Nikwax - what to use?

Upt' North said:
I was dry, but there were gallons of good Scottish/English water trapped the other side of the gortex.
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Exactly the issue there: when untreated the soaked Cotura will trap water and therefore clogg the Gore from the outside (hence the damp/moist feeling some folks report), whilst waterproofed the threads just can't hold much water anymore.
I personally refrain from the wash-in, since I don't want it on the inner fabric of my 3-layer.
(I wear long, functional underwear, assisting evaporation/transport of humidity away from the skin)
 
Klim recommends Revivex for their gear that's what I wear so that's what I use its expensive gear so I want to take care of it the way the Mfg. recommends. The wash works very well and the water proofer isn't really a water proofer it reconditions the Goretex if I understand it correctly.
 
I use NikWax TechWash and Direct-In Hardshell to clean and re-waterproof my Aerostich Roadcrafter lite suit at least once per year. Dust and dirt are really bad for any breathable membrane waterproofing (aka Goretex) so you must renew it regularly to maintain the waterproofing.

I also use NikWax TechWash and Direct-In Hardshell on the Goretex rain gear I use when hiking.

I will say that the TechWash is not great at cleaning my suit. When I next use it, I think I'll put the suit through a regular heavy duty cycle wash before doing the two cycles of NikWax TechWash and Direct-In Hardshell
 
I Nikwax'd my Tourmaster Transition 4 hi-viz jacket and Caliber black pants.... wash and waterproof. The jacket is much cleaner, brighter and has an overall softer feel too it. The zippers work a lot better (smoother) too... I suspect that's a result of the waterproofing. I only ran them through one long HD wash cycle with the TechWash, although I did an extra rinse cycle before the waterproof cycle. TBD how well the waterproofing works.
 
amorley said:
I will say that the TechWash is not great at cleaning my suit. When I next use it, I think I'll put the suit through a regular heavy duty cycle wash before doing the two cycles of NikWax TechWash and Direct-In Hardshell
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W.L. Gore does not recommend the use of powdered soaps or any soaps containing fabric softeners, conditioners, stain removers or bleach when washing Gore-Tex outerwear. A small amount of liquid detergent seems to be ok. Details here:

https://www.gore-tex.com/gore-tex-wash-instructions
 
Never had much luck with NikWax products. They just don’t seem to work well. Switched to 303 fabric guard. Also use the 303 protectorant on the car dash etc. Not shiny like armorall
 
There's a good article at REI on taking care of Gore-Tex. I think you could use some of the advice for other waterproof materials.

How to Care for Gore-Tex Rainwear
www.rei.com

How to Care for Gore-Tex Rainwear | REI Co-op

Keep your Gore-Tex clothing waterproof with these cleaning tips, and learn how to tell if the durable water repellent coating needs replacing.
www.rei.com www.rei.com

Here's an interesting quote from the website. I don't think people realize this in general.
There is no such thing as permanent water-repellent treatment. Over time, the original repellent finish will be depleted and you'll need to use a spray-on or wash-in water-repellency treatment to treat the fabric. You may repeat this process as many times as needed. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for reapplying the finish. Don’t forget to reactivate the finish by putting your jacket in the dryer for 20 minutes.
A Case of Mistaken Identity
Performance problems caused by worn DWR coatings are often mistaken for Gore-Tex fabric failures. This is due to the fact that when DWR coatings wear off, Gore-Tex® layers may:
  • Appear wet on the outside—since the outer fabric may absorb some water.
  • Feel heavier—again, due to water absorption.
  • Collect condensation on the inside—water on the fabric's surface can lower the temperature of the fabric through evaporative heat loss. This can cause warm, humid air inside the garment to condense on the inside surface so it feels wet—like it's leaking.
Before you consider replacing your jacket or rain pants, first try restoring your DWR or reapplying a spray-on or wash-in coating. Remember—just because the outer fabric becomes wet does not mean that water is passing through the Gore-Tex membrane layer laminated to the inside of your garment.
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This is why I spray my riding gear with the Kiwi waterproofing spray, even my mesh jacket. It keeps the outer layer from absorbing water like a sponge.

Chris
 
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