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Caring for outdoor footwear
Why is it important?
When you purchase walking boots/shoes from us, they’re fit for purpose, keep you warm and dry and enhance your outdoor experience. However, you want to ensure that your footwear lasts, performs as it should and keeps your feet comfortable, regardless of how many miles you walk.
How can I guarantee comfort?
The fit of your footwear is incredibly important, if your boots are too small or too big, you won’t be able to walk the miles you want to. However, we have a range of insoles to support with this and to keep you on your feet for longer. Insoles come with a variety of different features such as shock absorption, memory foam and volume reduction. As well as the right fit, caring for your footwear is a must.
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Why do my boots wet out?
Outdoor apparel uses a durable water-repellent finish (DWR) to keep you dry. This finish forces water to bead away when it rains, while also allowing water vapour to escape – keeping you dry inside and out. Over time, dirt, abrasion and varied weather conditions can cause the finish to wear away, meaning your footwear will start to absorb water rather than repelling it. It also affects breathability. This can lead to a miserable outdoor experience.
How do I look after my outdoor footwear?
Clean before reproofing
We’d always recommend cleaning before reproofing. Dirt and dust not only effect the appearance of our outdoor clothing but also impair performance. If you leave caked-on mud this will cause long-term damage to your footwear, meaning it won’t last as long as it should.
Cleaning my outdoor footwear
Cleaning footwear is easy to do, so don’t feel put off by the effort you think it might take. Start with a hard bristle brush to remove any caked-on mud or dirt and then use a spray-on cleaner such as Grangers Footwear + Gear Cleaner included in their Footwear Care Kit or Nikwax Footwear Cleaning Gel. Using water alone won’t remove all the dirt and dust which impair the repellency of your footwear, ultimately leading to wet feet. Spray extra onto particularly dirty areas and work in the product using a clean cloth or sponge. Reapply, if necessary. Once clean, it’s time to reproof.
How can I tell if my outdoor footwear needs reproofing?
This is different dependant on the upper material of your footwear. If you have leather footwear, check if the leather is starting to crack or looks dry and if water no longer beads. If you have a material upper apply a small amount of water and, if it wets out, rather than beading, then it’s time to reproof.
Reproofing outdoor footwear
It’s important to always apply waterproofing treatments to clean footwear. Through cleaning, you may revive any existing repellency, removing the need to reproof. Or, if footwear requires reproofing, you won’t get the performance you desire if you apply to dirty outdoor shoes.
Reproofing is an easy process and again depends on which upper material your boots have.
For leather, it’s important to wait until the surface is dry before applying. Then take a leather-friendly proofer, we recommend Grangers Leather Conditioner (also in their Footwear Care Kit) or Nikwax Fabric + Leather Spray-On, and apply sparingly in circular motions using a clean cloth, ensuring coverage on seams and joints. You may wish to apply multiple coats, if so, allow footwear to dry in between each application. Leave footwear to dry naturally before heading back outdoors.
For other upper materials, we recommend a versatile spray-on reproofer, such as Grangers Footwear Repel Plus (included in their Footwear Kit), or you can continue to use the Nikwax Fabric + Leather Spray-On mentioned above. Simply apply the product while the footwear is damp, spraying evenly all over. Remove any excess product and allow to dry before heading back outside.
Do leather boots need conditioning?
As well as cleaning and reproofing, leather requires additional nourishment to ensure that it lasts. Luckily, a lot of proofing products offer conditioning as well as repellency. For full-grain leather, wax products offer the additional nourishment required to keep leather supple and protected. For uppers such as nubuck and suede, some products such as Nikwax Nubuck and Suede proof offer added conditioning as well as durable repellency.
By caring for your footwear, you’re sure to make it last for years to come and ensure comfort on all your outdoor adventures.
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Waterproof Care
Caring for your Insulated items
Why care?
Insulated items are an investment that you want to last. Whether it’s a down jacket to keep you warm during those colder months or a sleeping bag on your next camping adventure you want it to perform as it should and therefore regular maintenance is key.
Over time, body oils can build up on your down and synthetic feathers, reducing their loft and affecting repellency and performance. Through regular care, you’ll avoid damaging insulated articles and ensure that they last and perform as they should for longer.
How do I look after my Insulated items?
Cleaning is key
Cleaning your insulated items is key to removing any oils or dirt that impair loft and performance. You invest in down so that it keeps you warm and dry, so regular care is important.
Why can’t I use a normal detergent?
Normal household detergents have additives such as perfumes, optical brighteners and fabric softeners. After washing, these additives remain embedded in the fabric hence why clothes feel soft, fragrant and why whites appear brighter. While this is great for day-to-day clothing, these additives will impair the performance of insulated articles clogging the down fibres reducing their ability to trap air – negatively impacting loft and breathability so they no longer keep you warm.
For those insulated items with the added benefit of water repellency, washing a garment with an existing DWR finish in a household laundry detergent will also compromise the effectiveness of the DWR. This is especially important with down articles as the fibres cannot retain heat when wet.
Washing my insulated sleeping bag or jacket
Washing insulated items is often daunting and there’s a fear of ruining the loft. With the right products, caring for down is actually a simple process and once you’ve cleaned it for the first time, you won’t be fearful again. We recommend Grangers Down Wash. Simply add 25ml, half a cap, to your washing machine drawer and wash according to care label instructions.
Tumble drying your down
Once your down has been washed with a technical detergent, and after you’ve applied any required waterproofing treatment, it’s time to tumble dry. We recommend using reusable dryer balls in your machine, to help to gently restore the loft. Some people use tennis balls, but we wouldn’t recommend this approach. They can be quite aggressive because of their weight and also the colour may run onto your insulated items. Before putting your jacket or sleeping bag into the dryer, gently ensure that the down is distributed throughout and set the machine temperature according to the care label instructions.
Throughout the drying process, periodically check that the down is distributed, drying evenly and not overheating.
What if I don’t have access to a tumble dryer?
While we’d always recommend using a tumble drier, where possible, if you do not have access to a drier then we advise line drying, shaking at regular intervals to separate and agitate the down fibres.
Reproofing after washing
Once your insulated item has been cleaned with a technical detergent, it’s time to reproof. There are a variety of options, which allow you to choose between spray-on or wash-in and both options are generally just as easy to apply. We recommend Grangers Down Repel or Performance Repel Plus. To guarantee even, durable proofing use a wash-in treatment, such as Down Repel, running a second cycle before starting the drying process. A spray-on proofer, such as Performance Repel Plus, allows you to apply additional proofing to areas prone to abrasion, such as where rucksack straps sit, this treatment should also be applied while the face fabric is damp.
Do I need to wash and reproof separately?
Generally, it is a two-step approach, however we know that sometimes you’d prefer to keep the amount of times you treat your insulated items to a minimum and therefore Grangers offer a 2-in-1 solution which cleans and reproofs in one wash. Their Wash + Repel Down 2 in 1 or Down Care kit is used in the washing machine and removes dirt, and restores loft, while offering durable protection, saving time and conserving energy and water.
Through regular care and maintenance of your down and synthetic down you’ll ensure comfort and warmth on every outdoor adventure.
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Waterproof Care
Caring for your waterproof
Why care?
The one reliable thing about weather is that you can guarantee its unpredictability. One minute you can be hiking outdoors in bright sunshine and the next minute you’re in the middle of a thunderstorm. This is why you need to care for your gear so that it looks after you, whatever the weather.
When you purchase waterproof clothing from us, it’s fit for purpose, it keeps you warm and dry and enhances your outdoor experience. However, over time, as you get outside more, dirt and grime can hinder its performance, so regular maintenance is key to making it sure it continues to not only look the part but also perform as it should.
Why does my gear wet out?
Outdoor apparel uses a durable water-repellent finish (DWR) to keep you dry. This finish forces water to bead away when it rains, while also allowing water vapour to escape – keeping you dry inside and out. Over time, dirt, sweat, abrasion and varied weather conditions can cause the finish to wear away, meaning your gear will start to absorb water rather than repelling it. It also affects breathability, leaving you feeling clammy, and inner clothes damp and smelly. This ultimately leads to a miserable outdoor experience, and in more extreme conditions can be dangerous.
How do I look after my waterproofs?
Clean before reproofing
We’d always recommend cleaning before reproofing. Just like normal clothing, your waterproofs need to be kept clean. Dirt and dust not only effect the appearance of our outdoor clothing but also impair their performance. However, it’s important to clean with a technical detergent, specifically formulated for waterproofs.
Why can’t I use a normal detergent?
Normal household detergents have additives such as perfumes, optical brighteners and fabric softeners. After washing, these additives remain embedded in the fabric hence why clothes feel soft, fragrant and why whites appear brighter. While this is great for day-to-day clothing, these additives will impair the performance of technical clothing as they act as wetting agents and actively draw water into the fabric. Therefore, washing a garment with an existing DWR finish in a household laundry detergent will compromise the effectiveness of the DWR. Often, simply washing your waterproof clothing will restore the existing DWR and breathability, without the need to reproof. If your gear is still wetting out, cleaning first is the ideal preparation for fresh waterproofing treatments.
Washing my waterproofs
Washing waterproofs is just as easy as washing your normal clothing, if not easier as there is no need for fabric softener. We recommend either Nikwax Tech Wash or Grangers Performance Wash for your waterproof gear. Simply add 25ml, half a cap, to your washing machine drawer and wash according to care label instructions.
How can I tell if my gear needs reproofing?
We recommend testing the shoulders of your jacket or knees of your waterproof trousers with a few droplets of water. If the fabric wets out, or starts to seep into your clothing rather than beading, then it’s time to reproof.
Reproofing after washing
Once your gear has been cleaned with a technical detergent, it’s time to reproof. There are a variety of options, which allow you to choose between spray-on or wash-in and both options are generally just as easy to apply. We recommend either Nikwax TX Direct Wash-In or Grangers Repel Plus – available in the Granger’s Clothing Care Kit. Both products are easy-to-use, the key difference being that wash-in treatments are designed to offer even, durable proofing in one-wash cycle whereas spray-on products allow you to apply additional proofing to areas prone to abrasion, such as where rucksack straps sit.
Do I need to heat activate?
No. Waterproofing products are effective when air-dried and do not require heat activation to perform. However, for optimum durability, we’d recommend applying a small amount of heat such as a tumble drier or hairdryer, if possible.
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