Which DWR treatment is best for re-waterproofing clothes?

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

Thanks for any input!

I know you said spray, but I'll give you what I know.

All depends. I find Nikwax products (mostly wash-in) to work
extremely well, but they smell strange and the fabric ends up feeling
different. One plus is that it doesn't require heat drying or a long
curing time to work well. I do use Nikwax spray-on shoe treatment
because they work well without any kind of heat drying. I've got a
pair of Merrells I treated a half year ago, and they still shed water
and dirt. I've also used Tectron (both aerosol and pump), although
the turnoff would be that they recommend a 72 hour drying period and
the petroleum solvent base is pretty nasty stuff.

I'm currently using ReviveX (I guess McNett bought the trademark from
Gore) wash-in treatment. It works well although it may not be the
longest lasting; it doesn't feel like my clothes have been heavily
coated. It changes the look and feel less (and has little odor) than
most other treatments and the cost per treatment is less. In general
it feels more like a typical factory DWR treatment. I've been using
it in smaller amounts just to retreat my jackets/pants several times a
season.

Seen Granger's in the store but never tried it.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

Thanks for any input!

Nikwax TX-Direct used in the washing machine is excellent.

wafflycat said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

Thanks for any input!

Nikwax TX-Direct used in the washing machine is excellent.

Helen! I was starting to get worried about you, you've not posted for days!

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:10:08 -0800 (PST), [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics

I was looking at Granger's site in a hunt for something that doesn't need
the special cleaning/neutralising that Nikwax does. The wash-in ones looked
good but require a tumble drier - I don't have one!

Still looking...
--
Peter.
You don't understand Newton's Third Law of Motion?
It's not rocket science, you know.

"marc" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Helen! I was starting to get worried about you, you've not posted for
days!

Awwwww ;-)

I'm just lurking in the undergrowth.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

Thanks for any input!

Things to remember get the right product for the right material.

Whilst many of the products are similar often they are made for different
materials (like soft shell etc).

Assuming that you know that you want it for a normal outer garment you then
need to consider whether it is breathable etc.

Then consider whether it has a wicking lining - if so the recommendation is
not to use wash in but to use spray on as the wash in interferes with the
wicking mesh and stops it working just like fabric conditioner does.

I personally use NikWax Products for both cycling and walking gear.

Dave

"PeterC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:10:08 -0800 (PST), [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics

I was looking at Granger's site in a hunt for something that doesn't need
the special cleaning/neutralising that Nikwax does.

Where does it say that. Most things I wash of this nature I just use soap
flakes as many garments recommend (no detergents or at least non
biological).

Quoted message said:

The wash-in ones looked
good but require a tumble drier - I don't have one!

The NikWax ones don't need a tumble drier - they say you can use one if the
garment lable allows it.

Many man-made waterproofs do not like tumble driers anyway.

Quoted message said:

Still looking...

Dave

"Dave" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"PeterC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:10:08 -0800 (PST), [email hidden]

Quoted message said:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics

I was looking at Granger's site in a hunt for something that doesn't need
the special cleaning/neutralising that Nikwax does.

Where does it say that. Most things I wash of this nature I just use soap
flakes as many garments recommend (no detergents or at least non
biological).

Quoted message said:

The wash-in ones looked
good but require a tumble drier - I don't have one!

The NikWax ones don't need a tumble drier - they say you can use one if
the garment lable allows it.

Many man-made waterproofs do not like tumble driers anyway.

Quoted message said:

Still looking...

Dave

I've used Nikwax TX Direct on many a different item of waterproof clothing -
all without problem and it reproofs brilliantly. I've never stuck any of the
stuff in a tumbledrier, either. I normally wash my 'technical' kit in a very
gentle washing stuff such as Ecover, rather than a 'normal' bio-detergent.
The only time I use a 'special' washing stuff is that when I'm going to
reproof somthing, I'll wash it first in Nikwax Tech Wash and then at the end
of that wash cycle, load up the TX Direct and run through wash cycle again.
When that's done, it's air-dried on a hanger. Works a treat.

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

My feeling is that once you have washed something or the waterproofing goes,
it is never as good a second time even if you re-proof it. I have used TX
Direct and TX-10 (I think) and both of these work well - I seem to recall
you can put one of them in the washing machine with your clothes to re-proof
and they wash-in the proofing(of course you then have to run your machines
through emnpty a few times to avoid water-proofing everything else).
However, as I said, the proofing never seems to last as long again and I
have found generally I replace the garment in the end or send it to the
general wear category from whence it slips to the work wear category and
then to the bin.

Rob

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

Thanks for any input!

They tested DWR treatments in the walking magazine Trail a while back.
I seem to remember them saying that Comfort fabric conditioner
followed by a tumble dry was just as good (and much cheaper) at
beading off water. I'll try and find out my copy of the magazine with
it in.

"Rob Devereux" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

My feeling is that once you have washed something or the waterproofing
goes, it is never as good a second time even if you re-proof it. I have
used TX Direct and TX-10 (I think) and both of these work well - I seem to
recall you can put one of them in the washing machine with your clothes to
re-proof and they wash-in the proofing(of course you then have to run your
machines through emnpty a few times to avoid water-proofing everything
else). However, as I said, the proofing never seems to last as long again
and I have found generally I replace the garment in the end or send it to
the general wear category from whence it slips to the work wear category
and then to the bin.

Rob

I would tend to agree with you and did read something recently that
basically a garment when new has 2 coatings - one on the inside that may be
laminated to the fabric which is often a waterproof and breathable membrane
the second is a coating on the outside that is a water repellant.

When the membrane becomes too worn or damaged the garment will not be
properly waterproof again no matter what you do. When you wash or spray the
garment with reproofer what you are actually doing is replacing and
reenforcing the water repelancy.

Also have you noticed that with some fabrics - goretex being one that you
can iron them with a cool iron. I have wondered whether this is to help
relaminate the membrane and also help to "weld" the plastic fibres together
to make it more water repellant.

Dave

Dave said:

Also have you noticed that with some fabrics - goretex being one that you
can iron them with a cool iron. I have wondered whether this is to help
relaminate the membrane and also help to "weld" the plastic fibres together
to make it more water repellant.

Most of the DWR treatments can be "revived" by a few minutes of heat,
including ironing or tumble drying - even Nikwax. I understand that
tumble drying can redistribute some of the DWR and I think probably
fluropolymer coatings might "realign" at a molecular level.
Essentially what these things do is statically repel water.

"y_p_w" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

On Jan 24, 4:10 pm, [email hidden] wrote:

I'm currently using ReviveX (I guess McNett bought the trademark from
Gore) wash-in treatment. It works well although it may not be the
longest lasting; it doesn't feel like my clothes have been heavily
coated. It changes the look and feel less (and has little odor) than
most other treatments and the cost per treatment is less. In general
it feels more like a typical factory DWR treatment. I've been using
it in smaller amounts just to retreat my jackets/pants several times a
season.

Seen Granger's in the store but never tried it.

I won't use anything, but ReviveX. It works.

y_p_w said:

Dave said:

Also have you noticed that with some fabrics - goretex being one that you
can iron them with a cool iron. I have wondered whether this is to help
relaminate the membrane and also help to "weld" the plastic fibres together
to make it more water repellant.

Most of the DWR treatments can be "revived" by a few minutes of heat,
including ironing or tumble drying - even Nikwax. I understand that
tumble drying can redistribute some of the DWR and I think probably
fluropolymer coatings might "realign" at a molecular level.
Essentially what these things do is statically repel water.

I thought that was the case, but then looked things up. Apparently
what repels water is a non-polar surface - or one that isn't
electrically polarized. I remember an experiment in HS chemistry
where we got water that was statically attracted to either a
positively or negatively charged rod. I'm not sure what heat does for
fluoropolymers, but whatever it does seems to help with water
repellency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophobic

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My gear's original DWR is starting to wear off and I need to apply new
DWR treatment to it. After doing some research, I have found the
following brands:

Granger's Spray-On Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics
McNett Revivex
Nikwax TX-Direct
Tectron Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Treatment

There may be others too but these are the ones I found that are
readily available.

Which DWR treatment spray works best?

Thanks for any input!

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

They tested DWR treatments in the walking magazine Trail a while back.
I seem to remember them saying that Comfort fabric conditioner
followed by a tumble dry was just as good (and much cheaper) at
beading off water. I'll try and find out my copy of the magazine with
it in.

Yes, but i recall they didn't check out the long term effects of the fabric
conditioner (on the fabric i think?) There was something in there that
wasn't the best science iirc, hopefully someone will find the article -
mine's in a box somewhere. Someone have an idea when it was i might dig mine
out.

I do know that they did a lab based test and sensationalised the results a
little. Has anyone out there actually tried this on a working garment and
had success? I'd just be very sceptical, as ruining a £200 jacket to save £3
per proofing strikes me as a false economy (unless it works of course!)

Definately worth a go if you've got an old gore jacket and like to mess
about as you *could* save some cash in the long term, but i find that Soap
Flakes (much cheaper than tech wash and just as effective!) and TX-Direct
work perfectly every time. That said, i'm washing only paramo waterproofs in
there and i find the DWR as good as new on each proof. How effective it is
on 'traditional' membrane 'proofs, i couldn't say.

T Dave R