Gortex treatments

[afishinado]

I finally broke down and had to wash my Gortex waders. I used powdered detergent as per the instructions. As I expected, the outer fabric no longer repels water, and the waders are no longer breathable. I tried a product called “Nat Wax” that was recommended by someone at LL Bean. I washed the waders in that, and put them in the dryer – that didn’t work.

I’ve heard mixed reviews on Revivex. Has anyone tried it? Does anyone have any recommendations on what works to renew the water repellency of Gortex fabric?

 

[albatross]

AFish,

I've used this product with some success on my hunting clothes Sport Wash

I wouldn't worry about the water repellency of the outer fabric, the breathable waterproof fabric is laminated underneath the outer fabric.

 

[afishinado]

"I wouldn't worry about the water repellency of the outer fabric, the breathable waterproof fabric is laminated underneath the outer fabric."

Albatross,

When the outer fabric becomes saturated, the moisture inside cannot escape, and the waders are no longer breathable.

 

[jaybo41]

Two comments:

First, I have used that stuff that Al has recommended on my LL Bean Westbranch waders with good results and no issues whatsoever.

Secondly, if LL Bean recommended using detergent and you did that and now they don't work, why not send them back? You shouldn't have a hard time at all with their guarantee.

 

[afishinado]

LL Bean IS great to deal with; they gave me a refund with no questions asked. I thought I would try to find out what works for others before I spend more money on worthless stuff.

This is the stuff I used that didn't work:


http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=49915&memberId=12500226

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

[jaybo41]

Glad to hear that you got LL Bean to fix it for you. I've yet to hear anyone who's ordered from them that has had a bad experience when returning merchandise.

The Orvis website says to use a powdered detergent to clean, but from what I've read elsewhere, detergent, powdered or liquid doesn't wash out and clogs the "pores" of the breathable materials, thus impeding the performance of the materials. For anything breathable, I like that stuff Al recommended. I ordered it directly from the company and I had a good conversation with the owner. He told me that this stuff washes out completely, leaving no residue. I've used it on my waders, jackets, down comforters and have been very pleased.

Also to answer your initial question--I've used Revivex on a Goretex jacket and have had good results each time.

 

[Maurice]

What does that mean" they are no longer breathable" What led you to that conclusion?

 

[afishinado]

Mo,

The waders now become saturated with water when I wade, and become heavy and clingy…and I sweat my a$$ off…. my pants inside are soaked with sweat at the end of the day like in the old days with neoprenes.



I just went to the Gortex site and read this:

WATER REPELLENT TREATMENT
Gore recommends applying a topical water repellency restorative (DWR treatment) for outdoor fabrics, available at your local outdoor retailer. We do not recommend wash-in treatments as they can affect the garment's breathability.

I wish I read this first before I used that stuff..............

 

I may get kicked out of the "Angler's Croissant for Lunch Bunch", for saying this, but............. why would anyone "wash their waders", to begin with? Short of a "reallllly bad accident" in waders, I don't think I've ever seen a pair, let alone any of my own 4 pair, that "needed" washing!?!
I have 3 pairs of "breathable" waders, (Gillies, Chota and a pair of "no-name, but the price is too good to pass up", chesties)) and none, after 5 years for the Gillies, or 3 years for the Chotas, 3 years for the cheapies.... have shown the slightest need for "revamping" to keep them breathable, and/or, water repellent.(that's fishing about 125 days a year).
Each trip, when I return home, I turn whatever pair I've worn inside out and hose down with fresh water, while hanging upside down and allow to dry.
Now, granted........ there has been a few camp stew "incidents" over the years, where I've been virtually scared to death, to loosen my chest belt at the end of a hot day's fishing....... but nothing serious enough to require a washing machine, later!?!
For my regular Gortex clothing, I ran across a product called "Nikwax" about a year ago, at one of the local surf shops in my area. The surfers use it on all their Gortex gear, from waterproof gear bags, to jackets and pants. It's made in a sort of "shoe polish liquid" for shoes, to keep leathers breathable and a wash in solution, for Gortex, breathable, outer wear.
Nikwax is NOT a detergent and they make several products to treat various types of gear, from down sleeping bags to straight cotton clothing, to even tents. Their website has the list, tips and tricks on all their products of course. (Just a .com after the name.)

 

[jayL]

Flybinder,

Check the link that afish posted. He used Nikwax.

 

[afishinado]

Flybinder,

This is the first tme I ever had to wash my Gortex waders. They usually leak first, but after 3 seasons of wear they were losing their water repellency.


Check this out from the Gore Company:

How to Restore Water Repellency

GORE-TEX® outerwear:
Just machine wash it, rinse it, and put it in the dryer, being sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the care label inside. The washing removes dirt and other contaminants and the heat from the dryer helps redistribute the DWR treatment on the fabric surface.

If water fails to bead up on the surface of your cleaned and tumble-dried garment, its DWR treatment has reached the end of its useful life. But don’t worry: You can restore the garment’s water repellency by applying a topical water repellency restorative (DWR treatment) for outdoor fabrics, available at your local outdoor retailer. We do not recommend wash-in treatments, as they can hinder your garment's breathability.




Unfortunately, I read this after I used Nikwax - a wash-in treatment. I will give Sportwash a try to clean, and Revivex to treat my waders. Thanks for everyone's help.

BTW - the waders are Orvis Pro-Guides. No leaks yet - this is the first issue I've had with those waders after 3 seasons. Orvis is having a sale on all waders ($199 for Pro-Guides I believe) and many other FF stuff on sale.

 

[jaybo41]

I will give Sportwash a try to clean, and Revivex to treat my waders.

Sportwash will also restore DWR, so you might want to give that a shot first before buying Revivex also. Aside from it rinsing out completely and cleaning the dirt absorbed in the breathable materials, I like it because it restores the DWR.

 

As I hang my bald head in shame, and snap my Leonard into 7 pieces for repentance, I apologize.............
I've never had any of my waders "loose their "DWR" so I was only referring to "Nikwax" in general for my other Gortex items, which it has worked very well on. As for the "suggestion of not using any wash in treatments", I wonder if they mention that, because about all of them I've ever seen, most are "detergent based", or "petroleum based" products, where Nikwax is not.
I'm not a salesman for Nikwax, by a long shot! It had only worked for me, is the reason I was mentioned it again and was surprised it hadn't worked on your waders!!
After this post, I think if my waders ever DO loose their "DWR" or "BVD" or "STP", I'm just going to wrap the entire pair in Gorilla Duct Tape and be done with it!

 

[tabasco_joe]

I've washed all my breathable sin Sportwash for years and never had a problem. Main reason I wash my waders is I have a habit of wiping my hands on my waders after applying floatant to flys. This tends to block the breathability and also holds grit. So after a few trips I give it a wash with Sportwash on the delicate cycle.

 

[afishinado]

Happy ending to my Orvis wader story.......

I used the Sportwash and Revivex and it worked, the Gortex outer shell again repelled water. Thanks again for the advice guys. But, after spending the money on the wash and treatment, the waders began to leak at the seam in the crotch. Bummer huh.

I bought the Orvis Pro Guide waders 3 1/2 years ago (a record for me) on sale at half price ($145). I went all that time without a leak, except for one small puncture repair that was my fault - barbed wire. The waders still appeared to be in good shape, but I would never mess with a seam leak, so I decided to send the waders back to Orvis for repair. I dropped them off at the Orvis store, to avoid paying for shipping, and voila......a new pair of Pro-Guide waders was sitting on my door-step on Friday - sent free of charge. If I could manage to get another 3 1/2 years of these I will be far ahead of the wader game we all play.

This only begins to make up for the Simms waders I bought for close to $400 and sent back three times in the first eight months of use because of leaks, while paying to ship them back twice. The last time Simms said they leaked because of “excessive wear.” The waders spent more time “in the shop” than in the stream, I really only used them for six months. Simms refused to replace them. They leaked a fourth time, so I gave up on them and bought this pair of Orvis waders.

There are a lot of detractors of Orvis for many reasons, and a lot of their stuff is overpriced, but if you can find a good deal, they do stand behind their products. The same can be said about LL Bean, IMO. Oh, and Cabelas aint too shabby either.

 

[jaybo41]

Glad to hear that you got some resolve to the situation. Both the Sportwash and the Revivex have worked extremely well on my waders and jackets. Even better that you got a new pair of boots from Orvis. Gotta love a company that stands behind their products.