How to care for your Gore-tex kit

Looking after your Gore-tex items properly is integral to the longevity of the waterproofness and will help ensure it always performs when you need it to. This also means you won’t need to replace your rainwear as often, which is way friendlier for our planet (and your wallet).

Always, always, always, read the manufacturer’s care instructions. It may sound simple but it’s amazing how many people don’t, and how many rain jackets suffer or become no longer waterproof (and un-revivable) because of it. Here is a basic breakdown of how to care for your Gore-tex branded gear to ensure it lasts you many seasons to come.

Before washing your Gore-tex clothing make sure any zips are done up completely, keeping in mind to check pockets & pits! Anything that is fasten-able, needs to be fastened & release the tension on any elastic drawcords. Now is also the perfect time to re-read the manufacturer's care instructions, usually found on a tag on the inside of the garment.

Machine wash the item at 40°C (Your washing machine dials might have a ‘permanent press cycle’ setting, if so, that’s the one!) and use a small amount of soap based washes (soap flakes or a Granger's soap based wash). 

Rinse the garment twice, but don’t allow it to be on the spin cycle for too long as this can cause creasing. Avoid washing your Gore-Tex with other dirty clothes. We know after a particularly muddy trail run or hike it can be tempting to just chuck all of your gear in the washing machine together and walk away, but your Gore-Tex won’t love you for it!

• Note: Don’t use powder detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, or bleach as these degrade the product. 

You can either line dry or tumble dry your freshly washed garment. If you go for the tumble dryer, ensure it’s on a gentle setting. Once it is dry, tumble dry (yes, you read that correctly) for 20 minutes.  This reactivates the durable water repellent treatment (DWR) on the fabric. You can do this whenever you find your garment is getting a little leaky and it should give the DWR the boost it needs. The heat reactivates and brings any DWR back to the surface.

If you are unable to tumble dry your Gore-tex garment to reactivate the water repellency, you can iron it. Just choose a gentle setting, that is warm and has no steam. Place a towel or cloth between the item and the iron.  We wouldn’t suggest this for very light Gore Run Jackets., and definitely not on Shake-dry products.

If you find that even after washing and drying you are unable to reactivate the water repellency, you will need to reapply a durable water repellent. Find Your Feet stock Granger  products which is specially formulated to restore the water-repellent finish to all your outdoors and technical clothing.

In Summary

• Zip all the zips, fasten the fasten-able bits & release tension in elastic draw cords.
• Using a small amount of liquid detergent wash in a washing machine at 40°C
• Line dry, or tumble dry on a gentle setting
• Tumble dry for 20mins (this reactivates the water repellent coating)
• If you can’t tumble dry, you can use an iron on a warm, seamless setting, protecting the garment with a towel or cloth
• You may find your garment eventually needs a little extra love, when that time comes you will need to reapply a layer of water repellent 

Gore-Tex do not recommend dry cleaning your garments, but if you do, request that the cleaner use clear distilled hydrocarbon solvent for rinsing, and then spray DWR on the garment’s outer fabric before drying.

How to reapply the Durable Water Repellent (DWR)

DWR is a polymer coating that increases surface tension and helps water to bead and roll off. Applying DWR to your garment’s face fabric increases its hydrophobic properties and of repelling water.

If your garment is no longer beading water even after it has been washed and dried, it’s time to re-apply the DWR. A spray-on treatment offers the ability to target high-wear areas on your garment, encouraging its optimal performance.

Once washed, remove your garment from the machine and shake off excess water. Close all zippers. Hang the damp garment and spray DWR evenly on the wet face fabric of the garment, concentrating on high-wear areas.

Next, place the garment in a tumble drier on a medium heat setting (40°C / 104°F) for 40 to 50 minutes. We do not recommend using a wash-in DWR. Before drying, turn the garment inside out for maximum uptake by the face fabric.

We hope this helps you keep your Gore-tex products in working order so you can stay dry throughout all your wild adventures!