Grangers Care Section

Specialist cleaning for your outdoor kit -– why bother?

The reason that technical kit works the way it does is because the fabrics used have certain properties, or because the fabric has a chemical treatment that helps to keep you warm, cool, dry, whatever. But thrashing the dirt out of your waterproofs, fleeces and base layers with your average washing powder or washing liquid is far too harsh on your kit, and the detergents and chemicals that promise to ‘get your whites whiter than white’ spell doom for your technical clothing.

Grangers' lab uses domestic machines for testing, because that's what you use...

Among other thing, washing powders contain wetting agents and surfactants. These attract water and allow the detergent to soak into the fibre. These stay inside the fabric, acting as a magnet for stray moisture and so interfering with wicking and breathability, as well as preventing future reproofing.

Regular gear care with the right products will make your kit last longer, give optimal performance and look better too. Granger’s products are developed in partnership with Gore (who make Gore-Tex), so you can always be sure that these products are designed for real-life use by real outdoors people.

While this feature is a rough guide to cleaning outdoor gear, you should always, always, always read the care label before cleaning or reproofing your gear. If in doubt, contact the manufacturer or email the clean, durable and fully water-repellent Grangers people.

MYTH: Non-biological washing powders have a gentler cleaner action and are fine for outdoor gear.

FACT: Non-biological powder still contains wetting agents, and is just as bad for your kit. Pure soap products are the only way to go. Never use fabric conditioner; it makes fibres absorb water, ruining most technical clothing, and makes your fleeces wafer-thin.

Care symbols
Before you even start to think about cleaning any of your technical gear you must check the label and if those circles and squares and dots and squiggles seem confusing then check here to decode them.