Suits How do you clean your rain suit

Cvillechopper

Cvillechopper

Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
77
Location
Charlottesville, VA
Bike
'04 ST1300 - Blue
OK, before the "Umm, wear it in the rain" remarks start, let me explain. I've had this suit for many years. It's a Tourmaster Elite Series II full suit and I absolutely love it. Just got back from Rolling Thunder and wore it during some pretty heavy downpours. Only wetness inside the suit came from me pores. That's what I'd like to address. Even with the excellent moisture control of this suit, when you ride in 80 degree rain, you're bound to sweat a bit. I've done that several times over the years and it's starting to smell like it even with proper drying out once I am at my destination.

Tried searching online, the Tourmaster site, etc. No labels on the suit itself. Anyone know how to wash this so I don't screw it up?

Thanks
 
My only relevant experience is wearing an Aerostich Roadcrafter. That said, I think the process of wearing rain-proof gear is fairly universal:

Wash it regularly. Materials like Gore Tex can get clogged with tiny dust particles. Keeping the garment laundered actually makes it better at defending against water. Aerostich recommends using an industrial washer at the laundromat, but that may be due to the size and weight of the Roadcrafter moreso than needed power in the machine.

Use a product like NikWax and follow the instructions exactly, or you'll end up with a rain suit that's fogged from improper washing.

Finish with some sort of protectant like ScotchGuard.
 
Wear it inside out in the rain? :mrgreen:

If yours is built anything like my Hein Gericke, even a quick rinse in the washing machine will help.

--Mark
 
+2 're the Nikwax. They make one product for washing and another for treating. Dead easy to use and it works really well. It'll last for ages too.
Upt'North.
 
The reason for the recommendation to use an industrial machine (aka at a laundramat) is indeed the weight of the suit. If you were to put the suit in a top loading home machine, it might overload the transmission and/or drive belt. Commercial machines are heavier duty since they are designed to run many more cycles per day than a home machine.

Aerostitch also says that you can use any mild detergent (though I prefer unscented) followed by a Nikwax treatment for waterproofing. The Nikwax Tech Wash supposedly does not remove the waterproofing, but iirc, they recommend following the wash with a waterproofing treatment (hey, they make more money this way - but seriously, the waterproofing does wear off the outside while the GoreTex maintains its waterproofing).

I think Gore suggests tumble drying after washing. Check label in any GoreTex lined garment.
 
"Tour Master Elite Series II Rain Jacket Features: Waterproof, polyurethane-backed heavy-duty nylon shell with sealed seam construction"

I'd bet if you wash that in a machine it will no longer be "as good as new".

I'd just dip it in a tub and wash gently by hand and hang to dry.
 
So....my wife tells me that the best place to hide something is right in front of my eyes. Turns out there is a label, you just had to turn the suit inside out to find it. Machine wash on delicate cycle and hang dry. Going g to order some Nikwax based on the recommendations here. Never heard of it but the stuff I used for camping gear smelled terrible so this Nikwax stuff has to be better than that. Thanks everyone. Got the sweat stink out. Once it dries I can get the travel gear situated again.
 
Cvillechopper said:
So....my wife tells me that the best place to hide something is right in front of my eyes. Turns out there is a label, you just had to turn the suit inside out to find it. Machine wash on delicate cycle and hang dry. Going g to order some Nikwax based on the recommendations here. Never heard of it but the stuff I used for camping gear smelled terrible so this Nikwax stuff has to be better than that. Thanks everyone. Got the sweat stink out. Once it dries I can get the travel gear situated again.
Click to expand...

Well, darn. So much for the collective wisdom of ST Owners.

Let's not waste this thread with a solved problem. Let's talk about oil instead!
 
Cvillechopper said:
So....my wife tells me that the best place to hide something is right in front of my eyes. Turns out there is a label, you just had to turn the suit inside out to find it. Machine wash on delicate cycle and hang dry. Going g to order some Nikwax based on the recommendations here. Never heard of it but the stuff I used for camping gear smelled terrible so this Nikwax stuff has to be better than that. Thanks everyone. Got the sweat stink out. Once it dries I can get the travel gear situated again.
Click to expand...

Nylon shells are not waterproof. They coat one side of the fabric with polyurethane - this is what tent bottoms and the rain covering are made of, lightweight rain shells, and in a heavier weight, cordura pack cloth (tho some are uncoated). These coated shells do not breathe. I am not sure if Nikwax will do much good here, and I would consult the manufacturer before using the Nikwax.

Btw, after many years, the urethane coating will crack, start to smell bad, and peel off the fabric. No cure for this.
 
Or throw away the additional rain gear and get some waterproof riding gear (goretex) I use KLIM but there are others and you don't have to pack rain gear anymore.
 
ZIAMON said:
"Tour Master Elite Series II Rain Jacket Features: Waterproof, polyurethane-backed heavy-duty nylon shell with sealed seam construction"

I'd bet if you wash that in a machine it will no longer be "as good as new".

I'd just dip it in a tub and wash gently by hand and hang to dry.
Click to expand...

If it's polyurethane backed then there's no point in using the Nikwax. That's for breathable fabrics like Goretex and it's many offspring. Just follow the manufacturer's washing and drying instructions and go ride.
 
Got it washed and hung dry. Took the extra step of spraying the outer layer with a tent waterproofing spray just to give it a touch more stain resistance. Airing out on the porch for now then back in the pack for the bike.
 
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