How To Wash Your Rain Jacket

Buying a waterproof jacket with membrane technology is usually a pretty sizable investment. Luckily, with proper care and maintenance, waterproof jackets can last an incredibly long time. Below, we cover how to care for your waterproof jacket to maximise its lifespan and ensure it keeps you protected on adventures for years to come.

Can You Wash A Rain Jacket?

This is a common question, and due to the advanced technology that goes in to waterproof and water-resistant fabrics, people are often hesitant to wash them. The short answer to this question, however, is that yes you can wash a rain jacket. Rest assured that washing is one of the best things you can do to care for your waterproof rain jacket. This article will delve into both how to wash and how to care for your waterproof rain jacket. Read on to find out more.

Why Wash My Waterproof Rain Jacket?

Modern Waterproof Breathable (WPB) garments are designed to provide exceptional weather protection and breathability. Routine care and maintenance will ensure optimum performance and durability of your garment.

The build-up of dirt and other surface contaminants such as body oil, sunscreen and sweat will reduce the effectiveness of a fabric’s durable water repellent (DWR) treatment, affecting both performance and breathability. Dirt allows water molecules to be drawn into the face fabric, saturating or ‘wetting out’ the fabric and leading to increased levels of condensation on the inside of the garment.

Properly washing your WPB jacket or pants will remove the dirt and other contaminants from the garment, restoring its water repellency and breathability.

How Often Should I Wash My Jacket?

When to wash your waterproof rain jacket depends on how often and how heavily you use your gear. For heavy use, we’d recommend washing after every 10 to 12 days of use. For light activity, this can be reduced to around every 20 to 30 days of use. However, you should always use your best judgement. If your garment looks dirty, you are starting to feel damp or clammy, or your garment is no longer shedding water and is wetting out – these are all tell-tale signs that it’s time to wash and dry.

How Do I Wash My Jacket?

Be sure to remove everything from the pockets, zip up all zippers, and close all Velcro fasteners before you wash your jacket. It’s useful to follow the manufacturer instructions that can be found on the label, as this will help to prolong the life of your gear.  Check out Patagonia’s product care symbol guide if you’re having trouble deciphering the tag on your garment.

Choose a free-rinsing soap or non-detergent cleaning agent to wash your waterproof clothing. We recommend using a cleaning agent made specifically for waterproof fabrics from our Clothing Care range. You can wash your waterproof jacket in a regular washing machine, in cold water, and on a gentle cycle. Put it through the rinse cycle twice to be sure the detergent residue washes out. Never use bleach or fabric softeners, and do not dry clean your waterproof jacket or store it when wet.

My jacket will not stay dry anymore. What can I do about it?

As mentioned all waterproof membrane fabrics are treated with a Durable Water Repellent finish (DWR). This finish helps the shell fabric resist wetting, by causing the water to bead-up so it easily falls off before it’s absorbed into the fabric. As a garment is worn and used over time, a build of soils from external sources and your own body, as well as abrasion (such as carrying a pack), can lower the performance of these finishes.

In order to revive the DWR, the garment needs to be thoroughly cleaned as explained above. We recommend using one of our technical re-proofing agents from our Clothing Care range to compliment and top up the original DWR. After washing, keep all zippers closed, hang the wet garment on a hanger and spray DWR evenly onto the wet face fabric of the garment. Some extra spray can be placed on specific areas where you know that the fabric wets out more, such as the shoulders from pack abrasion.

Next, place the garment in a tumble drier on a low/medium heat setting (40°C) for 40 to 50 minutes. If you don’t have a clothes dryer, leave your jacket out to air dry in a well ventilated area for around 48 hours before use. We do not recommend using a wash-in DWR as it can inhibit the breathability of the fabric.

Shop our full range of Clothing Care online to help maximise the life of your waterproof clothing.