Most people wash outdoor clothing incorrectly and reduce its life by 30–40% in the first two years. Here is what the manufacturer instructions actually mean.
Why Outdoor Clothing Has Special Care Requirements
Waterproof membranes, DWR coatings, merino wool, and down insulation all have specific care requirements genuinely different from your everyday clothes. Ignoring these does not just reduce life — it actively damages performance.
Waterproof Jackets and Pants
Most common mistake: not washing them enough. Accumulated body oils contaminate DWR and reduce breathability even though the membrane may still be intact.
Wash in warm water with technical fabric cleaner (Nikwax Tech Wash, Grangers). No standard detergent — it strips DWR. No fabric softener. After washing, restore DWR with a wash-in or spray-on treatment while still damp. Tumble dry on low heat to reactivate DWR.
Merino Wool
Cold water, gentle cycle, wool-specific detergent. No high-temperature tumble drying — heat causes irreversible felting. Lay flat to dry. Merino does not need washing as often as synthetics — air it out after each use.
Down Insulation
Use a front-loader washing machine (agitators damage down clusters), down-specific detergent, gentle cycle. Tumble dry on low with three clean tennis balls — this breaks up clumps. Takes 2–3 hours. Do not shortcut it — incompletely dried down develops mould.
Synthetic Insulation
Machine wash in cool water with technical fabric cleaner. Tumble dry on low.
Products in our range come with specific care instructions — follow them and they will perform for years.
