All 686 Technical Apparel is 100% washable, but you must follow the instructions below in order to keep your garments in top quality after washing.
Zip up all zippers, attach all Velcro, and close all snaps before loading. Zipper sliders and teeth can easily be damaged in the washer and/or dryer. Velcro gets clogged up and can snag your other clothes, causing damage to both. Snaps and buttons can be pulled in directions they're not supposed to go.
Use a front-load washing machine only. Using an agitator-style top-load washer could possibly do damage to your 686 technical outerwear or clothing.
Wash on gentle cycle only and use cold water. Cold water aids in maintaining your waterproofing and DWR coating.
Use outerwear-specific detergent - we highly recommend the specifically-formulated Nikwax Tech Wash. Using liquid detergent that is not outerwear-specific clogs the pores of technical fabrics and damages the DWR coating, greatly reducing the performance of the garment.
Hang dry in shade or tumble dry on low heat. Drying with excess heat can damage or melt fabric, zippers, and/or trims. Leave in until almost dry and change to NO HEAT or hang dry to finish. Low heat actually helps re-activate waterproofing after washing.
Replenish DWR waterproofing as needed. The DWR coating (the gypsy magic that makes water droplets bead up) on all technical fabrics will become less effective over time and use - especially if you are around campfires, smokers, oily lift pulleys, or other contaminants in general. You can revive the performance of your 686 technical outerwear by washing as instructed, then using a wash-in or spray-on waterproofing product such as NikWax TX-Direct.
DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING ON YOUR GARMENTS
- Bleach - your colors will fade. Technical outerwear in white should not use bleach either. It can damage the waterproofing.
- Fabric Softener - clogs the pores of technical fabrics and can damage the waterproof coating, greatly reducing the performance (waterproof/breathability) of the garment.
- Iron - you may damage the performance of your technical fabric, or worse, melt the fabric itself. An iron should only be used when applying an iron-on repair patch, which also requires caution.
- Dry Cleaning - dry cleaning products can damage the performance of your technical fabric.
Damage during washing is not considered a manufacturer’s defect and is not covered under warranty.