December 20th, 2010 
Tushar Mathur Even the best waterproof jacket occasionally needs a little attention to keep it as impervious to water, and as breathable as possible. With the right care, often it’s possible to completely revitalise a leaky garment even if it has seen years of use. Thousands of perfectly good waterproof jackets are thrown away or consigned to the back of the wardrobe every week, and all most of them need is a little TLC.
Start with a wash. You can buy special liquids for cleaning waterproofs but most fabrics (even the most of the very good top-end ones) can be washed with a simple non-biological laundry powder. You can put almost all waterproof jackets in the washing machine on a gentle setting- check the manufacturer’s recommendation if you can, but if there aren’t any you’ll probably get away with it. Drip the garment dry on a washing line.
The waterproofing can be restored with a spray-on reproofer. Any good outdoor store will have it. Some work best on wet material and some on dry, so check the packaging. There are plenty that will do the job perfectly well, but be aware that usually takes more than you might think to fully treat one jacket.
Pay particular attention to the points that tend to leak. I find that the Velcro closures on jacket cuffs are a trouble-spot and if you tend to wear a rucksack with your jacket, double-treat the area where the shoulder straps lie.
It’s also possible to get wash-in reproofing treatments. If you’re using one of these, make sure to clean all the old washing powder out of your machine before putting the reproofer in. They don’t go well together- the jacket will be waterproofed again but it may not be so breathable as it was!
From an environmental perspective reusing any product is always better than buying a new one. Even if you do plan to buy a new waterproof jacket, it’s still worth fixing up your old one. International disaster relief charities and those providing for refugees really appreciate waterproof clothes in a good state of repair.
Image credit: Morten Liebach at Flickr under a Creative Commons license
Author:
Jess Spate is editor of Outdoor Equipment Online, a price comparison website for outdoor gear (including waterproof jackets) and a contributor to Sustainablog, which is a leading green and environmentally conscious price comparison site that features eco friendly clothing and other green products.
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