Eddie

Hey Bradley,

I have the same jacket and had the same problem a couple years back. Here's something I did that seemed to work - take a nice long warm shower with your jacket on. It seems to do a good job of rinsing away the clogging residue and bringing back its breathability. Although, I've only tried this once, but I've heard from others that this works for them too.

The key here is to not say anything to your spouse, and observe the funny looks. If she/he does keep pressing you on what you're doing, say something ambiguous, like, "I'm worried the soap is clogging up my pores." Bring a timer too. That way you can see how long it takes to soak through if the weather does call for "showers".

Ben

I do not know the "safest way," and there's probably really no quantifiable way to determine that. Going way back to when I started wearing expensive/lightweight/WBM products, and had the same kind of questions, there was a lot of talk about washing with Nikwax Tech Wash and using liquid soaps instead of detergents and what temperatures and handwashing vs. machinewashing and all that jazz. Somewhere along the way, I stopped worrying about it, and eventually all of my expensive tech clothing just started going straight into the wash with all of my other stuff with the regular liquid detergent we use for all our laundry, and finishing in the dryer.

As an alpine climber, BC skiier (splitboarder, actually, but I finally bought a pair of Manaslus and new Dynafits this season), year-round cyclist, AND year-round outside worker with an arsenal of technical clothing.... Proshell, Neoshell, Scholler, eVent, Dry-Q Elite, etc, etc... I don't feel like I've hurt any of my stuff. Fact of the matter is, this stuff is lightweight and flimsy and sometimes doesn't last long enough for even the DWR to wear out.. and if it does, you can refreshen the DWR with Nikwax... but cleaning methods don't seem to make any difference at all. Let the anxiety go now, rather than later!

Dry on high-heat for most WBM (waterproof breathable membranes), as it seems to reopen the micro pores so it'll breath.

Good luck!

Thom Schoenborn

If you haven't tossed that other jacket, you just have to rinse it multiple
times. Detergent leaves residue that stops water from beading, but it *can*
be rinsed off. I've washed my Gore-Tex and eVent fabrics many, many times
with lots of different detergents and non-detergent washes (like Woolite),
and only reapplied waterproofing once or twice. Lots of rinsing is the key.

You can use stuff like Sport Wash:
http://smile.amazon.com/SPORT-WASH-LAUNDRY-DETERGENT-64/dp/B001OPJ5OW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1449680143&sr=8-2&keywords=sport+wash+laundry+detergent

or Nikwax Tech Wash
http://smile.amazon.com/Nikwax-181-Tech-Wash/dp/B000LN5O8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1449680201&sr=8-1&keywords=nikwax+wash

And again, I'd just recommend using an extra rinse cycle, then running it
through another wash cycle with NO detergent, just to super-double rinse
it.

Finally, you can reapply waterproofing — Nikwax makes a spray-on. Use a
spray on, rather than a wash-in: you can target areas like the yoke and
arms and back better.

TS

Bradley Maier

Obviously, following the manufacturer's instructions would be a good place to start but not all garments come with them. I managed to ruin a new (but dirtied) $250 Shower's Pass rain coat by running it through the washer on the handwash cycle with Woolite. Coat looks fine but no longer repels water very well. I see now that Shower's Pass recommends dry cleaning in a petroleum based solvent. I bought another Showers Pass coat just like it but I'm afraid to wash it. Blocks the rain but is getting dirty. Has anyone successfully dry cleaned an SP coat? I've also got a GSG windtech jacket and vest I'd like get dirt and grime out of. Is dry cleaning the best option? Does even hand washing in Woolite risk ruining the performance of the fabric?