How to Care for Rainwear

In order to maximize the usable lifespan of your rainwear, washing your rainwear is essential!

Maintaining your rainwear is what largely determines its performance and whether or not it will keep you safe and comfortable in the outdoors.
How can you maintain your garment's performance? The answer is simple: regular washing and treating it with heat. By washing frequently and treating it with heat, you can rejuvenate the garment's water repellency, which plays an essential role in garment's waterproof/breathable function.

We commonly receive questions such as "Can rainwear be washed at home?" or "How often should I wash my rain jacket?" Though you may have concerns about potential damage to the fabric from frequent washings, it pales in comparison to the damage incurred by storing your rain jacket in the closet after use.
Many of the contaminants that adhere to the fabric are not easily visible, and simply wearing the item can lead to it being exposed to perspiration and the oils our bodies naturally produce. It is ideal to wash the item after every use. Regular washing is what prolongs the life of your rainwear.

Modern rainwear typically employs waterproof/breathable materials. These materials are designed to prevent liquid water (ie raindrops) from passing through the material, and yet allow water vapor (ie evaporated perspiration) to pass through the material to the outside.
Neglecting maintenance leads to a decline in water repellency, causing the fabric's surface to absorb moisture, eliminating any avenue for water vapor to escape. Water vapor will instead condense into water droplets on the inside of the garment.

When functioning properly, water droplets roll off the surface of the fabric.

Oil stains, mud/dirt and abrasion can deteroriate the water repellent treatment, causing a loss of water repellency.

For maintenance of rainwear, you can use a neutral detergent like O.D. Maintenance Multi Cleaner.
MontBell's O.D. Maintenance Multi Cleaner is a high-functioning detergent, formulated to clean a variety of materials. (It is restricted for sale in some countries). It has excellent cleaning performance even in lukewarm water, and doesn't compromise the waterproof/breathable functionality of the garment.
Detergents formulated for natural fibers are neutral detergents and surprisingly be used to clean your rainwear.

After washing, follow the directions below to dry the garment or "heat treat" (guideline: up to 60 °C) your rainwear. Applying heat to your garment is necessary to rejuvenate the water repellent treatment.

Even if contaminants are washed away, the water repellent polymers are collapsed and will not function.

When heat is applied, the water repellant polymers realign, restoring the garment's water beading effect.

The water repellent treatment of your rainwear will gradually wear off with prolonged use. If the water beading effect of your garment cannot be restored with washing or heat treatment, it is time to reapply water repellent treatment.
Use the water repellent specific to each type of product to restore water repellency. We offer three types of water repellents for garments.

This spray allows you to easily reapply water repellent treatment after your garment is dry, even the morning before you leave for a trip.

After washing, ensure the garment is dry and spray on a thin, uniform coat. Spraying too much is wasteful as it has no effect on performance and only causes the treatment to run.
If the treatment causes a stain, heat the area immediately with an iron to lighten the stain.
Once dry, reapply 4-5 coats. As a general idea, one 330ml spray can is enough to coat a rain jacket and rain pant.

Spray on garments that have been washed but are still wet for best performance. This type of spray is also great for reapplying to specific areas and when you want to avoid treating the inside of the garment.

After washing, spray the garment while it is still wet, then dry in a dryer or apply heat with an iron or hair dryer. After spraying the garment, you could use a sponge to apply an even coat.

After washing, multiple garments can be treated at the same time with an even coat when using soak-in type water repellent treatment. Use on garments like rainwear, or other items that you want to apply water repellency to the entire garment.

After washing your garments, immerse in water with the water repellent treatment mixed in. After soaking, dry in a dryer or apply heat with an iron or hair dryer.

If you get an unexpected rip or tear from a tree branch or the corner of a rock, leaving it untreated will ruin the product's ability to keep you dry.
Depending on the extent and location of damage, there are handy repair items for backcountry emergencies and for when you get home.

An adhesive patch applied to the outside of the damaged area. However, this is merely a temporary repair for backcountry emergencies.

• 1) Cut the Sheet

After thoroughly removing any dirt from the damaged area, cut the sheet to a size larger than the hole or tear. The larger the adhesion area, the higher durability. Rounding the corners will make it less likely to peel off.

• 2) Apply to the outer fabric

Apply to the outer fabric on the damaged area.

These are patches that are applied to the inner fabric of the damaged area.

• 1) Sew the hole or tear together

Thoroughly remove any dirt from the damaged area, then sew the damaged areas together.

• 2) Apply the sheet to the inner fabric

Cut the sheet to a size larger than the hole or tear, then place the repair patch to the inner fabric of the damaged area.

• 3) Apply heat with an iron

Use a pressing cloth and apply heat to the repair patch with an iron.

For issues involving seam tape or repairs requiring complex sewing skills, please consult with your local Montbell store or . We're available for repair consultions anytime.

Proper care and storage is essential for maximizing the usable lifespan of your rainwear. Especially when storing long term, please note the following.

• Store on a hanger

If left stuff sack for long term storage, moisture remaining on the fabric can lead to damage. Please use a hanger for long term storage.

• Avoid Direct Sunlight

Avoid direct sunlight as ultraviolet rays can damage the fabric.

• Avoid Direct Contact with Household Chemicals

Store so that desiccants, moth balls, air fresheners, etc., do not come in direct contact with the fabric. Please check the chemical's instructions or warning labels.

• Avoid Hot Humid Conditions

Avoid places exposed to high temperatures or high humidity such as car interiors or outdoor storage. Store somewhere with stable temperatures and good ventilation.

• Always keep clean to maximize usable lifespan

Storing a product dirty will accelerate fabric deterioration. To maximize the lifespan of the product, always keep it clean.