What is the one fact of life that none of us can escape? Our clothing and footwear can smell! Through regular wear or high energy activities, body oils and sweat will build up on the fabrics of clothing and on the footbeds of shoes, resulting in an unpleasant odour.
Many consumers do not realise that they are, potentially, damaging their technical clothing when washing it with their usual household detergent. It is always a good idea to remind consumers that standard detergents can actually impair the wicking capabilities of next-to-skin clothing; this is because it causes the fabric to retain moisture rather than repelling it and letting it wick away. As a result, people may find that their base layers are not drying very quickly and that breathability is lost. Also, many people believe that using normal fabric conditioners will remove the sweaty smell they find on their base layers. Temporarily, they will smell nicer, however, fabric conditioners simply mask the unpleasant smell – they do not properly remove the bacteria that has built-up within the fabric.
Help your customers choose the right aftercare solution to care for their base layers and non-waterproof footwear with some key Nikwax Sweatproofing facts:
• Nikwax Sweatproofing range is HIGH PERFORMANCE: garments and footwear work harder, for longer!
• The range is LOW IMPACT: it is water-based and contains no harmful solvents, PFCs, or nasty chemicals. The products are therefore safe to use and environmentally friendly.
• The products are EASY-TO-USE in a washing machine and items can be left to dry naturally, which saves energy.
Some key sales tips to guide your customers to the use and benefits of
Nikwax Sweatproofing
Nikwax BaseWash: for synthetic technical base layers.
• BaseWash both cleans AND conditions! Dirt, contaminants, bacteria and built-in odours are removed, and freshness is restored.
• Garment wicking properties are revived, ensuring sweat and/or moisture will spread over a large area and, subsequently, dry faster.
• BaseWash can be used neat to tackle tough stains prior to washing.
• Only 50ml is required per wash.
• It can be used for hand washing: just 25ml of product followed by 3 rinses in cold water.
Nikwax BaseFresh: for technical, wicking, next-to-skin garments.
• BaseFresh is a high performance conditioner that deodorises fabric, removing built-in odours and preventing their build-up.
• It can be used with standard detergent: its formulation allows the detergent to clean away dirt and contaminants without compromising the fabric’s performance properties.
• BaseFresh can be used in any standard laundry load, is not just for synthetic fabrics, and can replace standard household fabric conditioners.
• Use in between cycles of BaseWash to maintain the breathability, wicking and freshness of technical base layers. It will also make fabrics more resistant to stains.
• Just add 50ml to the fabric conditioner drawer, ensuring any standard conditioner residue is fully cleaned out beforehand.
Nikwax Wool Wash: for woollen technical underwear and next-to-skin garments.
• Wool Wash is gentle yet high performing, both cleaning and conditioning woollen garments during one wash cycle. It can also be used on Merino wool.
• Its technical capabilities revitalise the wicking properties of the wool, to spread moisture over a large area and dry quickly, maintaining vital breathability.
• The conditioner in Wool Wash effectively removes all odours, deodorising the fabric to keep people smelling fresh when wearing their woollen layers.
• Wool Wash ensures that woollen garments stay soft and comfortable, as well as inhibiting the build-up of any pilling on the fabric. Garments look and feel newer for longer.
• It is easy-to-use in a washing machine with just 50ml of Wool Wash required (note: do not use fabric conditioner and do not use on waterproof clothing).
• Wool Wash can also be applied by hand, with just 25ml of product.
Nikwax Sandal Wash: for all non-waterproof footwear.
• Sandal Wash is the specialist deodorising cleaner for all non-waterproof footwear, removing built-in dirt whilst effectively freshening.
• It can be used on footbeds and insoles, aside from the main footwear material, to give an optimum clean.
• Sandal Wash helps prevent degradation of the shoes’ fabric and composition, caused by the build-up of bacteria. Footwear will last longer!
• It thoroughly deodorises footwear, banishing smells and reducing bacterial growth.
• Sandal Wash is easy to apply by hand: rinse footwear in water to remove loose dirt, use the sponge applicator to apply product all over the shoes/footbeds, rinse well with clean water and leave to dry naturally.
By providing as much advice as you can, on the importance of choosing and using the correct product aftercare, your customers will get more out of their outdoor clothing and footwear. By using Nikwax Sweatproofing, their kit will last much longer, which in turn helps to reduce the volume of garments and gear that end up in landfill. So not only do they help themselves by using Nikwax Sweatproofing, they are helping the environment too!