How to Reproof a Rain Jacket: Washing & Reproofing Waterproofs

Membrane vs DWR: what actually keeps you dry

A rain jacket has two separate defences against water. Our guide to membranes and coatings explains the fabrics in detail; here is the short version.

• The membrane or coating sits on the inside of the outer fabric. It is the waterproof barrier: it stops liquid water but lets water vapour from your sweat pass outwards. It does not wear out from washing; it wears out from age, abrasion, folding and damp storage.
• The DWR – durable water-repellent finish, see the glossary entry – is a thin treatment on the outside of the face fabric. It makes rain form round drops that roll off. It does not keep you dry by itself, but it keeps the face fabric dry, and that is what keeps the jacket breathable.

When the DWR works, you see beading: round drops that run off the shoulders. When it fails, the face fabric wets out: it darkens, gets heavier and holds a film of water. The membrane underneath is still waterproof, but vapour can no longer escape through that wet film. Sweat condenses on the inside, the jacket feels cold and clammy, and many people conclude it is leaking. In most cases it is not.

Why dirt and body oils kill breathability

Most people wash their rain jacket far too rarely, out of fear of damaging it. The opposite is true: for most waterproof breathable fabrics, a careful wash with the right cleaner does no harm and usually restores performance, as our rain gear care section puts it.

Several things work against the finish every day you wear the jacket:

• Skin oils and sweat soak into the collar, cuffs and the inside, and from there into the face fabric. Oils make the fibres attract water instead of repelling it.
• Dirt, mud and soot sit on the surface and give water something to cling to. Wood smoke from the campfire leaves a fine, greasy film.
• Sun cream and insect repellent contain oils and solvents that can weaken the finish and, with some products, coatings. Apply them before you put the jacket on and let them dry.
• Abrasion from pack straps, hip belts and brush wears the finish off mechanically – which is why shoulders and hips are where wetting out usually starts.

Dirt also blocks breathability more directly: a membrane that is coated on the inside with sweat salts and oils lets less vapour through. As a rule of thumb, wash a jacket whenever it looks or smells dirty and whenever water stops beading.

How to wash a waterproof jacket step by step

Washing a waterproof jacket is quick and needs no special skill. What matters is the detergent, the rinse and the label. The method below is how most manufacturers typically describe it; if your care label says something different, the label wins.

What you need

• A technical wash made for waterproof outdoor clothing. It cleans without leaving residues behind. Normal powders, many liquid detergents and especially fabric softener leave substances in the fabric that attract water and can clog the membrane.
• A washing machine with a gentle or synthetics cycle, or a large basin for hand washing.
• Time for one or two extra rinses.

Washing by hand

If the label says hand wash, use a basin with lukewarm water at or below the label temperature and the dissolved technical wash. Knead the jacket gently, especially collar, cuffs and hem, then rinse in fresh water until no foam appears. Press the water out; never wring it, which strains seams and laminates.

Rain trousers and gaiters are washed the same way – brush off dried mud first. Waterproof boots need their own routine, see boots and foot care.

Reactivating the DWR with heat

Many water-repellent finishes recover with gentle heat after washing. Clean fibres plus a little warmth often bring the beading back without any new product at all. That is why the dryer, not the spray can, is the second step – but only if the care label allows heat.

If the label does not allow heat, air-dry the jacket on a hanger and skip this step. Some finishes work without heat, others need it – the label and the reproofer's instructions tell you which.

Wash-in vs spray-on reproofer: which is better?

When a clean, heat-treated jacket still soaks up water, its finish is worn and you renew it with a reproofer. There are two kinds, and they behave differently.

Spray-on reproofer is sprayed onto the outside of the garment. It goes exactly where you want it – the outer face fabric – and you can give extra attention to the shoulders, cuffs, hood and seat, where finishes wear first. For membrane jackets with a wicking inner lining, spray-on is usually the better choice, because it leaves the inside untreated.

Wash-in reproofer goes into the washing machine instead of detergent, after a separate wash. It treats the whole garment evenly, inside and out. That suits garments without a membrane – softshells, windproof jackets, fleece – and single-layer coated garments where the inside does not need to wick. On a membrane jacket, a water-repellent inner lining can make sweat bead on the inside instead of spreading out and passing through, so many makers advise against wash-in for those – read both labels.

PFC-free water repellents: what changes for you

For decades, most high-performance finishes were based on fluorinated chemicals (often called PFCs, part of the larger PFAS group). They repelled water and oil very well, but some of them are extremely persistent in the environment and in the body. Regulators in the EU and other regions have been restricting these substances step by step, and the outdoor industry has largely moved to PFC-free (fluorine-free) finishes. Rules differ between countries and are still changing; this is background, not legal advice.

PFC-free finishes use other chemistries – for example based on hydrocarbons, silicones or waxes. For you, the practical differences are:

• They repel water well, but oil and dirt less. Sweat, skin oils, sun cream and smoke make them wet out sooner, so they need washing more often.
• They may need renewing more often, especially in wear zones. Plan reproofing as normal maintenance, not a repair.
• Heat reactivation works for some, not all. Check the care label and the reproofer instructions.
• Match the reproofer to the finish. Most reproofers sold today are fluorine-free; follow their instructions for application and drying.

Waxed cotton: cleaning and rewaxing

Waxed cotton jackets, hats and bags work differently from membranes: the wax itself fills the weave and makes the cotton water-resistant. They are popular in bushcraft because they tolerate sparks far better than synthetics, as explained in waxed cotton and canvas. Their care is simple, but completely different: never put waxed cotton in the washing machine and never use detergent – both strip the wax.

Rewax when the fabric looks pale, dry or patchy, or when water starts soaking in at seams, shoulders and creases. With regular use, many owners rewax once a year, typically before the wet season; heavily used items may need it more often.

Wipe off surplus that stays tacky the next day; a fresh coat can mark light clothing for a few days.

Poly-cotton tarps and canvas tents: seasoning and reproofing

Poly-cotton tarps and cotton canvas tents are the fireside shelters of bushcraft: they breathe, they are quiet and a stray spark usually leaves only a small mark, as described in tarp materials compared. They are not "set and forget", though. Three things keep canvas waterproof for many years.

Season new canvas

New cotton and poly-cotton often weeps a little at the seams in its first heavy rain. Cotton fibres swell when wet, closing the needle holes and the weave. That is why many makers recommend pitching a new canvas shelter and wetting it thoroughly – in rain or with a hose – and letting it dry, once or twice, before the first trip. Our tipi guide describes the same weathering for canvas tipis. Follow your shelter's instructions.

Clean gently, never in the machine

Brush off dry dirt, needles and leaves, then clean marks with lukewarm water and a soft sponge or brush. Avoid detergents, washing machines and tumble dryers – the same rule our tent care and tarp care guides give for coated shelters. Detergent strips the water-repellent treatment out of canvas.

Reproof when it starts to wick

Canvas needs reproofing when water no longer beads, when wet patches spread through the fabric or when it drips in steady rain. Use a reproofer made for canvas and cotton. Most are brushed or sprayed onto the clean, dry, pitched shelter in dry weather, with special attention to seams, the ridge and corners, and then left to cure for the time the product states before it gets wet again. Do this outdoors, away from any fire.

In rain, do not touch the inside of a canvas wall or let gear lean against it: contact can draw water through the weave at that point. And above all: never pack canvas away damp for more than a day. Mildew stains and weakens cotton within days, as our guide to drying gear after rain explains.

Seam tape and small repairs

Leaks along seams and through holes are a different job from reproofing – fix them first, so the new finish is not wasted.

Peeling seam tape

Seam tape is glued over the stitching on the inside of most waterproofs. Heat, age, damp storage and harsh detergents make it lift at the ends. Small lifted sections can often be re-bonded at home with an iron on low through a cloth – only if the label allows ironing – or sealed with a seam sealer that suits the fabric. Clean and dry the seam first, apply thin coats and let it cure fully, as described in our guide to repairing torn fabric. Seam sealer needs dry, warm conditions to cure, so treat it as a home job, not a field repair.

Holes, thorn punctures and spark burns

Close small holes with a self-adhesive repair patch made for the fabric: clean and dry the area, cut a patch that extends about 2 cm past the hole in every direction, round the corners and press it on firmly from the middle out. Ideally patch both inside and outside. On a jacket that will be reproofed, apply the patch first and reproof afterwards. A spark hole in a synthetic jacket is a reminder of the rules in clothing near the fire.

When to stop repairing

If the inside coating is sticky, flaking or bubbling across large areas, or the laminate has separated in big blisters, reproofing and patches will not help. That jacket can still serve as a windproof layer, but for real rain you need a new one – our budget gear guide puts a good rain jacket near the top of the list.

Rain gear care on the trail

On a trip you cannot wash or reproof, but a few habits slow the decline:

• Shake and hang: after rain, shake off water and hang the jacket under the tarp on a ridgeline – see the tarp ridgeline – rather than stuffing it wet into the pack.
• Wipe off mud while it is wet and soft, or brush it off once dry. Do not scrub hard.
• Protect from sparks and heat: take a synthetic shell off at the fire or sit upwind, and never dry it on stones next to the fire.
• Pack it on top or in an outer pocket so you can reach it in seconds, and keep everything else dry in a dry bag or pack liner.

If your jacket wets out on a long, cold, wet day, it is still windproof and still keeps much of the rain off. Add a warm layer underneath, keep moving, and watch the feels-like temperature with the wind chill calculator. Wet and windy weather just above freezing is classic hypothermia weather – a wet-out shell is a reason to be more careful, not to panic.

How to store waterproofs

Waterproofs age in the cupboard as much as on the trail. Coatings, laminates and seam tape break down faster when they are warm, damp, dirty or creased for long periods. Good storage is easy:

• Clean and completely dry before you put anything away – dirt and sweat keep working on the fabric during storage.
• Hang loosely on a wide hanger in a wardrobe, or fold loosely on a shelf. Do not leave rain gear compressed in a stuff sack between trips.
• Cool, dry, dark: not in a damp cellar, not in a hot attic, not in a car boot in summer, and not in a sunny window.
• Breathable, not airtight: avoid sealed plastic bags and boxes, which trap moisture.

Canvas tarps and tents follow the same rules: dry fully, store loosely in a breathable bag, in a dry place. The same approach keeps your sleep kit healthy, as described in sleeping bag care and storage. Put the yearly jobs – washing, reproofing, rewaxing – on your list in the Kit Builder next to the bushcraft kit list. You do not need a perfect jacket to start: a simple, well-kept shell goes a long way, as bushcraft for beginners shows – and on wet paddling trips such as canoe camping, good care pays off twice.