How do I look after my Paramo waterproof clothing is one of the most regular questions we get asked. Read on to find out the answer... How often should I wash my Paramo waterproof? This is a tricky question to answer precisely as it will depend on how often you wear it, in what weather conditions and how dirty it gets, but we can provide a general guide, so read on to find out how we recommend you can keep your Paramo clothing in the best possible condition and performing maximally. Do I need to proof my Paramo as soon as I’ve bought it? No, your new Paramo has been already been fully proofed and is ready to go. This highly durable water-repellent treatment is one of the significant advantages that Paramo had over other manufacturers’ waterproofing systems in that is highly reliable and durable. However, with wear and the gradual build up of dirt the waterproofness will decline. Thankfully the waterproofing is renewable indefinitely with regular washing in the appropriate products. [caption id="attachment_4023" align="aligncenter" width="400"] New Paramo's are proofed and ready to go[/caption] What do you recommend I wash my Paramo waterproof with? Paramo and ourselves recommend that you use Nikwax aftercare products which have been specifically developed to work with Paramo fabrics. All the Nikwax products are environmentally friendly, water-based, non-hazardous, non-solvent and fluorocarbon free, continuing the eco-friendly nature of the Paramo brand. There are basically two products we recommend for looking after your Paramo Nikwax Analogy clothing; 1) Nikwax Tech Wash and 2) TX Direct. [caption id="attachment_4025" align="aligncenter" width="299"] Nikwax Tech Wash & TX Direct[/caption] Nikwax Tech Wash is a wash-in, non-detergent, biodegradable liquid cleaner that removes dirt from the clothing without damaging the water-repellency and therefore reviving the garments waterproofing and breathability. In contrast traditional washing powders will strip out this repellency leaving the item unable to protect you from the wet and needing a full Tech Wash and TX Direct reproof. Instructions for washing Paramo with Nikwax Tech Wash:
  1. Ensure your washing machine soap tray is clean and free from any traditional detergents (you may want to run a hot wash through with no detergent to fully clean the system)
  2. Place one or a maximum of two Paramo garments in the washing machine
  3. Use 150ml Nikwax Tech Wash in medium/hard water areas or 100ml in soft water areas for 1-2 items.
  4. Wash on a 30 ºC synthetic cycle
How regularly do I need to wash my Paramo with Nikwax Tech Wash? How often you wash your Paramo clothing will depend on how regularly you wear it, the weather conditions and how much dirt it has attracted. As a general rule, we would suggest that every 3-8 weeks is a good guide. Even if the outside looks clean the pump liner material inside the clothing can become clogged from the salt in your sweat building up in the material, and the result is that it is ineffective at pushing moisture towards the outside and thus keeping you dry. If the outer material of the clothing starts to ‘wet out’ (see photo below) this is an indication that it needs cleaning. [caption id="attachment_4026" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Paramo Fabric "Wetting Out"[/caption] Once you have washed the item in Tech Wash the waterproofing should return to levels equivalent to when you bought it. If this is not the case it is time to reproof the clothing. A quick test to check if the Nikwax Tech Wash has had the desired effect is to run a tap over an area of the garment and the water should run off. [caption id="attachment_4027" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Reproofed Paramo Fabric Beading water[/caption] I’ve washed my Paramo Waterproof clothing in Nikwax Tech Wash but isn’t repelling water as well as it used to. How do I reproof it? Nikwax TX Direct is a wash-in water-based re-proofer which reduces the water absorbency of the outer material and thus recharging the waterproofness of your Paramo waterproofs. Instructions for reproofing Paramo with Nikwax TX Direct:
  1. Wash the item in Nikwax Tech Wash as described above
  2. Do not dry the items
  3. Add 100ml of Nikwax TX Direct per garment
  4. Wash again on a 30 ºC synthetic cycle and ideally turn the spin cycle off (or at least set very slow) – you want the proofer to remain on the garment not be spun off
  5. Allow to drip dry
Do I need to use Nikwax TX Direct every time I wash my Paramo clothing? No. In fact using Nikwax TX Direct on your Paramo Waterproof clothing every time you wash it will have a negative effect on the garments waterproofing and breathability. This is due to the build up of the water-repellent molecules inhibiting the fabric performance. We recommend that you only use the TX Direct when the Tech Wash fails to reactivate the waterproofing as describe above i.e. the material ‘wets out’ and water no longer ‘beads’ on the surface. How regularly do I need to reproof my Paramo with Nikwax TX Direct? As mentioned above reproofing should only be done when the garment no longer performs as it should in terms of waterproofing even after being washed in Nikwax Tech Wash. The water repellency added by Nikwax TX Direct has been shown to last approximately 30 wash cycles and therefore as a general rule reproofing is unlikely to be more than once a year. By using Nikwax Tech Wash regularly and keeping an eye on the fabrics beading ability you will easily be able to tell when it needs a reproof. I have a bad mark on my Paramo Waterproof clothing how do I get this off? If you badly mark or stain your Paramo clothing, you can try using neat Nikwax Tech Wash on a sponge or cloth to try and remove it before washing. If this doesn’t work you can use a traditional detergent or dry cleaning but remember this will remove the water-repellency from the garment and you will need to do a follow-up Tech Wash and TX Direct to restore the items waterproof ability. [caption id="attachment_4031" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Areas that are prone to dirt such as the cuffs can be pre-traeted[/caption] I have tried washing my Paramo clothing in Nikwax Tech Wash and TX Direct but is still not performing as it did, do Paramo offer a reproofing service? Yes. Paramo offer a professional clean and reproof service which you can send your jacket to for a small cost. I’ve damaged my Paramo Waterproof can it be repaired? One of the huge selling points for Paramo clothing is the fact that they can easily be repaired either by yourself, a seamstress or by Paramo themselves. Even better is that after the repair the waterproof system will still work unlike a membrane waterproof system which once damaged will never be able to keep water out. The important thing to remember if you decide to repair your Paramo clothing yourself is to make sure the stitch is to one layer only. If you pass stitches through both the outer and inner layers this will damage the items weather protection. [caption id="attachment_4030" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Small damage can be repaired yourself without losing any of the garments waterproof qualities[/caption]