Restoring Water Repellency
'Wet out' can put a real damper on your day. Wet out occurs when water saturates your garment’s outer fabric layer above the GORE-TEX® membrane, as opposed to water beading and rolling off, leaving you feeling damp and clammy — as if your garment were leaking, even when it’s not.
To prevent wet out, all GORE-TEX® shell fabrics are treated with an ultra-thin treatment called DWR, a durable water repellent polymer that is applied to the outermost fabric layer. DWR penetrates the fibres and lowers the surface tension of the fabric, causing water to bead up and roll off this outer layer of fabric, instead of being absorbed.
DWR is not permanent. Regular wear and tear, plus exposure to dirt, detergents, insect repellent and other impurities can shorten its lifespan. The good news is that restoring the water repellency of your GORE-TEX® shell is easy.
How to Restore Water Repellency
GORE-TEX® outerwear:
Simply machine wash your garment, rinse it and put it in the tumble dryer, being sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the care label attached to the inside of your garment. Washing removes dirt and other contaminants and the heat from the dryer helps redistribute the DWR treatment on the fabric surface.
Once the garment has been cleaned and tumble dried, you can test the DWR’s performance by putting a few droplets of water on the outer fabric. If the water beads up and rolls off, you have effectively restored the DWR. If the water fails to bead up on the surface and appears to soak into the surface fabric, the DWR treatment on your garment has reached the end of its useful life. You can restore the garment’s DWR 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.
GORE-TEX® footwear:
We do not recommend the use of waterproofing waxes or greases as they can seriously affect the footwear's breathability. Apply only treatments, polishes, conditioners and dressings recommended by the manufacturer. Always check the manufacturer’s care instructions on the label of your footwear first.
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