Advice on waterproofing a nylon raincoat

[Telemark]

@ThelmaLou

I don’t expect it to be fully waterPROOF. I’d like it not to ABSORB water.

Does anyone think it would be a good idea to take it to a dry cleaner’s to apply whatever “waterproofing” is possible?

I put “waterproofing” in quotation marks to acknowledge that I know full waterproofing is not possible, but that I want whatever putative “water resistance” was first present (although I never noticed any) to be restored.

I think the jacket is working exactly as designed. I don’t think it ever had any water resistance so anything you get is going to be something you add. A dry cleaner doesn’t have a waterproofing that is going to seal the jacket fabric; something like that would effectively be coating the jacket in plastic which would change the characteristics of the jacket completely. Cotton/nylon is porous. Real waterproof jackets are either solid plastic or have a layer of Gore-Tex (or equivalent) that is made with a semi-permeable membrane that allows water vapor out but doesn’t allow water droplets in. You can’t add that aftermarket.

So, the best you can do is make the water bead up on the outside of the jacket. That’s what’s on the outside of Gore-Tex jackets to make the water bead up, for for the same reason. It prevents water from being absorbed in the fabric, at least for a while. It will overwhelm your cotton/nylon jacket eventually, but it’s probably the best you can do.

There are silicone waterproofing sprays that are generally used on boots, tents, and tarps, and the like. You could try it on your jacket, but try it on a small section first. It may change the characteristics of the jacket so much that it’s not worth it. I’m sure a dry cleaner could do it, but there’s no reason not to do so on your own.

[romansperson]

I’ve never seen a dry cleaner that offers the service you are asking about. If you have seen one advertising such a service, then you’d be better off asking them about it.

I do know that dry cleaning itself is usually not recommended for items that are actually waterproof, and water repellent fabrics can often lose their repellant qualities after several dry cleanings, but that’s obviously not your issue.

In the past, I’ve had good luck just using regular Scotchgard spray on both furniture cushions and clothing. It’s cheap, easy and won’t hurt your coat so why not try it?

[ThelmaLou]

I wouldn’t ask the dry cleaner to CLEAN it. In fact the tag inside the coat says “do not dry clean.”

Thanks for the discussion.