Re-Proofing and Cleaning a Paramo Jacket or Trousers

One of the questions that crops up in the shop all the time is how do I look after my Paramo jacket or trousers?

The answer on the whole is quite simple, if you follow the instructions that come with the garment on the swing tags and use the appropriate Nikwax product you will not go far wrong, remember that Tech Wash cleans and TX Direct re-proofs or green to clean and purple to proof (referring to the cap colours).

Tech Wash is a non detergent liquid soap which cleans without removing the water repellent coating it also has a detergent catcher built in to pick up residues left In your washing machine. A new garment will only need a wash in tech wash to refresh its water repellency you do not need to bother with TX Direct, in fact TX Direct is now so good that it should remain intact for 8-10 washes. Using TX every time is counter productive as it can actually cause water to be attracted to the garment at worst and is just flushed down the drain at best.

Another question then arises, how often do I need to wash my Paramo? Well the answer is as often as you need to, providing you follow the garment washing instructions (I use 30 degree wash, slow spin) you cannot damage it, I wash mine very often indeed, I see too many Paramo garments crying out to be washed, it's so easy, and you will really benefit from doing it. Remember Paramo mimics animal fur in the way that it keeps you dry, and a dirty Otter gets wet!

Eventually the water repellency wears off and then it is time to re-proof using TX Direct, but fear not, once again the trusty washing machine does all the work on the same settings as above. Again Paramo is designed to be re-proofed for the life of the garment, my smock is over 10 years old an as good as new.

In the shop I tell customers that your jacket speaks to you, if the water does not roll off the fabric then wash it. If after washing the water still does not bead up then re-proof it. If both those fail then return your garment to your retailer or to Paramo who will happily sort it out for you.

Occasionally no matter what you do Tech Wash just will not clean your jacket, so once a year I undergo a deep clean procedure. Step one, I wash the garment using a liquid detergent, we use an environmentally friendly one from a Local shop, this strips the garment right back. Step Two, I then wash in Tech Wash, this removes any detergent residues and readies the fabric for re-proofing. Step Three, I then wash a third time in TX Direct, the result is a jacket or trousers that look like brand new and perform superbly in rain. I know it sound excessive but it really works.

To put all this another way, think of buying a new car, the paint is shiny, it's well waxed when it rains the water rolls off, you go for a few drives and the car gets dirty, the water does not roll off as well, so you wash it in car shampoo, the paint is shiny again and water rolls off, eventually after a number of washes the wax wears off and even careful washing cannot help, so you wash and re- wax, the paint then repels the water again. Some time later even the washing and waxing cannot help it, so you sand back the paint and respray it and then wax, hey presto it's the same car but it looks brand new.

So remember your Paramo is only as good as your aftercare, don't be afraid to wash it in Tech Wash, use TX only occasionally (probably once a year for average users) and for that deep clean use my three wash method.

One final note, to make cleaning cheaper we do a Tech Wash refill service in the shop, if you bring in your empty bottle we will re-fill it and you will save around one third off the cost of a new bottle.