Washing a Rukka jacket

[Duncan Richmond]

Hi,

The missus wants to wash her Rukka jacket - the label says machine wash at 40c is ok. Any one had problems with machine washing Rukka gear ? Many thanks

Duncan

 

[mike wright]

Washed mine but without detergents and its fine...dones leak. I do use the wash in Nikwax waterproofer while I do it though. Leave it to dry naturally in the wind. Theres a special Nikwax for Gortex approx £5

 

[Deleted account 220427002]

Give it to Droppy Dick to wash for you


i'd contact Rukka themselves.... with a jacket that costs so much you want to treat it right... Shep has one for a long time maybe he knows what's the best way to wash one.

 

[(RIP) petcul]

Anything with water proofing better to

-Run an empty wash cycle to clean out the detergents from the machine
-Wash with Tecwash
-Reproof with Tecproof

Done it loads of times on all sorts of waterproofs and they still do the job.

Bit of a pain but worth it.

 

[bustupbiker]

Anything with water proofing better to

-Run an empty wash cycle to clean out the detergents from the machine
-Wash with Tecwash
-Reproof with Tecproof

Done it loads of times on all sorts of waterproofs and they still do the job.

Bit of a pain but worth it.

+1 same here always works if done that way

 

[cookie]

wash my rukka in fairy non bio. rinse. job done.

wtf would i want to waterproof gore tex? check out what rukka say here

that tecwash stuff must be the most overpriced washing liquid on the planet.

 

[moody]

You SHOULD wash Rukka regularly because the pores in the goretex get clogged up with road grime and then it doesn't work as well. Washing with a normal liquid or powder, but don't add softener.

 

[g.s.john]

yep wash with normal powder at 40c but take the armour out do NOT spin hang out to dry, jobs a good un

 

[mike wright]

wash my rukka in fairy non bio. rinse. job done.

wtf would i want to waterproof gore tex? check out what rukka say here

that tecwash stuff must be the most overpriced washing liquid on the planet.

because Gortex STILL can lose it waterproof properties...... READ THE TEC ABOUT GORTEX......

 

[cookie]

because Gortex STILL can lose it waterproof properties...... READ THE TEC ABOUT GORTEX......

well, it hasn't IME


rukka don't specify tecwash

 

[Steve the Kiwi]

because Gortex STILL can lose it waterproof properties...... READ THE TEC ABOUT GORTEX......

Technically impossible for gore tex to lose it's waterproofness... unless punctured chemically damaged or bloody old.

The waterproofing they mention is for the outer "face fabric" (gore tex actually looks like a sheet of something similar to plumbers tape )

the outer fabric is coated with "durable water repellent" (DWR) this is there to stop the structural and protective face fabric from "wetting out" ( becoming sodden with water i.e. when the water stops beading off like water off a ducks...) When the face fabric wets out it prevents the gore-tex from breathing and functioning like it should ( also makes the jacket heavy and wet etc)

A new jacket will wet out in heavy prolonged run but will quickly dry out - as will a looked after older jacket.

The others a re right saying that you need to wash your jacket regulary...

My background is mounatineering shops in New Zealand and the biggest failure i saw with Gore tex jackets ( apart form being attached by a gorse hedge) is the owner not washing it for years and the acid in the skin oils eating the gore tex, especially at the collar.

I personally would avoid "wash in" treatments. For washing I use "snowseal sportswash" at a first preference and "nikwax tech" wash if i can't find snowseal. Specking to W.L. Gore in Sydney they tiold me they used what ever powdered detergent that was on sale at the supermarket and simply ran the garment through an extra cycle with no detergent to remove any of the "masking agents" in the soap. All the special stuff is clever marketing especially the Nikwax tech wash- 8 EUR to wash a jacket twice!! that's why i use the Snowseal sports wash - you get several more loads for the money and it's gore-tex approved..

To waterproof i use "revivex" a product produced by W.L. Gore. Which you spray on while the garment is wet after the wash

May you have success in your laundry quest.......

 

[Duncan Richmond]

Hi All,

Many thanks for all the usefull info (as usual)

Duncan

 

[Shep]

... Shep has one for a long time maybe he knows what's the best way to wash one.

Fairy non bio and rinse really well, the only issues I have is that the armour is starting to break up, its never been in the wash so I'd guess it may be a UV problem (I have the APR3 with the mesh outer) still got a year left on the warrantee though so I should get it sorted.

I do wish they would source they're zips somewhere else i don't think i've got an original tag left on ony of it.

Shep

 

[JoeC]

If you want to wash the cheap way then, as said, use non-BIO power or why not try soap flakes i.e. www.dripak.co.uk

Quote from somewhere ...

'Pure soap flakes are an ideal way of caring for waterproof shells and any other outdoors garment which uses a DWR - Durable Water Repellant - treatment. The wetting agents in most commercial detergents are designed to help water penetrate fabrics and strip away the DWR effect - not a good thing. Soap flakes leaves it intact and helps the shell fabric to bead and shed water. They also avoid depositing detergent nasties that could have similarly negative effects.
Turns out that Lux was withdrawn from the market by Lever Brothers last year, but Dri Pak, who produced the product, now sell their own brand called, erm, Soap Flakes.'

 

[Duncan Richmond]

Give it to Droppy Dick to wash for you


Would we get it back by next Friday? We are off on holiday

It washed up well with mild soap liquid - hopes it's still waterproof

Thanks for your replies