Restoring Water Repellency
“Wet out” can put a real damper on your day. That’s when liquid saturates your garment’s outer fabric, 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 the outer layer of fabric, instead of being absorbed.
DWR is not permanent though. 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 extremely easy.
How to Restore Water Repellency
GORE-TEX® outerwear:
Just wash it, rinse it and put it in the dryer, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions. The washing removes 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 y ou can restore the garment’s water repellency by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
GORE-TEX® footwear:
Most spray on products designed for shoes can be used to improve the water repellency of GORE-TEX® footwear when the original finish has worn off or washed out due to heavy use. Always check the manufacturer’s care instructions on the label of your shoes first.
