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Performance Outerwear
To keep waterproof, breathable jackets and pants that contain Gore-Tex and similar technologies functioning and smelling good, they need washing from time to time.
Suggested tools and materials:
- Liquid detergent;
- Dryer or iron.
Make sure to refer to your manufacturer’s specific instructions, but in general, waterproof-breathable clothing can be machine washed on warm. Use a small amount of liquid or specialty detergent; no powders, fabric softeners or bleach.
Rinse them twice, and either hang dry or tumble dry on warm. With Gore-Tex, you also need to restore its water-repellent treatment (called DWR) by drying it for an extra 20 minutes on medium after it’s fully dry, or by ironing it. To iron, place a thin towel between the garment and the iron, set the temperature on warm and don’t use steam.
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Hiking Boots
Cleaning your hiking boots regularly keeps grit from grinding into the fabric, lengthening their lifespan. Full-grain leather boots also need to be moisturized. Full-grain boots look smooth on the outside, instead of a suede-like texture.
Suggested tools and materials:
- Boot brush, cloth, toothbrush or vegetable brush;
- Boot cleaner or lukewarm water and dishwashing soap;
- Water-repellent treatment;
- Boot drier (optional);
- Shoe deodorizer or other odor eliminator (optional);
- Leather conditioner (for full-grain leather boots only).
Remove the laces and footbeds or insoles. Shake out dirt, brush off loose dirt, then clean the outsides and the insoles with a cleaner or soapy water (use liquid soap and not detergents). Don’t forget to scrub out any dirt caked into the tread. You might need to soak just the outsoles to get it loosened.
Rinse the boots thoroughly. Stay away from bleach and resist temptation to just stick them in the washing machine.
If you have mold, clean with a one-to-five mix of vinegar and water. Reapply water repellant while the boots are still wet, but only if you noticed water is no longer beading up on the surface. Promptly dry your boots on a boot drier or let them dry naturally in moderate temperatures; never put them by a heat source. To speed up the process, use a fan.
If you have waterproof-breathable boots, don’t use waterproofing waxes or greases, which will damage the breathability. If you have full-grain leather boots, apply leather conditioner once they’re dry. If you need extra odor control, try shoe inserts or an odor eliminator. Also, check for manufacturer-specific recommendations, especially with leather boots.
Store boots in a temperature controlled environment, not in the shed or anyplace that’s hot or unventilated.
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Air Mattresses
After a few nights of un-showered bodies sleeping on an air mattress, it’s important to clean it before storing it.
Suggested tools and materials:
- Mild solution of warm water and dish soap;
- Piece of cloth;
- Waterproof sealant (for repairs);
- Odor eliminator (optional).
Wipe down the mattress outsides with the soap and water, and rinse if needed. Repair any small holes with an adhesive like Gear Aid Seam Grip +WP. “You can also kill mold spores with Revivex Odor Eliminator, but this will not remove the discoloration,” says Robertson.
Before storing it, make sure the mattress is completely dry, inside and out. Fold it loosely or leave it flat (perhaps under a guest bed) with the valve open to allow internal moisture to dry out.
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