full image - Repost: Has anyone tested if Wash In DWR actually does inhibit breathability and clog membranes? (from Reddit.com, Has anyone tested if Wash In DWR actually does inhibit breathability and clog membranes?)
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This has been discussed in one way or another, in dozens of threads across several subs, but in every instance I’ve seen, the sentiment that wash in DWR treatments “inhibit breathability/moisture wicking and clog membranes” have always been said in the context of “I heard someone say…” “An Arc’teryx employee told me that…” and so on.So today I ask if there’s literally anyone who’s actually tested this or can point to a source where someone else indeed has.I’ve only used Nikwax products thus far, and their wash in TX Direct formula has worked for me where their spray on formula has not.I’ve gone back and forth a bit with customer service and when I specifically asked what their thoughts on wash in for shells with breathable membranes were, they’d said that their wash in formula is just fine — they only advise against using it when a shell has a moisture wicking liner, which is a specific fabric on specific shells, and is not the same thing as a membrane laminate.Quote from customer service:“You are correct that wicking liners are separate from a backer on a 3L jacket, and our Wash-In products work great on these types of jacket as well. [The 3L] It’s really only if the manufacturer specifically recommends a Spray-On treatment or if the inner lining is constructed of material with very intentional wicking properties such as shown in the image attached. Like you said in your inquiry, the intention is to treat the outer shell fabric only and let the moisture absorption and dispersal properties of the inner material be maintained.Both TX.Direct® Wash-In and TX.Direct® Spray-On are formulated using the same water-based waterproofing ingredient, however they are engineered differently and are specific to the different application method. The Wash In version and the Spray On version (for TX.Direct, Softshell Proof) do the same thing, but are concentrated and formulated differently. It is NOT a good idea to try to wash in the spray on, or spray on the wash in.In most cases, either product can be used after cleaning with Tech Wash®. With any waterproofing process, we recommend you wash the surface of the fabric first to remove any dirt, contaminants, body oil, etc. Sometimes even if the product is or fabric is new, it can have contaminants from the manufacturing process.By immersing a garment in a wash-in treatment you apply a complete and even coating of the active ingredients to all the fibers, zips and threads. The treatment finds its way to the back of zips and pocket flaps, behind velcro tabs – all the places that are easy to miss with spray-on treatments……Nikwax proofers (purple capped bottles) coat fabric and leather fibers with a network of elastic TX.10i water-repellent molecules. Using Nikwax will maintain the breathable performance of gear, preventing moisture build-up on the inside of gear allowing it to be pushed from the inside out, keeping your body at the right temperature. At the same time Nikwax repels rain from the outer surface, keeping you dry from both directions.But nonetheless, you’ll hear it echoed time and time again that “wash in DWR is bad because breathability”.Wash In Tx Direct has performed better at water repellency for me, no question. The two garments I’ve used it on took perfectly and beaded like brand new. The one shell I tried the spray on formula on seemed like it took, but was wetting out just a month later during its very first use. I’d treated it, hung it up and there it sat — until a month later I go to use it and it wet out. I tried spray on once more, two days ago, and the garment didn’t even bead immediately after. It was as if I’d never treated it.So I’d like to continue to use the wash in if there’s really nothing to be concerned about here. I personally don’t have enough use with my technical gear yet to be able to anecdotally feel if wash in treatments are making them less breathable though.Wash in DWRs — do they or do they not clog membranes and decrease breathability, and has anyone proven it?
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