Is Your Jacket Really Leaking? How to Wash and Reproof a Waterproof Jacket

If your waterproof jacket feels damp inside after a wet walk, it is easy to assume it has given up. Often, it hasn't. The jacket may still be perfectly waterproof, while the water-repellent finish on the outside has stopped working. Knowing how to wash a waterproof jacket properly, and when to reproof it, can bring it back to life in an afternoon with a washing machine and the right cleaner.

This guide explains why waterproofs lose their edge, how to tell a tired finish from a genuine fault, and how to wash and reproof a jacket. It also covers choosing between wash-in and spray-on treatments from Nikwax and Grangers.

Why your jacket feels like it is leaking

A modern waterproof jacket does its job in two layers. Inside is the waterproof barrier, a membrane or coating that stops rain getting through. Outside is the face fabric, which carries a durable water repellent finish, usually shortened to DWR. This finish makes rain bead up and roll off. It is not what keeps you dry, but it protects the barrier underneath so the jacket can do its work.

When the DWR wears, rain stops beading and starts soaking into the face fabric. You will see dark, wet-looking patches, often on the shoulders, cuffs and anywhere a rucksack strap rubs. This is called wetting out. Rain is still not getting through, but the saturated outer fabric struggles to let your body's moisture escape. That trapped moisture condenses inside the jacket and feels exactly like a leak. Nikwax notes that restoring the finish helps restore breathability as well as water repellency.

Often, the finish has not worn away at all. It is simply buried beneath dirt and residue. GORE-TEX lists dirt, sunscreen, insect repellent, detergent, campfire smoke and cooking smells among the things that reduce a garment's water repellency. A few months of ordinary wear can coat the face fabric in this kind of grime, so a jacket that never gets washed slowly loses its ability to shed rain.

Check before you buy anything: the water bead test

Before reaching for a reproofer, check what your jacket needs. Sprinkle or splash some clean water on the outer fabric, paying particular attention to the shoulders and forearms.

• Water beads and rolls off: the finish is working. You do not need to do anything yet.
• Water spreads and darkens the fabric: the DWR has stopped working. Wash the jacket first, then test again.
• Water still soaks in after a proper wash and dry: it is time to reproof.
• Water comes through at a seam, or the inner lining is peeling or bubbling: this is a fault in the jacket itself rather than the finish, and no reproofer will fix it.

That order matters. GORE-TEX advises applying a new water repellent treatment only when washing and drying no longer restore the beading. Cleaning always comes first.

How to wash a waterproof jacket

There is no need to be nervous about washing a waterproof jacket. Regular cleaning is one of the best things you can do for it, and the method is straightforward once you know what to avoid.

1. Clean out the detergent drawer

This step is easy to skip. Ordinary detergent leaves a residue, and Nikwax points out that regular detergent attracts water. Any left in the drawer will be flushed straight onto your jacket, so wipe out the drawer and run a quick rinse before you start.

2. Prepare the jacket

Empty the pockets, then close the main zip, pocket zips, any pit zips and the Velcro tabs. Check the care label for the manufacturer's recommended temperature and cycle, and follow it throughout.

3. Use a technical cleaner, never ordinary detergent

Use a cleaner made for waterproof clothing, such as Nikwax Tech Wash or Grangers Performance Wash Concentrate. These remove dirt and residue without damaging the water-repellent finish. A thorough clean alone can often revive the existing DWR.

Wash no more than two items at a time. Nikwax recommends 100ml of Tech Wash in soft water areas and 150ml in medium or hard water areas. Grangers suggests one cap of Performance Wash per jacket on a full cycle at 30°C.

Avoid fabric softener, powder detergent, stain removers and bleach. GORE-TEX advises against all four.

4. Dry it, and use a little heat if the label allows

Line drying works, but if the care label permits it, a dryer can do more than dry the jacket. GORE-TEX recommends tumble drying on a warm, gentle setting, then giving the dry jacket a further 20 minutes. The heat reactivates the water repellent on the outer fabric.

If you have no dryer, GORE-TEX suggests using a warm iron with no steam and a towel between the iron and the jacket. Avoid high heat with either method.

Once the jacket is dry, repeat the bead test. In many cases, a jacket that was wetting out will shed water like new, with no further treatment needed.

How to reproof a waterproof jacket

If water still soaks in after a proper wash and dry, the DWR needs topping up. Both Nikwax and Grangers direct you to reproof straight after cleaning, so never apply a treatment to a dirty jacket.

Wash-in reproofing

Wash-in treatments go in the washing machine on a separate cycle after cleaning. With Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In, wash the jacket in Tech Wash first. Then put one or two items back in the machine with 100ml of TX.Direct per item and run the cycle on the care label setting. TX.Direct works without heat activation and is recommended for GORE-TEX, Sympatex, eVent and Nikwax Analogy fabrics.

Grangers Clothing Repel works the same way. Grangers recommends reproofing garments separately, using 100ml per item on a full cycle at 30°C or as the care label directs. It is PFC-free and bluesign approved. It is also effective without heat, so you can air dry or tumble dry as the label permits.

Spray-on reproofing: waterproof spray for jackets

Spray-on treatments apply the repellent directly to the weather-facing outer fabric. Nikwax recommends this method for garments with wicking or absorbent linings, making Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On the option to choose for a lined jacket. A DWR spray also makes it easy to give extra attention to high-wear areas such as shoulders and cuffs.

With Grangers Performance Repel Plus, place the clean jacket on a hanger, hold the bottle 10 to 15cm away and spray evenly from top to bottom. Wipe away any large drips with a clean cloth and let the jacket dry fully before wearing it.

Wash and reproof in one cycle

If time is short, a 2-in-1 product cleans and reproofs in a single wash. Grangers Wash & Repel Clothing does both jobs at once, saving water, energy and time. Grangers advises tumble drying or ironing afterwards to activate the waterproofing, so check that your care label allows it.

Wash-in, spray-on or 2-in-1: which to choose

Treatment	How it works	Best for	In stock
Wash-in	Separate machine cycle after cleaning	Shell jackets and waterproof trousers	Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In, Grangers Clothing Repel
Spray-on	Sprayed onto the outer fabric only	Jackets with wicking or absorbent linings, and high-wear areas	Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On, Grangers Performance Repel Plus
2-in-1	Cleans and reproofs in one cycle	A quick refresh when time is short	Grangers Wash & Repel Clothing

For most hard shell jackets, the simplest approach is to clean first, then use a wash-in treatment. The Nikwax Tech Wash and TX.Direct Twin Pack and the Grangers Performance Wash and Clothing Repel Twin Pack are designed for these two steps. For softshells, Nikwax makes a dedicated SoftShell Proof Spray-On, applied to clean, wet fabric after washing.

Keeping it working through an Irish winter

In a climate where a waterproof is rarely off the hook for long, regular care helps the finish last longer between treatments:

• Wash it more often than you think. Dirt and smoke dull the DWR, so wash the jacket whenever it looks grubby or water stops beading, not just once a year.
• Watch the wear points. Wetting out often appears first where rucksack straps rub. A spray-on treatment lets you give those areas extra attention.
• Keep sunscreen and insect repellent off the outer fabric where you can. Both reduce water repellency.
• Store it clean and dry. Let it dry fully after a wet day, then hang it in a dry, well-ventilated spot away from direct sunlight.

If you are choosing a new jacket rather than reviving an old one, our guide on how to choose a waterproof jacket covers fit, features and fabrics. Waterproof ratings explained looks at what the millimetre figure on the label really tells you. For our current favourites, see the best waterproof jackets in Ireland.

Give your jacket another season

A good waterproof is built to last for years, and a jacket that feels leaky often just needs a proper clean. Start with the bead test, wash with a technical cleaner and dry with a little heat if the label allows. Only reproof if water still fails to bead after washing and drying. Our full range of clothing care and reproofing products from Nikwax and Grangers has everything you need to do this at home.