Help! Cleaning Textile Jacket

From knowledge and experience, most garments that suggest no to machine was, are either because the detergent will not wash out of the fabric properly, the spin cycle may cause stress to and/or cause the surface of the fabric to pill, and in the case of waterproofs, detergents and fabric conditioners can cause physical damage to actual fabric.

Personal preference for oil, is to mix some original (green) swarfega with a little water.
1. Gently rub in to oil, fasten all zips, turn inside out and then place the garment in the machine. If the lining is very lightweight, tie up a bed sheet around garment to help minimise the risk of damage to the lining when in the machine.
2. Wash through with just water (no detergent) on a cool 30deg or less wash.
Don't let it spin out.
3. Once cycle is finished, check to see if stains have gone, if not, repeat. Adding a little ecover delicate detergent the second time.
4. When clean, add some Nikwax wash-in (I usually use polar proof, but suspect that it's all the same stuff in different bottles), and give another run through.
5. Squeeze bulk of water out and lie flat somewhere that will drain until worst of the water has drained. This prevents the weight of the water mis-shaping and/or damaging the garment.
6. Hang or lie in a very warm place to dry - the heat obviously helps it to dry, but also helps with the performance of the Nikwax.

I'm not guaranteeing that this won't damage you jacket, but I've never had issues using this approach for any garments I own, that are dry-clean only, no-clean (i.e. clean with damp cloth), goretex lined, whatever. Don't forget about it a leave in the washing machine any longer than necessary.

Originally Posted by boot

From knowledge and experience, most garments that suggest no to machine was, are either because the detergent will not wash out of the fabric properly, the spin cycle may cause stress to and/or cause the surface of the fabric to pill, and in the case of waterproofs, detergents and fabric conditioners can cause physical damage to actual fabric.

Personal preference for oil, is to mix some original (green) swarfega with a little water.
1. Gently rub in to oil, fasten all zips, turn inside out and then place the garment in the machine. If the lining is very lightweight, tie up a bed sheet around garment to help minimise the risk of damage to the lining when in the machine.
2. Wash through with just water (no detergent) on a cool 30deg or less wash.
Don't let it spin out.
3. Once cycle is finished, check to see if stains have gone, if not, repeat. Adding a little ecover delicate detergent the second time.
4. When clean, add some Nikwax wash-in (I usually use polar proof, but suspect that it's all the same stuff in different bottles), and give another run through.
5. Squeeze bulk of water out and lie flat somewhere that will drain until worst of the water has drained. This prevents the weight of the water mis-shaping and/or damaging the garment.
6. Hang or lie in a very warm place to dry - the heat obviously helps it to dry, but also helps with the performance of the Nikwax.

I'm not guaranteeing that this won't damage you jacket, but I've never had issues using this approach for any garments I own, that are dry-clean only, no-clean (i.e. clean with damp cloth), goretex lined, whatever. Don't forget about it a leave in the washing machine any longer than necessary.

Nice post

Reckon you should ask the mods to sticky that in the Gear section.

[TheRamJam]

I have got the HG GoreTex Journey Textile suit

Usually wash it every 3-4 months depending on its usage. I normally just bung it in the machine on a 30 handwash delicate cycle.

Hang up to dry and then spray the TX Direct Spray on

Never had any problems with this technique so far

Thanks for all the replies. I bought some of the Nikwax stuff and am gonna have a go in a bit. Will let you know the results!

My clothing expert (someone who's worked on the design and testing of bike kit) always told me that Goretex and other waterproofing membranes need regular washing to keep the membrane waterproof and breatheable. He recommended using a cheap non-bio washing powder and a 30 deg wash cycle followed by a warm tumble dry until the garment was damp, then hang it out to dry fully naturally. The outer garment should easily be able to physically withstand being put in a washing machine, if it can't then I don't want to be out riding in it so I wouldn't even consider buying it. It does make life easier if the armour is removed from the garment first

I've used this technique for at least the last 10 years on all my textile kit, which I tend to use more than leathers, and my old Gericke Voyager 3 jacket and trousers lasted 8 years without leaking or fading. I've done both my newish Held jackets and the Held trousers a couple of times and they are still like new after 2 years/10,000 miles each.

I don't bother using Nikwax or similar waterproofing treatments because my textiles have waterproofing membranes that work very well, but I can see the point if you don't like the outer garment getting wet or don't have somewhere to hang it where it will dry overnight or while working. I have been told that some waterproofing treatments gum up in the seams and collect grit, which wears away at the stitching thread and makes the seams weaker.

The simplest way of making sure you don't get discoloured kit is to buy good old honest black stuff that doesn't pander to fashion. Black is the one true colour for all things motorcycle related

[yorkie_chris]

Only advantage I see to TX direct treatment is it delays the outer from getting saturated. I have halvarssons Korax jacket and it is still fine after years and 10s of 1000s, but the outer bit holding a gallon of water is heavy!

[yorkie_chris]

Originally Posted by Lozzo

Black is the one true colour for all things motorcycle related

Hear hear

[dizzyblonde]

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Hear hear

fibber you love wearing ghey coloured leathers

I only have black biking gear. Halvarrsons, bought at the same time as YCs jacket, difference being is mine gets regular TX direct treatment, its only after three years since buying that it really does need to be bunged in a washer. Granted its not worn as much as his though.

Use Nixwax Tech Wash in machine on low temp low spin speed. Hang to dryon coat hanger but when just damp spray on Nixwax Spray-On liberally, then leave to fully dry.

When the jacket is dry, tumble dry it. The Spray-On does not work effectively until you do this.

Tim

Originally Posted by yorkie_chris

Only advantage I see to TX direct treatment is it delays the outer from getting saturated. I have halvarssons Korax jacket and it is still fine after years and 10s of 1000s, but the outer bit holding a gallon of water is heavy!

I really rate Halvarssons bike kit, it's a shame the Korax is no longer made as it was a brilliant jacket for the cost. Somne gaments do get very heavy once the outer shell is saturated, and can take a long time to dry out. That's when treatments like Nikwax sprays can be useful, but I don't bother.