Material
Waterproof jacket
A laminated shell with a water repellent finish that is stripped by softener, residue and stain removers, so cleaning is deliberately plain.
- SurfaceNon porous
- WashingMachine
- Colour run riskLow
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What waterproof jacket can and cannot take
- Heat Avoid
- Water and soaking Tolerates it
- Acids, including vinegar Use with care
- Strong alkalis Use with care
- Solvents Avoid
- Chlorine bleach Avoid
- Abrasives Use with care
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for waterproof jacket
A waterproof jacket is a laminate: face fabric, a membrane and often a lining, with a water repellent finish on the outside. Every layer has something it will not tolerate.
The finish is the fragile part. It is stripped by softener, by detergent residue and by stain removers, and once it has gone the jacket wets out and feels clammy even though it is still technically waterproof.
So the method is a small amount of liquid detergent, plain water, and nothing clever.
Check the label
The membrane maker's own instructions exclude powder detergents, fabric softeners, stain removers and bleach, and say that bleach affects the colour and the performance of the garment. A small amount of liquid detergent is what is specified, and nothing else.
Stains on waterproof jacket
- Baby sick Rinse the mark off under cold water, because a waterproof shell sheds most of a fresh spill anyway. If more i...
- Blood Blot first, then use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent. Work from the edge, rinse or blot...
- Body oil Blot body oil, then use the garment-approved technical wash on a permitted cool cycle. Avoid conventional det...
- Breast milk Blot free milk with dry cloths. Use this route only where the maker permits a barely damp surface clean. Prot...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from waterproof jacket before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or...
- Coffee Blot waterproof jacket first. Use only the jacket maker-approved liquid detergent; exclude stain remover powd...
- Concealer Lift thick concealer from Waterproof Jacket, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of diluted wa...
- Cooking grease Lift and blot cooking grease from Waterproof Jacket, then use a small amount of diluted washing-up liquid onl...
- Deodorant Rub a fresh white deodorant mark off waterproof jacket while it is dry. For residue that remains, follow the...
- Hair dye Blot hair dye from Waterproof Jacket, test the mildest compatible cool detergent route, clean inwards, remove...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Waterproof Jacket with a blunt edge, blot without rubbing, then use a very small amount of...
- Motor oil Blot motor oil from Waterproof Jacket, absorb as much as possible, then use a small amount of diluted washing...
- Nail polish Lift accessible free polish without rubbing and keep the item dry. The fibre, finish or construction makes a...
- Period blood Lift any tissue with a spoon edge, then blot. Use cold water and a tiny amount of compatible detergent for th...
- Pet urine Blot until nearly dry, then use only the cool-water quantity waterproof jacket can tolerate. Use a labelled p...
- Sweat Blot Waterproof Jacket, follow its care label and use one supported cool hand rinse only if permitted. Keep r...
- Tomato sauce Lift tomato sauce from Waterproof Jacket, then wipe or blot inwards with a tested cool detergent solution. Re...
A waterproof jacket is a system rather than a fabric, and the parts fail in different ways.
The finish, not the membrane, is what you damage
The durable water repellent treatment on the face fabric makes water bead. Softener, detergent residue and stain removers all coat or strip it, and the jacket then soaks up water on the surface. It still keeps rain out, but it feels wet and cold and stops breathing properly.
The membrane is under the surface
It is not what the sick is on, and it is not what needs cleaning.
The taped seams are glued
High heat and solvents can lift seam tape, which is a real waterproofing failure rather than a cosmetic one.
The maker's list is short and specific
Liquid detergent, a small amount, at 40 degrees. No powder, no softener, no stain remover, no bleach.
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Outerwear care instructions, Gore-Tex
manufacturer
Membrane manufacturer guidance to machine wash waterproof outerwear at 40 C with a small amount of liquid detergent, not to use powder detergents, fabric softeners, stain removers or bleach because bleach affects the colour and the performance of the garment, and to tumble dry for a further 20 minutes after line drying to reactivate the durable water repellent finish.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
How to wash a down jacket, Rab
manufacturer
Outdoor manufacturer guidance to run the machine empty first because leftover detergent and softener damage the fabrics and coatings, to use a non biological soap or a dedicated down wash, to run a cool long gentle cycle, and to dry on mid to low heat for several hours taking the jacket out every 20 to 30 minutes to shake it and pat the baffles, because clumped down means it has not dried through.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Repair station, Alpkit
specialist
UK outdoor brand's repair service describing that waterproofs stop beading water and need cleaning and reproofing, that down bags and jackets go cold and clumpy and need washing to restore loft, that its wash service uses Nikwax cleaning products for waterproof and insulated garments, and that seam taping, zip replacement and heat patches are routine repairs on technical outdoor clothing.
Checked 7 September 2026