How to maintain waterproofing?

Written by: Enora Gelot

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Time to read 3 min

Nearly ten Lagoped garments are waterproof and breathable to accompany adventurers on the most beautiful trails, in the most complex corridors or on the wildest seas. To guarantee your comfort and the performance of the garment you wear on your back, we work with European craftsmen, recognized worldwide for their know-how and who know how to work with our partner Sympatex.

Easy-care clothing

The membrane has the advantage of being non-porous: its effectiveness is based on the absorption and evaporation processes to guarantee its breathability thanks to the hydrophilic interior fabric and its impermeability is guaranteed by the hydrophobic exterior fabric. It therefore does not have pores or holes which risk becoming clogged over time with dirt or perspiration, and which require permanent maintenance.

Read also: What is waterproofing?

Clothing equipped with Sympatex technology is therefore easy to maintain: it is not necessary to wash it each time it is used to maintain the performance of the waterproof and breathable membrane. Even if you want to wash them frequently, laundry residue is unlikely to get stuck in Lagoped waterproof clothing since it has no pores.

The EVE jacket in Royal Blue color and the KIIRUNA2 bag in Sun color

Maintenance recommendations

When you feel the need to wash your waterproof and breathable clothing, we invite you to follow the cleaning advice given by the company that developed the waterproof membrane used in our clothing. The Sympatex company recommends washing at 40°C or 60°C with a delicate laundry program.

In addition, it is recommended not to load the washing machine and to use a mild or special detergent for functional textiles.

We do not recommend the use of fabric softener and we prefer to remind you of a detail that can be very important in the care of your garment: close the zippers and Velcro fasteners which could damage the garment during washing.

For spinning, we recommend spinning the laundry at a reduced speed. Finally, drying in a tumble dryer can be recommended because it activates the waterproofing, provided that it is at low temperatures and with few revolutions per minute.

To extend the life of your waterproof clothing, we also advise you to take care of it on a daily basis. It is best to avoid placing them near a source of heat that is too direct or too strong, which would damage the materials. We also recommend storing waterproof clothing when it is dry and clean, avoiding places that are too humid.

Re-waterproof clothes

If the waterproofing of your garment no longer seems effective enough, this may happen depending on the wear of the fabric; it is possible to re-waterproof the outer fabric. The surface material may lose water repellency, in this case we invite you to follow the following recommendations:

  • Add a waterproofer to the washing machine instead of a fabric softener (the use of which is also not recommended for technical clothing).
  • Place the waterproof garment in the dryer to allow the heat to help eliminate moisture and improve the hydrophobic effect.
  • Spray a cleaning product on the outside of the garment. Since Lagoped water-repellent clothing does not contain fluorinated compounds (PFC), the water repellency may fade over time. This is why we advise you to use a maintenance product to maintain your jackets or pants. Entirely made in France, our spray is easy to apply to the exterior fabric, after washing, when it is still wet. We recommend placing it on a hanger, spraying from a distance of 15 cm, wiping off the excess with a sponge, distributing the product and letting it dry naturally. You can repeat this operation at least twice a year or every wash. (embed product link)

Waterproof ski touring clothing

Photographed by Jérôme Maltete, Christophe is wearing the EVE jacket in Grass Green and the SUPA pants in Royal Blue.

You now have all the keys to taking care of your waterproof and breathable clothing, your EVE, TETRAS, URSK jackets or even your SUPA pants will be totally delighted and their lifespan will be extended. This is what matters most to us: Lagoped clothing is designed to last, to be worn, loaned, repaired, recycled…