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CARE

General care instructions

Every garment requires a different type of care – please therefore heed the individual care instructions on the products.

 

  • Functional clothing can be washed in a conventional washing machine.
  • Do not use fabric softener!
  • Use liquid and mild detergents, ideally detergents that are specifically made for functional clothing.
  • Do not use bleach.
  • For optimal results, only wash garments with textiles of a similar colour.
  • Always turn garments inside out before washing.
  • Close all fastenings (zips, buttons, etc.), especially Velcro, to prevent any fibres from becoming caught or the garment from being abraded during washing.
Besides these general care instructions, special care instructions must be heeded for garments with special properties,
e.g. waterproof/water-repellent clothing or featuring insulating materials:

Waterproof, showerproof and windproof functional clothing

As a rule: please only wash your waterproof, showerproof and windproof functional clothing (Sympatex, Ceplex and Windproof products) as often as strictly necessary. Please always read the care instructions provided with the product.

Washing
As a rule, only use liquid mild detergents or a special functional clothing detergent. Choose a delicate cycle with an extra rinse cycle at the recommended washing temperature. This ensures no detergent residues will remain on your garments. VAUDE recommends NIKWAX Tech Wash (available at your retailer) as functional clothing detergent – you can miss out the extra rinse cycle when using this.

Drying
To reactivate the waterproofing coating (DWR), give the garment a spin in the tumble dryer after washing. Dry for approx. 30 to 50 minutes at a low temperature. Alternatively, leave the garment to dry in a dry, warm place. However, the DWR coating applied at the factory will not be significantly reactivated this way.

Re-treating garments with special wash-in and spray-on products
Although Ceplex and Sympatex clothing is absolutely waterproof, the outer fabric layer is treated with an additional coating (co-called DWR, Durable Water Repellency). The DWR prevents the outer layer of fabric soaking up water. A wet outer fabric impairs the breathability of the membrane. This also applies to windproof clothing. When do I need to re-treat my garment? When water no longer drips off the outer fabric but creates a wet stain instead. You now have two options:

Wash-in treatment (VAUDE recommends Nikwax TX -Wash In)
For re-treating an entire garment, as you would with singlelayer functional clothing (e.g. hiking trousers), a wash-in treatment is ideal. The advantage: the method is simple and ensures an even application of the product in the washing machine. Bear in mind: the entire garment will be treated, i.e. both the inside and outside. This may impair the functionality of the lining (e.g. breathability).

Spray-on treatment (VAUDE recommends Nikwax TX -Direct Spray)
Multilayer weatherproof clothing should only be treated from the outside with a spray-on product. The advantage: the product can be applied exclusively on the outside of the garment. The inside remains untreated and retains its ability to absorb and wick away moisture. Bear in mind: this procedure requires a little more effort and is somewhat more time-consuming.

Down and synthetic insulating clothing

Insulating clothing with down or Primaloft lining needs special treatment. As a rule: please only wash these garments as often as strictly necessary. Please always read the care instructions provided with the product.
Washing
For synthetic insulating clothing, please use a mild liquid detergent or a special functional clothing detergent. We recommend NIKWAX Tech Wash. For down clothing, we recommend NI KWAX Down Wash. Choose a delicate cycle with an extra rinse cycle at the recommended washing temperature. This ensures no detergent residues will remain on your garments. When using NI KWAX Tech Wash or NI KWAX Down Wash, you can miss out the extra rinse cycle.

Drying
After the treatment, give the garment a spin in the tumble dryer. To restore the fluffiness of the insulating material (down or synthetic), place two to three white / uncoloured tennis balls into the tumble dryer along with your garment. Dry the garment for approx. 40 to 60 minutes at a low temperature and a gentle cycle. Then, hang the garment in a dry place. It may take another three to four hours until the insulation is completely dry. For best results, dry your garment in a tumble dryer. Alternatively, you can dry your garment in a dry, warm place and give it a shake every now and then to distribute the down evenly.

Re-treating garments with special wash and spray products
When do I need to re-treat my garment?
When water no longer drips off the outer fabric but creates a wet stain instead. You now have two options:

Wash-in treatment (VAUDE recommends Nikwax TX Wash In for synthetic insulating clothing and Nikwax Down Proof for down insulating clothing)
For re-treating an entire garment and the insulating material, a wash-in treatment is ideal. The advantage: the method is simple and ensures an even application of the product in the washing machine. Bear in mind: the entire garment will be treated, i.e. both
the inside and outside. This may impair the functionality of the lining (e.g. breathability).

Spray-on treatment (VAUDE recommends Nikwax TX -Direct Spray)
If you only want to re-treat the outer fabric, a spray-on treatment is ideal. The advantage: the product can be applied exclusively
on the outside of the garment. The inside remains untreated and retains its ability to absorb and wick away moisture. Bear in mind: this procedure requires a little more effort and is somewhat more time-consuming.