Don't treat your waterproof gear to anything less than the best
Nikwax Tech Wash® has been independently proven to be the best performing product for cleaning waterproof gear in a washing machine. It is the only product demonstrated to provide exceptional cleaning performance whilst maintaining 100% of the Durable Water Repellency (DWR). DWR is the waterproof coating waterproof jackets are supplied with when new.
Over time, DWR begins to fail and wear off due to dirt and abrasion. This causes jackets to get wet, feel heavy and lose breathability, as water vapour cannot escape. If water vapour cannot escape, a build-up of condensation can occur and this will make the wearer clammy and cold.
DWR and breathability are key to maintaining the performance and comfort of all outdoor gear and using Nikwax Tech Wash® will ensure your gear performs at its best for longer, keeping you warmer and drier.
Getting cold and wet in your waterproof jacket? Restore it with the best
Nikwax TX.Direct® has been independently proven to be the best performing, PFC-free product for adding DWR across a range of outdoor performance fabrics.
Nikwax TX.Direct® will bring a jacket back to its original waterproof performance, whilst revitalising breathability. This means you stay warmer, drier and more comfortable. Gear treated with TX.Direct® maintains performance longer than any of the other 6 leading waterproofing brands we tested against. It can be cleaned more often with Nikwax Tech Wash® before retreatment is required, saving you time and money.
Nikwax Tech Wash® and TX.Direct® Test Information & Results
Unbeatable across the board
Nikwax Tech Wash®
- Tested against 6 leading outdoor brand cleaning products and traditional soap flakes.
- Tests were done on outdoor polyester, nylon and membrane fabrics. Stains included mud, blood, oil and wine.
- Across all tests, Nikwax Tech Wash® cleaned significantly better than its competitors whilst also maintaining 100% DWR after washing.
Nikwax TX.Direct®
- Tested against 6 leading waterbased, PFC-free waterproofing products.
- Tests were done on common outdoor fabrics and were rated for water repellency. The fabrics were cleaned and then again assessed by spray rating (a simulated rain shower).
- Across all fabrics, Nikwax TX.Direct® provided the best waterproofing performance, and also stayed the most waterproof after repeated washing with Nikwax Tech Wash®
Staying dry whilst outdoors is simple and cleaning is key and normal laundry detergents can damage the DWR or leave a water attracting residue. If you don't clean your waterproof properly then it will start to 'wet out' in rainy conditions leaving you cold, damp and uncomfortable.
The Nikwax Tech Wash® and TX.Direct® system has been proven to keep people drier than other leading waterproofing systems. It is the highest performing care system for waterproof gear, safely cleaning and restoring DWR at home in a washing machine - all without the use of PFCs, aerosols or harmful solvents.
Tim Pickering, Head of Development at Nikwax said "We're really pleased to demonstrate overwhelmingly that Nikwax Tech Wash® is the best technical cleaner on the market for waterproof clothing. Extend the life of your gear by only using the best. We are also very proud to be able to demonstrate the meaningful, measurable, verifiable benefits of choosing Nikwax to restore waterproof gear. Nikwax have always lead the way on PFC-free, environmentally sound chemistry in the outdoor industry, and we continue to prove that products can be high performance, with a low environmental impact."
Unbeatable cleaning and waterproofing in a washing machine.
Comments
Have you considered that these waterproof fabrics and their DWRs are not designed to have machine oil on them? I have never had Tech Wash not wash all kinds of mud and grime from mountaineering off my waterproof gear. I would imagine that if the detergents specifically designed to not strip the DWR off your gear cannot remove your stain, the ones that can will strip a lot more than the stain.
Conventional laundry detergents won't shift bike chain oily muck, either. You'll struggle even with washing up liquid and a nail brush.
What I am saying is that it is probably impossible to shift such contaminants without damaging the DWR and/or the fabric itself, at least locally. That would not be a limitation of the cleaning products but of the fabric and the DWR.
I have long taken the view that outdoor clothing is to be used and abused, it needs to be functionally clean, not sparkling clean. If there is a stain on my waterproofs, or even if there is a big strip of repair tape, that does not matter as long as it does not compromise performance.
That's exactly what I do with my expensive technical outdoor kit - I only use it in the mountains. The rest of the time it's stored carefully and not used for everyday activities. That's what I have cheap non-technical clothing for.
My son used it for his motorbike gear, didn't do much with pureed bumble bee and the rest of the summers road grime, we'll see after the winter how it copes with salt-spray and the rest.
I'm more a pressure washer using car-wash detergent then re-proof with something that works (boot proofer) type.