CyclistHow to maintain your waterproof cycling kitWet weather cycling gear, like other outdoor waterproof clothing, needs to be looked after to keep it working at its best. While water beads off waterproof clothing when its box-fresh, after its been worn for a while this may no longer occur and youll also find youre getting damp from sweat more readily.Thats when you probably need to clean and possibly re-waterproof your cycling jacket and other poor weather outer layer clothing to restore comfort and effectiveness.Its important to do this carefully though, as waterproof clothing is delicate and you can damage it or fail to restore water resistance by using the wrong products. Well walk you through when you need to clean and re-proof waterproof fabrics and the specialist products to use.Although there are a wide range of branded products such as Gore-Tex, eVent and Polartec, as well as own-brand fabrics, the same principles apply to each and most brands recommend the same small range of cleaning and re-proofing products.What makes cycle clothing waterproof?PolartecCycling waterproofs fall into either hardshell or softshell categories. A hardshell garment will usually be made of a three-layer fabric, where a waterproof, breathable membrane is sandwiched between an outer and an inner layer.In the past, the membrane was ePTFE (expanded polytetrafluoroethylene), with Gore-Tex the best known brand. The membrane was made with forever chemicals, which have now been banned, so now membranes are typically made of ePE (expanded polyethylene).The clothings outer layer is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating, which repels water. This is what causes water droplets to bead up and run off the surface of the garment.This too used to be made of PFCs (perfluorinated compounds), which have also been banned as they dont break down in the environment, so PFC-free coatings are now used.On clothing with greater water resistance, the seams may be taped either on the inside or the outer face to help keep water out.Softshell cycling kit usually does without a membrane, but relies on a DWR coating alone to provide breathable water resistance. Some cycling clothing mixes fabrics with and without a membrane, to provide water resistance, but with increased breathability.When do my cycling waterproofs need care?Markus StitzThe DWR coating allows water vapour to escape, while helping to keep liquid water out and is needed for the waterproofing to be effective and for the membrane in a three-layer garment to work effectively.Over time, the DWR coating tends to wear off, while when it gets dirty or contaminated with oils or sweat it will be less effective.The outer face of your water-resistant cycling kit will tend to wet out, a sure sign that it needs care. Youll also find that, since it becomes less breathable, theres increased sweat build-up as you ride and your cycling jersey or base layer gets more damp.How do I maintain my waterproof clothing?There are two stages to caring for waterproof clothing. Often, you can reduce wetting out and restore its water resistance by washing it, but if this isnt effective you may need to re-treat it with a fabric reproofer.General-purpose laundry detergents include wetting agents, perfumes and other additives, which stay on the surface of waterproof clothing and will cause it to wet out, so its important to use a specialist product purpose-designed to wash technical waterproofs we have specific recommendations below.Never use bleach or harsh chemicals or dry clean a waterproof.If washing alone is not effective, the garment may need to be re-proofed. Again, there are specific products available that will add a new DWR coating. You usually need to wash your cycling kit with a specialist wash first, but some products clean and re-proof your waterproofs in one step.After washing, youll need to dry your waterproofs. Some re-proofers benefit from tumble drying or gentle ironing on a low setting as this improves their effectiveness.Be very careful to read your kits washing instructions and keep the temperature low though, as some fabrics and seam-sealing can be damaged by excessive heat. Elastane or Lycra, in particular, can be damaged by heat, so a softshell may lose its stretch if it gets too hot.What re-proofing products are available?Matthew Loveridge / CyclistTwo specialist brands that we have found to be effective and that are recommended by a number of cycle clothing brands and waterproof fabric manufacturers are Nikwax and Grangers.Nikwax sells Tech Wash, which is a wash product that can often refresh a DWR outer surface coating. Grangers equivalent is Performance Wash.If you need to re-treat your clothing, Nikwax sells TX.Direct, while Grangers sells Clothing Repel. Both are available either as wash-in or spray-on formulations.NikwaxBoth brands sell a range of other products designed for specific uses. Nikwaxs range includes Softshell Proof for softshells, Polar Proof for fleece clothing and formulations for everything from gloves to neoprene overshoes.Grangers sells Plus formulations as well as standard washing and re-proofing products and two-in-one wash and repel products. Again, there are more specialist Grangers products for specific types of clothing.Both brands sell larger volumes as well as smaller packs which will typically provide one or two washes.Other brands with treatment products include Muc-Off and G-Techniq. Some brands, such as Endura, sell their own washing and re-proofing products, although these are often from specialists ranges but in own-brand packaging.The post How to maintain your waterproof cycling kit appeared first on Cyclist.