Use special products to care for special fabrics

Using cheap detergents to clean modern technical fabrics is like using a wire brush to clean a window. You'll get the dirt off, but end up with a severely damaged product.

Detergent works by breaking down the surface tension of water, letting it penetrate to lift away dirt and grime. But all cleaners leave a very fine residue on the fabric, and a detergent residue nullifies key moisture-managing features of technical fabrics, from waterproofness to moisture-wicking. Several products are available to efficiently and safely clean modern outdoor apparel, and after a lot of testing, we found one that consistently showed us it had "the right stuff." Nikwax offers a range of specialty cleansers and restoratives for hard-shells (Gore-Tex and similar products), soft-shells, down-filled jackets, boots, base layers, tents, sleeping bags, and even paper maps. Most of the Nikwax products are water-based, and using them is as simple as running the item through a washing machine.

The Nikwax Tech Wash stands as the centerpiece of the product line. This do-it-all non-detergent cleaner works flawlessly on virtually any technical fabric, cleaning without the damaging side effects of detergents. Using it, we laundered grimy base layers after three days of hiking in the Glacier Peak area, fleece jackets that had been worn around smoky campfires, and raingear that had been muddied in the coulee country around Moses Lake. All came clean, and all performed nearly as new once we finished the laundry.

Beyond cleaning, Nikwax also can restore and improve the native properties of well-used technical fabrics. Their TX Direct wash-in product effectively restores and rejuvenates the waterproof, breathable properties of hard-shell fabrics, while Down Proof reduces the water-absorbency of down and adds water repellency to the outer shells of down parkas and bags. I've used this two-step process to clean and rejuvenate Gore-Tex shells that are 15 years old, and bring old, compressed down vests back to life. Other product-specific wash-in restoratives are available for soft-shells (Softshell Proof), fleece (Polar Proof) and even cotton (yes, Cotton Proof).

Whatever the need or the fabric, there is a Nikwax product designed to keep your high-priced, technical garments and gear performing the way they're supposed to. Price range: from $8.50 for a 10-ounce bottle of Tech Wash, to $11 for a 10-ounce bottle of TX Direct. For more information, see www.nikwax.com.

— Dan A. Nelson, special to The Seattle Times

Freelancer Dan A. Nelson, of Puyallup, is a regular contributor to Backpacker magazine, and an author of outdoor guides with The Mountaineers Books. For the purpose of review, gear manufacturers lend products, which are returned after a typical use of four to six weeks. There is no payment from manufacturers and they have no control over the content of reviews. Contact Nelson with gear-related questions at gearguy@adventuresnw.net.