FAQ’s

Best practice is to use a technical cleaner for all waterproof clothing, footwear, and gear. Household detergents are not designed with water-repellency (DWR) in mind and leave behind harmful, water-attracting residues that hurt waterproof performance.

Normal detergents will leave a water-attracting residue on your outdoor clothing, therefore always use the appropriate Nikwax cleaner (Tech Wash or Down Wash) to clean your outdoor wear. Nikwax cleaners gently lift dirt and contaminants without harming the manufacturer’s original DWR (Durable Water Repellency). Luckily, Nikwax cleaners also remove residues left behind by detergents, so you haven’t ruined your item!

No. Nikwax products have been tested by leading manufacturers and no harm or damage has ever been caused to washing machines or their components. Nikwax is safe for septic tanks and other non-mains drainage systems.

Most waterproof breathable jackets are machine washable but always read the care label first.

Our scalloped caps on all our cleaning and waterproofing products for use in washing machines contain exactly 50ml when filled to the brim. They make a handy way to does out your Nikwax products!

Durable Water Repellency (DWR) is an invisible water-repellent finish applied to the outer fabric of most outdoor clothing and equipment. It prevents the fabric from absorbing water by making water bead up on the surface and roll off. Maintenance of the DWR is vital to ensuring the best performance and longest life of your outdoor gear.

The outer fabric will start absorbing water. This then leads to:

Condensation: during heavy activity, when relative humidity and temperature are high inside the garment, condensation will form on the inside face of the membrane. This can produce enough water inside the garment to convince the wearer that the membrane or coating is leaking.

Reduced breathability: water in the fabric next to the membrane/coating significantly reduces the rate at which body moisture is able to pass through the membrane to the outside air.

Increased garment weight: saturated outer fabrics adds weight to the garment. Condensation within the garment contributes to a noticeable weight gain, especially in garments that have wicking linings.

The more you exercise, the hotter you get and the more you sweat. As the sweat evaporates it cools you down. Breathable garments allow the sweat vapor to escape, keeping you comfortable. If the sweat vapor is allowed to build up in your clothing, it becomes damp.

Once you stop exercising, the damp clothing draws heat away causing your body to cool down very quickly. This can be dangerous in cold weather. It is important to maintain the breathability of your outdoor clothing.

Wicking is about moving sweat away from the skin. Any moisture that can be made to evaporate quickly and away from the skin will keep you cool and comfortable.

By immersing a garment in a wash-in treatment you apply a complete and even coating of the active ingredients to all the fibers, zips and threads. The treatment finds its way to the back of zips and pocket flaps, behind velcro tabs – all the places that are easy to miss with spray-on treatments. You do not miss any part. Clothing that is PU coated can be coated with a Nikwax waterproofing treatment by using our TX.Direct spray-on product to the outside of the garment only. This product means you can target specific areas of the jacket that need waterproofing anytime, anywhere.

As with all other treatments for leisure, work or sports activities, Nikwax Waterproofing treatments may slightly darken light or unusual colored leather or fabric. However, our footwear range is specially formulated to minimize any change in color or texture of the leather or fabric. Waterproof protection with minimal visual change is far better than the discoloring, staining and water-spotting of untreated footwear.

No. Nikwax treatments do not change the color, texture or feel of garments or sleeping bags.

Yes. Sometimes in delivery and also changes in temperature, will encourage the solution to set particularly if the product hasn’t been used for any length of time. Just shake vigorously to re-disperse the solution and apply. Be sure to check the best by date on the back as well if your product has been hiding under your sink for a while.

Rarely. If you have extremely hard water, using an additional capful of Nikwax cleaners will prevent formation of white residue from the calcium in your hard water.

No. We recommend that you do not allow your Nikwax products to freeze. Store under the kitchen sink or in a cool, dry place, rather than outside. Should you allow your product to freeze we would advise that you do not use it and that the product is disposed of.

It depends! Nikwax waterproofing treatments are highly effective and long lasting, but how long you need to go between waterproofing depends on how much you are using the item and in what conditions. If your item is visibly dirty or no longer repelling water, it’s a great sign to clean it and then re-waterproof.

TLDR: We recommend that you wash and re-waterproof your gear at least once a year. Or at least once a season if you’re a heavy user.

Yes. We strongly recommend using Nikwax Tech Wash or one of our other cleaners as a pre-wash to remove dirt and any detergent residues that can prevent the waterproofing polymers from securely bonding to the fabric fibers. This helps maximize the performance and durability of waterproofing treatments. The last thing you want to do is waterproof over dirt!

It is advisable to inspect the seam tape if it is accessible. If you notice loose tape seams we would recommend that it be professionally re-taped, cleaned and reproofed by the garment’s manufacturer. Or you can glue them carefully with a clear glue such as Bostick and then clean in a gentle hand wash using Nikwax Tech Wash followed by a hand wash application of TX.Direct wash-in or spray-on. Air drying will revitalise the garment.

Many people think their jacket or gear is leaking when the problem is often caused by perspiration condensing because the jacket isn’t breathing properly. This may be because the DWR finish has worn off or is masked by dirt, which can cause the fabric to ‘wet out’.

Nikwax recommends you clean with Tech Wash and then use the appropriate waterproofing products to replenish the water repellency to get maximum performance from your gear. With Nikwax there’s no need to tumble dry to activate the water-repellency.

We have created products that do not need heat to establish the bond between the waterproofing polymer and fabric. Using Nikwax products will achieve the same, if not better standard of water-repellency than competitor products without using heat. Unlike fluorocarbon treatments, Nikwax can simply be air dried which saves on having to go through an extra step of applying heat to make your gear water-repellent!

No. The performance of all Nikwax treatments is excellent with air drying. NO heat is required to “activate” any Nikwax products.