Are you satisfied with DWR using waterproof sprays or commercial water repellents?

For those of you who have purchased expensive outdoor jackets such as Gore-Tex jackets and have had problems with how to care for them, we hope this article will provide some insights and misconceptions from the perspective of our outdoor maintenance professionals.

First, some basic knowledge. It is not waterproofing that declines, but DWR performance

The first point that is often misunderstood is the difference between waterproofing and water repellency. People often say that the waterproofness of Gore-Tex clothing has decreased, but in most cases, these often refer to water repellency, not waterproofness.

Simply put, water seeping into the fabric without forming puddles is due to a decrease in water repellency. On the other hand, if water passes through the fabric and gets wet inside the jacket, the water repellency has been lost or reduced.

Let's see if water repellency can be restored by washing or heat treatment.

So what should we do if the water repellency has been lost and water has seeped into the fabric?

There are three methods to restore water repellency.

Method 1) Wash and remove stains

Water repellency is achieved by scientific forces on the surface of the fabric, so if dirt intervenes, water repellency will not be achieved. Cleaning the surface by washing not only improves the water repellency, but also improves the moisture permeability of GORE-TEX jackets.

Method 2) Apply heat

After washing and drying the jacket according to method 1), if the jacket does not repel water well, apply heat to the jacket. This should be done after the jacket has been washed and dried in Method 1) and the water has completely evaporated. This is because if the jacket is not sufficiently dry, energy will be lost in the evaporation of water.

It is recommended to dry a well-dried rain jacket in a dryer for about 20 minutes.

Method 3)Re-water repellent treatment

If water repellency is still poor after applying heat in Method 2), it is necessary to perform a water repellent treatment. Unfortunately, if the active ingredients for water repellency have been stripped from the jacket, water repellency will not be restored even if the jacket is washed or heated. Even so, we recommend that you first perform methods 1) and 2), and if that does not work, then perform method 3).

As a general water repellent treatment, many people may think of waterproofing sprays or commercially available water repellents. However, the following topics explain what must be considered when using these products.

Waterproof sprays and commercial water repellents are for home use.

However, some people have experienced that water repellency could not be satisfactorily restored even though they have followed the procedures described in Method 3). This does not mean that the water repellent treatment was done incorrectly or that the water repellent was not mixed sufficiently, but rather that the water repellent was treated according to the instructions.

There is a cause for this.

To begin with, waterproof sprays and commercial water repellents are customized for home use.

To put it another way, the water repellent treatment applied to outdoor jackets in production is slightly different from waterproof sprays and commercial water repellents and their treatment processes. There are many products with different performance for professional and home use, and it is easy to understand if you think of them in the same way.

In other words, waterproof sprays and commercially available water repellents have limited performance, and it is difficult to achieve the same performance as a jacket sold in the market.

If you are looking for stronger water repellent performance

However, this is unsatisfactory for climbers and outdoor enthusiasts who seek higher performance. So we researched how we could bring back the original water repellency. Fortunately, our business was in the outdoor equipment rental business, and we had many GORE-TEX garments that had lost their water repellency after repeated use. After much research and many failures, we were able to discover the elements that restore water repellency and we were able to brush up on the technology to create a repellent coating.

Unlike ordinary water repellent treatments, this technology was developed in pursuit of performance. Therefore, the process takes time and costs that much more. However, we developed this technology in order to deliver it to outdoor enthusiasts who still want to pursue performance.

Conclusion

If you are not satisfied with the performance of waterproof sprays and water repellents on the market, please reach out to us.

There is a reason for it, and we have the technology to solve it. And we will be happy to bring our technology to outdoor enthusiasts in need around the world and contribute to sustainability as a result.