Don’t Toss Out Your Old Raincoat Just Yet. It’s Easy to Make It Waterproof Again (2024)

FAQs

Don’t Toss Out Your Old Raincoat Just Yet. It’s Easy to Make It Waterproof Again? ›

Rain, Rain, Go Away

After washing, place it back in the dryer on low or medium heat for 20 minutes to reactivate the DWR finish. Warm-iron alternative: If you don't have a clothes dryer or your care instructions require hanging to dry, you can use a clothes iron to revive the DWR.

The coating used on raincoats is waterproof because, it reduces the adhesive force between the coating material and water particles. Consequently, cohesive forces dominate and water particles combine among themselves leaving the raincoat dry. Q.

If your Gore-Tex clothing is properly cared for, it should remain waterproof for 3-5 years. It can easily last for ten years or more if you store it properly and don't wear it that much. Of course, with regular active use, friction and heat can cause the DWR to break down more quickly.

Waterproof clothing and jackets can lose their water repellency as dirt and oil break down the durable water-repellant coating. If you notice that the fabric of your jacket is absorbing rather than repelling water, it means you'll have to reproof it.

For the sewers out there, technical fabrics like those used in rain jackets are ideal for making a bike seat cover or a rolltop stuff sack or laundry bag (perfect for wet, damp or muddy clothes).

Since raincoats are technically waterproof rainwear, you must avoid using bleach, hard laundry detergent or fabric softener. Also, dry cleaning and ironing the raincoat are not recommended. It is crucial that you do not keep your raincoat with regular-use clothes. Instead, store it on a hanger.

Venture out in the rain without fear – with Scotchgard™ Durable Water Repellant for clothing and shoes, water beads and runs rather than soaking in. Scotchgard™ Protector Dual Action Repel and Release repels water and helps most stains wash out so you're protected.

If your jacket is no longer 'beading', i.e. the water is forming into small droplets and running off the surface, then it is likely to become saturated, and will 'wet out'. This will slow the movement of water vapour through the jacket pores and lead to more condensation on the inside of your clothing.

Raincoats are made from water-resistant materials like rubber and plastic. They protect our body from getting wet in the rain.

Can you wash a waterproof raincoat? ›

Place your item in the washing machine (ideally 1 item per wash) and use a standard non-biological soap or a waterproof washing liquid to add extra protection. If you cannot read the label, you should wash your clothes on a gentle cycle and a slow spin - around 30 degrees is optimal.

Some rain jackets are dryer-friendly. Others, however, do not respond well to a dryer's intense heat. If the label does not have specific drying instructions, hang your jacket up to dry to be safe. Place your jacket in the dryer on a gentle setting.

After washing the jacket, rinse it, and hang it while it's still wet. Now comes the time for re-waterproofing: Spray the jacket—and spray it really well—with a waterproofing spray. I like ReviveX Spray-On Water Repellent. Then put the jacket in the dryer, and when it comes out, it should be hydrophobic again.

As temperatures drop outside your jacket, the warm humid air you produce inside the jacket contacts the cooler surface of the jacket and changes from vapour to liquid causing beads of water to form on the inside of your jacket.

Customers often ask if using a waterproofer on normal clothes will make them waterproof. Well, the great news is that it will add a DWR coating (durable water repellent, in case you've forgotten) to the fabric to provide some water resistance, but you cannot make non-waterproof fabric fully waterproof.