Six tips for washing and waterproofing GORE-TEX® clothing

First things first: the more often you wash your jacket, the longer it will last. The popular belief that functional clothing loses quality with every wash is not true. It’s exactly the other way around: sweat attacks the glued seams on clothing and clogs up the membrane. Regular washing retains the functionality of the garment for longer. Regular waterproofing and gentle washing also help.

The information provided by the manufacturer is decisive. As a rule, we recommend washing at 40 degrees on a gentle programme, i.e. as few revolutions as possible for both the wash and the spin cycles. If there is a line below the washing tub on the clothing label, this means you should use a gentle cycle. You should also make sure that all the zips are closed and the pockets are empty. However, you don’t need to turn your jacket inside-out.

You might not have expected it, but you can actually dry clothes made from GORE-TEX® in a tumble dryer. Drying reactivates the water-repellent function of the material so that water rolls off the clothing again. You can also let your garment air dry.

If you also want to waterproof your outdoor clothing, check the waterproofing instructions to see how to apply it. Some are applied to wet clothing, others to dry clothing. If you dry your clothing in a tumble dryer after waterproofing, hang it out to drip-dry thoroughly. Among other things, this allows any flammable gases to escape before you put it into the machine.

It tends to be better to wash your jacket more often rather than less. A general rule of thumb is about the same frequency as a pair of jeans, or a little less often. Some manufacturers even recommend washing the jacket after only ten to twelve days of use (for heavy use) or after 20–30 days of use (for less heavy use).

We recommend a detergent specifically designed for GORE-TEX® clothing. If you are travelling and washing your clothes by hand, for example on a trip, you can also use a mild detergent in an emergency.

When waterproofing, a key consideration is whether you waterproof it when it’s wet or when it’s dry. If you waterproof it when it is wet, you can put the detergent straight in the washing machine – ideally in a separate wash cycle using the detergent compartment. If you are waterproofing it when it is dry, the jacket must of course first be dry and only then can it be treated with a spray.

Under no circumstances should you use a silicone-based waterproofing spray. This is well suited for non-breathable coatings such as a tent base, but it will clog the membranes of a GORE-TEX® jacket.