Looking after foulweather gear

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FairweatherDave

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I've just cleared off our foul weather gear from the boat and not suprisingly it is feeling a little damp (as salt attracts moisture). No doubt some will take their wet weather gear home after every sail even if it feels pretty dry whilst others are more relaxed and leave it aboard. My plan is to hose everything down and dry and store at home until next season, but I am curious what other routines people do whilst their boat's are in commision. I had been keeping the gear on board in the hope of one more sail of the season but all the seriously windy weather killed that idea (that's another discussion).
 
Thanks Fantasie, that makes sense, particularly if you sail single handed. What dictates my preference for leaving everything aboard is the lack of space in the car and in the inflatable ..... and that it is a bit of a challenge to get the family to go sailing if the weather "needs" foul weather gear. They do like keeping dry though so they are now more inclined to wear the bottom halves in the inflatable out to the mooring.
I guess what I am equally interested in is how often people put them through the washing machine, versus hosing down outside or sticking them to soak in the bath. My instruction label says do not put in a machine (they are XM Coastal). I'm looking at five sets....... and they are looking at me:ambivalence:
What is the best way to get the salt out without knackering the "technical fabric". Put in on a wool wash without any washing powder?
 
FairweatherDave said:
What is the best way to get the salt out without knackering the "technical fabric". Put in on a wool wash without any washing powder?
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Mine are H/L's and they say 30 degree wash, no biological powder, no conditioner... I think I use a 'silk' wash cycle....

W.r.t leaving them on board or bringing home, they live in my sail bag and I tend to bring them home purely in case I need them next time I go to the boat, as I'm on a swinging mooring...
 
Thanks folks. I've gone down the simple old fashioned route, a good long (24hr) soak in a cold bath with occasional bit of agitation. No cleaning additives, they are clean enough. Drip drying them could take a while ............
 
The quick fix

Can I suggest that in the absence of a rinse, make sure wet weather gear is aired. For instance jacket on its own hanger and not bunched with other jackets. This can be at home or on your boat.

Cheers
 
I was advised by a waterproof clothing salesman that breathable fabrics should be washed in soapflakes to 'unclog' the membrane and then rinsed in a proprietary proofer to restore the 'water shedding' properties of the outer fabric.
I've done this with all my breathable gear and it seems to work well. One set of foulies is now 10 years old and still waterproof (although has a problem with black mould and various stains mainly antifouling and Sika).
 
My breathable foulies are treated to a Nikwash and Nikwax treatment once a year. My older set are still breathable and waterproof in the main after nearly 20 years but torn and patched. I bought a replacement set two years ago, not as cosy, but responding as well too the same treatment. I know it's expensive but not as dear as new sets.
 
What is this "home" place where you take your waterproofs?

Chatting to a guy on the Musto stand at the boat show about cleaning and reproofing their GoreTex stuff. His recommendation was wash in non-bio then *don't* wash in a re-proofing wash (which gets the inside as well as the outside) but spray on "granger's" (I didn't ask which product but a little investigation suggests the "extreme repel") then chuck in the tumble dryer to heat activate it.
 
We leave ours on board during the season, and bring it home with everything else when we lay up, we are summer sailors :D, the foulies are then washed and stored in a dry shed for the winter.
 
+1 to Techwash, and don't spin them!

I use the Nikwax reproofer once stuff is getting on, but not before. eg. I have not felt the need to reproof my 13 y/o musto jacket, but I did do the much older salopettes a few years ago. It revived the beading quite successfully but they didn't leak beforehand. Don't bung up the pores in Goretex with the wrong sort of reproofing products. (We are nikwax dealers, because we use the stuff...)

I would not even wash a woollen jumper in any normal high street washing powder as they all seem to contain strong detergents etc.; Read the boxes carefully. The only stuff to use is pure soap, which our Tesco's stopped selling a few years back.
 
SAPurdie said:
I would not even wash a woollen jumper in any normal high street washing powder as they all seem to contain strong detergents etc.; Read the boxes carefully. The only stuff to use is pure soap, which our Tesco's stopped selling a few years back.
Click to expand...
Our local Co op sells pure soap flakes at a fraction of the cost of Nikwash.
 
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