How to maintain Gore-Tex rainwear

Do you know how to maintain Gore-Tex’s wear? I think that it is various, such as never having done maintenance, washing as usual, afraid of deterioration so never washed it, so on. In this article I will explain how to maintain such Gore-Tex rain wear.

Gore-Tex rainwear needs maintenance

First of all, it is quoted from the Gore-Tex website.

For longer patronage

The high functionality of GORE-TEX® outerwear is not degraded unless the GORE-TEX® membrane itself is damaged. However, in order to patronize as long as wear, daily maintenance & care is important. Although the lifespan of wear can not be said definitely many years, we can wear it considerably for a long period if careful care is taken. Maintenance and care of GORE-TEX® outerwear is not particularly difficult, so please practice it.

This is a sentence at the beginning of the page called Maintenance & Care in the Gore-Tex website. In short, it means that you can use it for a long time by firmly maintaining it.

What is Maintenance & Care of Gore-Tex’s Rainwear ?

In the quotation of the above-mentioned Gore-Tex website, “It’s important to keep maintenance and care daily”, but what exactly is that maintenance & care? “GORE-TEX Products Maintenance Book” is issued from Japan Goa Co., which sells Gore-Tex. One flow is listed at the beginning of the maintenance book.

START ⇒ Washing ⇒ Rinse ⇒ Drying ⇒ Heat treatment ⇒ GOAL

This is exactly one flow of maintenance & care. However, as a part I want to add one point, I want the above flow to be regarded as daily care. Unfortunately only this is not enough. In the maintenance book, there is a page called “water repellent / repair” after the above series of flows. Please think that this is occasionally necessary maintenance. Combining this daily care and maintenance performed irregularly can be said to be sufficient maintenance and care.

Gore-Tex’s Laundry & Maintenance 1

【What is the timing of Gore-Tex rainwear laundry? 】

So when do you wash Gore-Tex rainwear? Do you wash every time? Would you wash once a month? Or is it only once a year? It is annoying. Regarding this, the correct answer is listed on the Gore-Tex website.

By periodic wash, please love your wear long

Most GORE-TEX® outerwear can be washed. Since washing will not degrade the function at all, so please wash it if it gets dirty.
Washing also helps maintain and restore water repellency of wear, so please wash regularly even if dirt is invisible.

As described in the quotation, “Please wash it if it gets dirty” is written. You should wash it if it gets dirty. Please note that “Please wash every time you use” is not written. Even if you intend to know Gore-Tex’s washing method well, it is misunderstood, and many people were washing every time you use it. I will describe later the reason why it is not written that please wash every time you use.

Gore-Tex’s washing & maintenance 2

【Caring with washing and rinsing】

It is better to note the point that was especially attentive on rinsing from the contents described in “GORE-TEX Products Maintenance Book”.

Note the type of detergent

It is not a good idea to use any detergent. The detergent you are using normally is actually a detergent in which various auxiliaries are blended. They may contain a small amount of softener, fragrance, bleach. Softener and fragrance are intended to bring out its effect by being left in clothing even when washing, so it will be impossible to get the performance of original Gore-Tex by remaining in Gore-Tex rain wear. For that reason it is desirable that detergents are not mixed as much as possible.

Note the amount of detergent

Although this is also contents described in the maintenance book, the amount of detergent is indicated as a small amount.In the case of regular washing in which dirt is not conspicuous, it can be less than half the amount of ordinary detergent. Only when it is badly dirty, please wash it by putting a detergent dirty place.

Rinse well

Remaining detergent is not good for Gore-Tex wear, so rinse thoroughly and let the detergent flow well. The maintenance book says that “rinse is twice normal”. In the case of domestic washing machine, I think that it is supposed to be able to choose the number of rinsing. Since I think that it is possible to choose the number of rinse from 1 to 3, it is necessary to rinse thoroughly 3 times rinse well.

Gore-Tex’s laundry & maintenance 3

【Drying and heat treatment】

Next, I will list the points that are particularly careful in drying and heat treatment as described in the “GORE-TEX Products Maintenance Book”.

Easy dehydration is OK

Unlike T-shirts and towels, rain wear is made of water-impermeable material, even after dehydrating for a long time, it can not be drained. Because it is a bad influence on the washing machine, there is no need for dehydration (there are times when it is described as rain wear NG in the manual of the washing machine actually). It is more important to cut off the water that accumulates in the rain wear when removing it from the washing machine.

Drying is in the shade

Please dry well in the shade. It is point to spend time to dry thoroughly the details. Because the damage of ultraviolet rays will remain, it is better not to dry in direct sunlight but in the shade.

Heat treatment is important

It is described in the maintenance book that we recommend heat treatment after drying too. It is very important for Gore-Tex’s rain wear to keep it firmly water repellent. Let’s also take heat treatment to maintain water repellency. Although a dryer or iron method is described as a method of heat treatment, basically let’s use a dryer. The point is to put firmly dry wear in the dryer for about 20 minutes.

Gore-Tex’s washing & maintenance ４

【water repellent recovery】

The following is stated in Gore-Tex’s maintenance book.

Water repellent processing may be lost part of the function for water repelling due to wear and the like. In that case, do not return by heat treatment, please do water repellent treatment.

Water repellent processing is not permanent, and it will be peeled off especially by wear. Actually, here is the reason why it is written not to wash Gore-Tex wear every time you use it, and wash it if it gets dirty. The function of Gore-Tex itself will not be reduced by washing, but the surface water repellency process gradually decreases due to wear during washing. Even with washing too much, the performance of Gore-Tex ware will not be fully utilized. That is why it is not good not to wash, so irregular water repellent processing and water repellent treatment is required. Timing of water repellent processing and water repellent treatment is performed when the water repellency does not return even with the above-mentioned routine care. Water repellent finish and water repellent are stated to be done by a waterproof spray on the market or a water repellent, a water repellent process of a cleaning shop. More specifically it is not written. Actually, these water repellent treatments are also the most difficult points. Water repellency like waterproof spray, water repellent, water repellent processing of the cleaning shop can not regain the water repellency as in the case of new goods. The reason is the difficulty of doing it later processing. We perform water repellent processing with new cloth worn out in a state of cloth. However, in post processing, it is impossible to add a water repellent function only to the extent that it adheres to the surface. As a result, there will be a big difference in the sustainability of the water repellent function compared with the new ware. Even in later machining, what we developed that studied and developed whether it can not make water-repellent function tightly attached to the wear will be “outdoor specialized water repellent processing service” drop roof “. If you do water repellent treatment yourself, water repellent effect may be sustained if it is used once or twice immediately after water repellent treatment, but if you use rain wear several times, it will not change compare with before water repellent treatment. It is caused by the fact that the water repellent function is not securely fixed to the wear. It is “drop roof” service that studied and developed the cause and overcome it. If you feel that water repellency has weakened even if you do your daily care, we recommend that you perform full-scale maintenance by selecting “Drop Roof” as a method of performing both water repellent treatment and cleaning.