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—Susan Sides

Susan Sides is MOTHER'S head gardener.

Gross-Tex

The time has come to wash my Gore-Tex mountain parka. The combination of mud, woodsmoke and trout viscera is too much for my companions to bear any longer. But how do I wash Gore-Tex without destroying its waterproofing forever?

You're right to be apprehensive about the long-term water repellency of your Gore-Tex coat, but it's not just washing that can cause it to deteriorate. The factory-applied coatings on most waterproof breathable fabrics eventually give up, and the material saturates with water. This doesn't mean that the garment will actually leak, but you may still get wet. Because of the lower surface temperature caused by the moisture, perspiration may be reluctant to pass through the cloth as a vapor. Liquid sweat penetrates Gore-Tex no better than liquid rain, and therefore won't evaporate.

Go ahead and wash the coat by hand in nondetergent soap and warm water. Rinse it thoroughly; soap reduces surface tension and therefore water repellency. Then allow the coat to dry. (If the manufacturer's instructions don't prohibit it, a tumble in the dryer on the warm setting may even be helpful.) Once it's completely dry, recoat the outside with a product such as Scotchgard. This won't restore waterproofing to quite what it was when the coat was new, but it will be a great improvement over a washed and untreated garment.

—David Schoonmaker

David Schoonmaker is a senior technical editor for MOTHER EARTH NEWS.

If you'd like our panel of consultants to answer a question concerning some aspect of self-reliant living that has you stumped, send it to Ask Our Experts, MOTHER EARTH NEWS, P.O. Box 70, Hendersonville, NC 28793.

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