Outerwear Care
OUTERWEAR CARE – The good folks at Granger's Waterproofing share these tips for getting the most from your outdoor clothing.
Outdoor clothing performs its best when maintained properly. This involves regular cleaning and the periodic restoration of the water repellent finish on the fabric.
Even the most expensive, high tech garments work best when clean and when they have an effective DWR (durable water repellent) finish on the fabric.
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Benefits of Granger's
Granger's offers state-of-the-art chemistry to achieve the highest level of water and stain repellency. Granger's also utilizes components found in the cosmetics industry that help to improve absorption into fabric and maintain the look and feel of fabric.
EFFECTIVE – Granger's products achieve the highest ratings for water
and stain repellency in independent laboratory tests (SATRA) and more
importantly 'real-life' field use.
DURABLE – Longlasting treatments that stand up to the elements require less frequent application—saving you time and money.
SAFE TO USE – Granger's products contain proven-safe fluoropolymers
that outperform other products in terms of waterproofing and oil/stain
resistance and durability.
EXPERTS IN WATERPROOFING – Granger's has been producing waterproofing products since 1937. Over the years we have learned a thing or two about how to care for footwear, clothing and equipment.
Granger's for all outdoor clothing
Granger's has developed a line of fabric cleaners, waterproofing and protectants for the specific needs of various types of fabrics and performance outerwear. Granger's fabric care product are ideal for the following types/brands of outerwear:
- Gore-Tex
- Waterproof Breathable Shell Garments
- Marmot Precip
- Cabelas Dry-Plus
- North Face
- Soft Shell Garments
- Down Insulated
- Synthetic Insulated Garments
- Sun Protection
Granger's FAQs
Q. Why special cleaners instead of regular laundry detergent?
A. Regular household laundry detergents should be avoided when washing garments that have DWR finishes. Detergents are powerful cleaning agents that can remove the fabric’s water-repellent finish. Most detergents also contain fabric softeners, fragrances, color brighteners and wetting agents that are difficult to rinse out. These residues are water attractive and will reduce or eliminate the effects of the DWR. Granger’s cleaners are the same residue-free cleaners as those used to clean the fabric prior to application of the fabric’s water-repellent DWR finish. Avoid soap products which can leave residue on the fabric—especially when used in areas of hard water.
Q. What is DWR?
A. Durable Water Repellency is an invisible water-repellent finish applied to the outer fabric of most outdoor clothing and equipment. It prevents the fabric from absorbing water by making water bead up on the surface and roll off. DWR finishes (fluorocarbons) are applied to fabric in the textile factory. When water contacts the DWR it will assume a shape that has minimum surface area -- a sphere. Spheres, or beads of water, roll off the fabric rather than soaking into the fibers. Fabrics that shed water will do a better job of keeping you dry and comfortable.
Q. Is ‘pre-washing’ necessary prior to restoring the DWR?
A. Granger's treatments work best when applied to clean fabric. We strongly recommend using Granger's G-Wash Cleaner Plus, G-Wash Spray Cleaner Plus or Down Wash Plus (for down-filled items) as a pre-wash to remove dirt and any detergent residues that can prevent the waterproofing from securely bonding to the fabric fibers. This helps maximize the performance and durability of Granger’s waterproofing treatments.
Q. What is ‘fabric wet out' and why does it make me feel cold and clammy?
A. Performance outerwear fabrics have a durable water repellent (DWR) finish. This fluoropolymer treatment on the outer face of the fabric causes water and oil based liquids to bead up and roll off the fabric instead of being absorbed. The maintenance of the DWR is critical to the performance of waterproof / breathable fabrics. When fabric ‘wets-out,’ it cools the material (fabric, coating or laminate) to the extent that the humidity you generate inside the garment condenses inside the garment when it comes in contact with the cooled fabric. This causes you to feel clammy and cold. It can cause you to believe that the fabric is leaking. Even high-performance fabrics such as Gore-Tex®, eVent® TriplePoint®, Hell-Tech®, Dry-Plus® and Entrant® and Sympatex® rely on the DWR to optimize breathability and comfort.
Q. How often does a treated garment need to be re-proofed?
A. The life of the DWR varies greatly depending upon the quality of the treatment, garment usage and maintenance. No DWR is permanent. The effectiveness of a DWR can be maximized with proper laundering of the garment--since dirt and contaminants will attract water. For cleaning garments, special residue-free cleaners are best—such as Granger’s G-Wash Cleaner, G-Wash Spray Cleaner or Down Wash Plus. Eventually, the DWR will need to be restored. Granger's offers treatments that restore the DWR to the various types of materials. We recommend restoring the DWR after every 6-8th wash or after 40 days of use. These are rough guidelines however; the most accurate gauge is when you notice that water is no longer beading on the fabric.
Q. Is heat drying necessary?
A. Most restorative DWR treatments that rely on the industry standard fluoro chemical technology require heat (tumble drying or ironing) to align the molecules. It is the heat that activates the water and stain repellent properties. Always follow the garment manufacturers’ care tag instructions. For garments that can be tumble dried (and most can), we suggest 50 minutes on a medium heat (permanent press) setting. This is equal to 130F (50C). Another option is to iron (medium heat setting) the garment. The right Granger's treatment combined with the recommended amount of heat will restore the DWR to original DWR performance.
Q. Does the use of a front load versus top loading washing machine make a difference with Granger's wash-in cleaners and wash-in waterproofing?
A. Front loading machines are becoming more popular in North America (they are the standard in
Q. Which application method (spray-on or wash-in) is best to use on my waterproof/ breathable Gore-Tex® jacket?
A. There are several factors that should be considered in choosing between wash-in and spray-on water repellent treatments. These include the type of garment, the manufacturer's recommendations on the care tag, convenience, and the type of lining.
Our philosophy is that a Wash-In (such as Granger’s Wash-In Waterproofing for Synthetic Fabrics) is often the most appropriate choice for use on waterproof/ breathable garments. With the Wash-In product, the washing machine does all the work and provides thorough, even coverage. Both versions maintain breathability of the Gore-Tex® waterproof / breathable membrane.
The Spray-On version is ideal for garments that cannot be machine washed or for those with high-tech ‘bi-component’ wicking liners to which you want to maintain the wicking properties of the lining. Spray-on treatments are best for most ‘soft-shell’ garments. The performance of the spray-on treatment will be excellent provided care is given to apply an even coat on the garment. The Spray-On version is a great choice when a quick 'touch-up' is desired or when a washing machine may not be convenient. Either application method is effective, but the Wash-In version has the edge when it comes to ease and thorough coverage.
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Granger's Fabric Care Products for cleaning and waterproofing.
