salt water. Hand wash separately with soap flakes, or machine wash on warm with a small quantity of mild powder detergent, using the delicate setting. Drip dry naturally, away from direct heat.
Base layers and technical apparel: machine wash at warm temperature. Do not use fabric softeners, because they can reduce the garment’s wicking performance. Since these are quick drying, just hang them up to dry, instead of tumble-drying.
Cleaning Don’ts
Do not dry clean: chemicals in dry cleaning solutions destroy fabric coatings and laminates.
Do not use bleach: use powdered detergent sparingly.
Do not wring: wringing out fabric can break down the composition of the fabric’s layers and damage your gear’s ability of function.
Do not store wet. Leaving your gear salty or damp causes mildew to form. Store dried garments hung up or folded loosely.
Do not iron.
How to Remove Stains from Foul Weather Gear
Adhesive tape
Rub with ice,scrape with a dull knife, sponge with powdered detergent, wash.
Fish blood
Soak in cool water, rub with powdered detergent, rinse, wash.
Chewing gum
Harden with ice, scrape with a dull knife (it can also be softened with egg white), sponge off with detergent, wash.
Coffee, tea
Soak with warm water, rub with powdered detergent, clean area with warm to hot water.
Deodorants
Scrub with white vinegar, rinse, rub with powdered detergent, clean area with warm to hot water.
Fruits and juices
Soak with powdered detergent, wash. If stain remains try white vinegar and clean area with warm to hot water.
Grease
Scrape off all excess with dull knife or apply absorbent powder (talcum or cornstarch) and brush off. Treat with powdered detergent and clean area with warm to hot water.
Mildew
Rub with warm lemon juice, dry in the sun, rub with powdered detergent, clean area with warm to hot water.
Mud
soak with powdered detergent and wash with warm water.
Restoring the Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Coating
When your foul weather gear’s active DWR fluoropolymer layer fails, you may notice that the fabric leaks or is no longer breathable. If the fabric wets out you will feel clammy and damp because of convective and evaporative heat loss from the body to the garment. Condensation may form on the inside of the garment, causing you to get wet. Below is a list of simple steps to follow when water no longer beads up:
Washing Foul Weather Gear
- Wash the garment on gentle cycle with warm water and without detergent. Do not use fabric softeners, as they can further damage the DWR. Whenever possible use a front-loading, instead of a top-loading washing machine.
- Tumble dry on low to medium heat for about 30 minutes (unless the instructions on the garment’s label call for line drying only).
- Alternatively, you can hand wash garments in a sink or tub. Fill sink with just enough water to cover the garments and add cleaner. Gently knead all areas to remove dirt and stains. Rinse thoroughly until water runs clear.
Washing Heavily Soiled Garments
- Spot clean heavily soiled areas. Wash the garment on gentle cycle with warm water (and a non-detergent soap, if available, like Revivex Synthetic Fabric Cleaner.
- Do not use a liquid detergent, as they contain emulsifiers that will further damage the DWR. Do not use fabric softeners.
- Tumble dry on low to medium heat for about 45 minutes (unless the care label calls for line-drying only)
In most cases washing will be enough to remedy a temporary failure of the DWR. However, after extended use in extreme conditions you may experience permanent failure of the DWR. Follow these simple steps when permanent failure happens.
- Wash the garment following the above instructions.
- Treat with a product designed to restore the DWR. (Henri Lloyd HL Renew, Musto’s Grangers XT DWR Replacement, or Nikwax.
- The use of a spray-on DWR is not necessary, but it can increase the effectiveness of the DWR restoring treatment. Revivex Water Repellent for Outerwear is one spray-on DRW treatment.
- Maintain the DWR by cleaning the garment. Henri Lloyd products are rated to have 80 percent of the DWR performance after 20 home launderings.
How to Wash Boots
Rubber Boot Care
- Rinse boots thoroughly after every use
- Wash with mild soap and water if needed
- Allow the boots to dry thoroughly in a cool, dry place, preferably by hanging them on a boot rack or using a boot dryer. You may also stuff your boot with newspaper if you want to help dry out the inside, and you can remove the inner footbeds to speed drying time
- Do not dry in direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may contribute to drying out and stiffening of materials
- Treat rubber boots regularly with a rubber conditioner
Breathable Boot Care
Cleaning
Remove salt and grit by washing under a tap or hose with fresh water. The outside of the boots can be cleaned with a warm non-detergent soap solution and rinsed thoroughly. Use a stiff brush to remove stubborn residue. You can also clean the inside of the boot with fresh water and a non-detergent soap. Wipe well to remove excess water inside and out.
Drying
Breathable boots should be allowed to dry naturally away from a direct heat source. You can improve the drying time by placing wadded up newspaper inside the boots. For best results dry for at least 48 hours.
Protecting
Once fully dried, your boots can be treated with a shoe care product such as Nikwax conditioner for leather. This will soften the leather and add a degree of water-repellency to the outside of the boot.