Clothing Care & Repair

What are clothing care and repair products?

While clothing care and storage will go a long way to ensuring your gear goes the distance, the fact is at some stage the adventure will take its toll and you will need to do some clothing repair work. Clothing care and repair products from specialist brands such as Gear Aid include items like:

Cleaners – Specialised cleaning washes for down, rainwear or other technical outerwear.

Sealants – Adhesive sealants for use on split seams and holes, helping to re-waterproof rainwear and snow gear. They are flexible, clear and long-lasting.

Repellents – Water repellent treatments that can be applied to the fabric surface to help restore waterproof protection, without compromising on breathability.

Clothing Repair Patches – Extremely strong yet flexible patches that create an airtight, waterproof cover for holes and punctures.

Clothing Repair Tape – Similar to clothing repair patches, this tape is waterproof, very malleable and can be cut into custom shapes.

How do I properly take care of my clothes?

The simple answer is maintenance, and when necessary, mending. It is important to regularly clean your outdoor clothing – this includes removing dust, dirt, mud, oils, sweat, blood or any other deposits that may have attached to the fabric surfaces. This will help the clothing to continue to perform correctly, whether that’s keeping you warm, keeping water out, keeping you fresh and odour-free, or simply keeping you covered. Outdoor clothing should also be dried properly. Whether you tumble dry or air dry will depend on the specific care instructions but either way is very important; packing away gear for long periods of time when it is still wet will lead to mildew and/or odours. And if you do happen to damage your clothing, getting it repaired immediately and with the right clothing repair products will allow you to get back outside sooner.

How do I repair a hole in my clothing?

This will depend on the type of fabric and how damaged it is. The quickest fix will be to use some clothing repair patches or some clothing repair tape. Clothing repair patches are typically made from a strong yet flexible TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) tape that won’t puncture or peel, and is airtight. Similarly, clothing repair tape is a PVC sealed with a waterproof coating, which won’t peel off during a wash or a storm, and is simply applied by sticking it over the hole. For some holes, restitching or repatching with a like-material may be required. For these types of issues, we recommend sending your clothing to a specialist outdoor clothing repairer such as Remote Equipment Repairs.

How do you care for linen clothing?

You can hand wash linen or use a washing machine, but the key is to avoid hot water as this can shrink it. When hand washing, place the linen clothing in a clean sink with cool/cold water and mild detergent. Gently agitate the clothing, then rinse to remove the soapy water. Repeat this until the garment is soap-free. For a washing machine, make sure the wash cycle is cold wash/cold water and minimal spin. Linen is quick drying, so it’s optimal to air dry it flat. If you do want to tumble dry your linen clothing, set the dryer on a very low heat setting and remove it while it's still damp; this will reduce the risk of it becoming too hard and brittle, or shrinking. If in doubt look at the symbols for clothing care on the care label of your garment, and follow the specified care instructions.

Can you wash a down jacket?

Absolutely, but like with all clothing items you need to know the particular methods that work best otherwise you could damage it – for example, dry cleaning or ironing your down jacket is a big no-no. The easiest way to get it right is to follow the specific care instructions on the care label of your down jacket. These will likely include:

Cleaning (Washing Machine) – Before washing your down jacket, remove anything from the pockets and any fur trims (only required on select styles). Machine wash with warm water at 40°C on a gentle cycle, using pure soap only. Never use bleach, fabric softener, conditioners or stain removal products as they can affect the garment's performance. Also, avoid a top loading washing machine with agitator as its washing process is too rough on the jacket. Rinse thoroughly.

Cleaning (Hand Wash) – As above, but obviously you will need to do the work with your hands. Avoid vigorously handling it while you hand wash.

Drying – The down jacket will be heavy when wet so take care handling it. Tumble dry it on low heat, or alternatively you can air dry it flat. Avoid wringing the jacket to remove excess water but if you need to, lightly squeeze it out.

Restoring Loft – The loft or fluffiness of the insulation inside the down jacket may need to be restored. Simply tumble dry the jacket on low or no heat with three tennis balls. The tennis balls will help to break up the down clumps and fluff up the down clusters. Shaking the jacket will also help to restore the loft.