Caring for your Outer Layer – Foul Weather Gear
Foul weather gear is a big
investment and the more performance oriented the gear is, the bigger the
investment as products use high-end materials to maximize weather-proofing and
breathability. Whitecaps Marine
Outfitters want to make sure you get the best life out of your gear. In short, no matter if you have Henri Lloyd
Elite Offshore gear or a basic waterproof jacket, there are a few simple things
you can do to get the best useful life before the inevitable separation of the
fabric layers (de-lamination) occurs.
Shortcutting to the finish:
- Remove the salt residue by rinsing in cold fresh water as frequently as possible (we do it after every weekend on the water)
- Periodically wash in a mild soapy cold water – use kitchen dish soap and NOT washing detergent. Rinse thoroughly after washing.
- Always hang to drip dry in a cool, shady place.
Okay, there are a few more parts
to each step but those are the basics for the impatient people, like myself.
To break down each step in a
little more detail there are some things about modern foul weather gear that
can help to make sense of the steps.
Foulies today consist of a
number of layered fabrics each possessing a particular quality. These are essentially glued together and the
outer (face) layer is either coated or treated with a durable water repellent
(DWR). How the fabrics are laminated,
treated and assembled into the finished garment is a key differentiator of
brands and quality. In general, you do
get what you pay for and brands such as Gore-Tex® have very stringent protocols
and standards that must be met throughout the design and assembly process.
Foul weather garments eventually
deteriorate through a loss of the water repellent coating as well as fabric
de-lamination that will occur over time.
Proper care will help you to get the longest life of peak performance.
Remove the salt residue - no
kidding Sherlock!
Salt water is an abrasive and
corrosive substance. Even if you don’t
get wet, a thin layer of salt builds up on your outer gear in a short period of
time. It may seem dry, but salt is a
desiccant – that is, it absorbs water from the air. So dry salt on your gear quickly become a
sticky, concentrated salt water. As
often as practical, you should rinse your gear in cold water, even just a quick
hose off in the shower, making sure you “work” zippers and press-studs. Also, remember to take out your hood
too. Ideally though, a thorough
immersion in fresh water with minor agitation is best. That is, dunk your foulies in the laundry
sink or bath tub full of water and move them around a bit. This will help to dislodge the salt and
dissolve it in the water.
Periodically use soapy water – even
for fresh water boaters.
A little care and restraint is
recommended. Use a very low mix of cold soapy
water - barely enough soap to create suds on the surface. Use a liquid kitchen dish soap with the
minimal amount of ‘chemicals’. The main
aim is to break down any oils and grime that isn’t being washed away through
regular rinsing. Diesel and other oils
can accumulate on the surface. These are
harmful to your gear, especially the water resistant coating. The catch though, is that soap can also wash
away the face-layer DWR, which is why it is important that very little soap is
used.
Similar to rinsing, gentle
agitation in the soap-mix will help to beak down the grime and move it away
from the material. Keep pockets closed
if possible, especially when there is a fleece or similar lining.
Kitchen dish soap is made for
immersing your hands in. It is gentle
and generally does not contain bleach.
Laundry machine detergents almost always contain a bleach. They also often contain water softeners, foam
stabilizers and even corrosive inhibitors to help extend the life of your
washing machine. Bleach and some of the
other chemicals in laundry detergent can degrade the fabric lamination.
There are two main process to
laminate the materials used in marine foul weather gear. Solvent lamination and hot-melt. Solvent lamination uses a solvent to liquefy
the materials surface and fuses the layers together with the application of high
pressure. This forms a bonded layer that
is able to withstand high wash and rinse cycles and is less sensitive to body
and environmental temperature. Hot-melt
lamination is done through the application of a hot-melt glue sandwiched
between the layers. Heat and pressure is
then applied to melt and hold the glued surfaces. Hot-melt is not as durable as solvent
lamination and is more susceptible to environmental, including body, heat. Both solvent lamination and hot-melt are
susceptible to bleach.
For very stubborn stains, you can use a wash-in cleaner made specifically for waterproof garments such as these made by Henri Lloyd and Gill:
Drip dry in a cool, shady place –
not the bottom of your gear-bag
After rinsing or washing your
foul weather gear, it is important to completely dry them before folding them
and putting them away in a gear bag or drawer.
This will prevent mold and extend the life of your gear.
The most important consideration
is that your gear should be dried in a cool, shady place. After all, foul weather gear is designed to
perform in cold, wet and generally unpleasant weather. Hanging your gear in the full sun on a
summers’ day can promote de-lamination at a surprisingly quick rate.
Consider this, a lot of gear
uses the hot-melt lamination process.
The heat used in the process is around 185F. That is less than a cup of hot coffee. De-lamination can start to occur at this point. Even your body temperature can accelerate
de-lamination through prolonged, sustained perspiration like on a warm day. So keep clear of dryers, irons or other
heat-sourced drying methods.
The best drying conditions is
hanging under a cover with a gentle breeze over the gear to aid the drying
process. I hang my gear on the back of a
door leaving the window open. An open
hatch would work just as well when on-board.
Reapply the protective DWR
coating – getting wet in your gear.
Per the manufacturers
directions, should you find that your gear’s DWR coating is wearing off and
water is beginning to penetrate your gear, you can recoat your garment with a
DWR. These are available from Whitecaps
Marine Outfitters.
So that is the short and long of
it. Simple maintenance of your foul
weather gear will help you to get a lot of use out of it. Also, by knowing a bit about what can cause
your gear to fail should help you to avoid those situations. Keeping you dry in foul weather is what the
gear is made to do.
Shop for a great selection of foul weather gear and
cleaning products at www.whitecapsmarine.com.
Always FREE SHIPPING for all US orders.
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