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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Gear

How to Reproof a Rain Jacket: Washing & Reproofing Waterproofs

Your rain jacket is not leaking. It is just dirty.

Quick facts

Time
2–3 hours, mostly waiting
Difficulty
Easy
Best for
Membrane jackets, trousers, waxed cotton, canvas
You need
Technical wash, reproofer, care label

What you need

  • Technical wash for waterproof clothing
  • Spray-on reproofer (and wash-in for softshells)
  • Fabric wax for waxed cotton
  • Canvas reproofer for poly-cotton tarps and tents
  • Soft brush and sponge
  • Seam sealer suited to the fabric
  • Round-cornered self-adhesive repair patches
  • Wide hangers for storage

Step by step

  1. Check: beading or soaking in?

    1 Check: beading or soaking in?

    Sprinkle water on the shoulders. If it beads and rolls off, the finish works. If the fabric darkens and soaks it up, the jacket needs care – usually a wash first.

  2. Wash with a technical cleaner

    2 Wash with a technical cleaner

    Close all zips, empty the pockets and wash the jacket on its own with a technical wash, at the temperature and on the gentle cycle the care label states.

  3. Rinse twice, no softener

    3 Rinse twice, no softener

    Add an extra rinse so no detergent stays in the fabric. Never use fabric softener or normal powder – residues attract water and block breathability.

  4. Reactivate with heat if allowed

    4 Reactivate with heat if allowed

    If the label allows it, tumble dry on low or iron on low with a cloth between. Gentle heat often brings the water-repellent finish back.

  5. Reproof only if it still soaks

    5 Reproof only if it still soaks

    If water still soaks in after washing and heat, apply a spray-on or wash-in reproofer exactly as the product says, then dry or activate it.

  6. Store clean, dry and loose

    6 Store clean, dry and loose

    Hang waterproofs loosely in a cool, dry, dark place. Never store them damp, dirty or compressed in a stuff sack for months.

Common mistakes

  • Reproofing a dirty jacket instead of washing it first.
  • Using normal detergent or fabric softener on waterproofs.
  • Skipping the extra rinse, so detergent residue attracts water.
  • Using heat although the care label forbids it – or drying the jacket by the fire.
  • Using wash-in reproofer on a membrane jacket whose lining should wick sweat.
  • Putting waxed cotton or canvas in the washing machine.
  • Storing rain gear damp or compressed in a stuff sack.