Clothing made of membrane fabric, like any other high-tech products, needs a fairly attentive attitude. Recently, it is quite popular among consumers. Membrane outerwear is very light and comfortable. However, care for such things should be appropriate. Why is it not cold in a thin membrane jacket even in winter? What are the main advantages of this material? How to care for such clothes, how to wash a membrane jacket? These and other questions will be discussed in this article.
Advice for wearers of membrane clothes
Manufacturer's requirements for the care of manufactured products to the greatest extent determine the conditions under which products will retain aesthetic and physical characteristics throughout the entire service life. Often, consumers who have no previous experience in caring for such things are wondering if it is possible to wash a membrane jacket in a machine or only hand cleaning is suitable?
Careful reading of labels on clothing and relatedinstructions, as well as the exact observance of the recommendations set forth in them, is the primary source of information on the procedure for using clothing. In order to more accurately understand the general principles of maintaining the functionality of things made of membrane tissue, it is useful to know what it is.
What is membrane tissue?
It consists of at least two layers. The first layer is synthetic fabric. The second layer is a membrane - a thin film coating with a special structure, applied in a high-tech way, on the inside of the first layer. The membrane can be additionally covered with a protective layer of fabric, resulting in a three-layer fabric.
Pros and cons of membrane fabric
This unique material has a number of advantages:
- protects well from rain and snow;
- not blown by the wind;
- well conducts body evaporation to the outside (provided there is a pressure difference inside the clothes and outside, in other words, this property only works when making movements);
- durable;
- easy.
However, it has some drawbacks. Products made from it require more careful care compared to things made from ordinary material. If you take care of things incorrectly, they quickly lose their ability to retain heat. The total service life can be up to 5 years, depending on the type of membrane and manufacturing technology. In addition, careful and, most importantly, correct selection of things worn under membrane clothing is required (mainlythings made of synthetic fabric that retain heat and do not absorb moisture).
Due to its merits, membrane fabric is widely used in the production of clothing that is used in extreme conditions. Naturally, in the process of wearing things are subject to various kinds of pollution, requiring measures to be taken to remove them. Membrane jackets are no exception. Manufacturers of membrane fabric allow washing products made from it, including in a washing machine. as well as dry cleaning. However, it should be remembered that the less often things from such a fabric are machine washed, the safer they are. Nevertheless, it is important for the owners of such things to know in which mode to wash the membrane jacket in order to ensure proper care for it to the maximum. Of great importance is the tool that is used during this procedure.
Hand wash
This is the best option. Before washing the membrane jacket, unfasten the fur, if any. If it does not detach, you can pack it in a sealed plastic bag and tightly bandage it.
Those who do not know how to wash a jacket made of membrane fabric should be aware that often surface contamination is washed off quite well under a stream of warm tap water (temperature up to 40 degrees) or wiped off with a cloth. Without consequences, you can use laundry soap or a special detergent for washing suchclothes that are purchased at a hardware store or a store that specializes in selling sports goods.
After washing, cotton cloths and other highly hygroscopic materials can be used to remove excess moisture. Dry washed clothes in a well-ventilated area at room temperature. The jacket should be straightened and laid out on a horizontal surface. In order to avoid breaking the structure of the membrane, it is impossible to smooth the wrinkled surface directly with a hot iron. It is allowed to iron clothes with an iron set to the minimum temperature, through a towel and without steam functions.
How not to wash?
It is important to remember that:
- Most membrane fabrics should not be soaked for long periods.
- During the washing process, clothes should not be subjected to significant mechanical stress. For stubborn dirt, you can use a soft brush in combination with soap suds.
- Twisting adversely affects membrane properties. Dry washed items either by skipping the spinning stage and letting the water drain freely, or by squeezing without twisting the fabric.
How and at what temperature to wash a membrane jacket in a washing machine?
Such outerwear should be loaded into the drum separately from heavily soiled items. There is no need for a short pre-soak.
Before washing the membrane jacket in the washing machine,pockets should be checked for foreign objects. To avoid deformation of the links of the zippers, it is advisable to fasten them, also fasten the flaps on the buttons and straps.
Buttons present on clothes are not recommended to be fastened, as the threads with which they are sewn loose during washing, and the loops can stretch and lose their shape. It is advisable to turn the clothes inside out so that all the accessories are inside and do not come off, do not lose their appearance and do not spoil the drum of the washing machine.
Since the membrane in jackets is a rather thin polymer, it is allowed to wash on delicate modes at a temperature not exceeding 40 degrees.
To completely remove detergent residue, a thorough rinse at low speed is recommended.
It is advisable not to tumble dry or tumble dry the product. After the end of the washing process, it is not allowed to dry such clothes on any heaters with a coolant temperature above 40 degrees. To avoid damage to the membrane, it is best to dry the jacket without using forced heat methods, namely the method used in hand washing.
How can I wash a membrane jacket?
You can use a small amount of any liquid detergent for this fabric. It is not recommended to wash clothes made of membrane fabric with ordinary washing powder with large and coarse, poorly soluble particles, as well as with detergents containing air conditioners andbleaches. Their presence leads to a decrease in the breathability of the membrane.
Regular stain removers and products containing chlorine are not allowed. Under the action of chlorine molecules, the pores of the membrane become larger and begin to let water through. This reduces the water repellency of the fabric.
Before washing the membrane jacket, it is advisable to purchase special products for this procedure. For example, Granger's, Nikwax or Holmenkol. They are perfectly washed out of the fabric, do not contain surfactants and particles that can damage the membrane material or reduce its physical properties.
Dry cleaning features
Manufacturers do not recommend dry cleaning membrane fabric jackets. It is simply unacceptable to subject certain materials to this method of cleaning. If, for any reason, dry cleaning cannot be avoided, then when returning the product to the collection point, it is necessary to indicate the use of a colorless distilled hydrocarbon solvent in the rinsing process, as well as the use of DWR during washing or post-treatment.
Extra Care
During the washing process, an intense effect on the surface layer of the membrane fabric, which is an ordinary synthetic fabric with a long-term water-repellent coating (DWR coating), is applied. Under the action of detergents, the protective coating is gradually washed off, and the fabric loses its water-repellent properties. In the future, when exposed to moisture, the fabric gets wet and does notthe ability to fully work the membrane. As a result, during the subsequent use of clothing, the load on the membrane increases.
In this regard, it is necessary to regularly treat the top layer of clothing with special impregnations that maintain the moisture-repellent properties of the material. Specially developed products with DWR coating from NIKWAX, WOLY, SALAMANDER are available in specialized stores for sports and recreation.
Other tips and tricks
In case of forced washing in the field, the water-repellent properties of the fabric can be restored by rubbing the surface of the jacket with shavings from ordinary or laundry soap.
If the surface of the synthetic layer of a membrane jacket is contaminated with any oil, immediately begin to remove it by applying a suitable cleaning agent and rinsing with water. If after washing the stain remains, it is recommended to dry the product in a natural way and then wash it at home using suitable products.
When soiling a jacket with tar or grease, it is important not to let the stain spread over the surface and dry out. You can remove such contamination from the surface of the jacket with any blunt improvised object, scraping off the dirt from the edges of the stain to the center. After removing the dirt, it is recommended to wash the cleaned area immediately. You can wipe the stain with ice or water.
Dirt, oils, insect repellents, heat sources, antistatic agents are the main enemies of the beneficial properties of the membrane. They should be avoided whenever possible.
There are not so many options for how to wash a membrane jacket, and they practically do not differ from the usual ways of caring for outerwear. The only thing is that such material cannot be washed with ordinary powders. For this procedure, it is necessary to use special liquid formulations. In any case, before washing a membrane jacket, you should read the information from the manufacturer on clothing labels and in accompanying instructions.
