How to Wash a Waterproof Jacket
Clara Redwood and 6 other contributors
Last updated on Oct 15, 2025
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Patagonia
Patagonia and iFixit are celebrating the stories we wear by collaborating to provide guides for Patagonia's most popular apparel repairs.
Introduction
Go to step 1 ↓If your jacket could talk, it would probably have some pretty epic stories—and it might also ask for a bath once in a while! Washing your waterproof jacket is one of the best ways to restore its performance and extend its life.
There’s no strict schedule for when to wash it, but every 10–20 wears is a good general guideline. It’s also smart to wash it before storing it for the season, or anytime you notice signs like wetting out (when water stops beading), stained cuffs or collars, or just plain dirt.
A clean jacket sheds water better, breathes more easily, lasts longer, and stays adventure-ready!
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What you need
Tools
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Look over your jacket and wipe away dirt and debris.
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For stubborn stains, spot clean using a mild soap or rubbing alcohol. See Spot Cleaning Technical Gear for more details.
Ask FixBot
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Zip up the main zipper.
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Empty all pockets. Check for trash, treasures, or forgotten tissues.
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Loosen drawstrings and drawcords.
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Fasten any hook-and-loop closures in their most relaxed position to avoid snagging.
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Place your jacket in the washing machine.
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Add 1-3 jackets at a time. Avoid overfilling the drum—technical garments need room to move freely in the wash.
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Ideally, use a front-loading washer.
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If you don’t have a washing machine, hand-washing is a great alternative. You'll still need a dryer or iron to heat-set afterward!
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Add technical gear soap or gentle biodegradable laundry detergent to the washing machine.
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Set the load size to small or medium, depending on the number of garments you're washing.
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Set the water temperature to cold or warm.
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Set the wash cycle to normal or gentle/delicate/permanent press. If possible, add an extra rinse cycle to ensure all residues are removed.
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Set the spin cycle to low.
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Start the washing machine.
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Hang the jacket up to drip dry first to remove excess water, then tumble dry on low heat for at least 30 minutes or until the jacket is fully dry.
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If you don’t have a dryer, you can use an iron to reactivate the DWR. Carefully follow the steps in How to Iron a Waterproof Jacket.
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Your jacket is clean, dry, and ready for whatever the weather throws your way!
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Get back out there!
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7 Guide Comments
I’m very happy after read this easy step of washing water proof jacket.Thanks for sharing this great post!!I bought water proof jacket from online store, and i got 60% off by using promo code; snow and rock promo codes.The jacket dries really fast and it’s 100% waterproof until i washed it.Color maintained very well, after it was washed.
The tips and suggestion was outstanding i try my husband jacket it was mess with factory work, i just buy my new washing machine from appliance connection with a reasonable prices appliances connection promo code and i get upto 40% discount on my first purchase you can also try.
Is it ok to wash two or three waterproof jackets together in the same load? Thank you!
