Stich cleaning

[Bud]

Thinking of sending my Stich to the factory to be cleaned.

 

Has anyone else done that and how did it turn out.

 

Buying the wash and waterproof stuff and then going to the laundromat and feeding the machines seems to be close to having them do it.

 

Any advice is appreciated.

 

 

[tallman]

If all stitching is good, zippers work, I'd do it myself.

 

I just throw mine in the Nikewash every 5-10 years let it completely air dry (sevral days hanging in garage alternating outside when I'm home) and then retreat with waterproofing and finally when redried, a thorough spraying with waterproofing.

 

Time. labor, under $30 bucks.

 

Think they charge a bit more, but I'm not wearing a 'Stitich.

[Whip]

Take all the pads out.

 

Fill something big enough with liquid Washing machine soap.

 

Submerge and work it around with your hands.

 

Let it soak for awhile repeat hand wash.

 

Hang it outside and thoroughly rinse with hose while hanging.

 

Let it hang dry

 

Soak with Bud, spray with scotch guard and uv protection.

 

Do the whole job while watching a football game.

[Doug_Baliko]

Bud,

I wash my gear using NikWax Tech Wash and then another cycle using NikWax Direct Wash In water repellent rejuvenater. Both can be purchased on Amazon or from Aerostich. I wash my Gortex and Stich clothing probably twice a year using this method and I have never had an issue.

 

How was your trip? How did those headphones work out for you?

 

Doug

[Bud]

Hi Doug,

 

There must be something wrong with my Garmin as I couldn't hear even with the volume all the way up.

 

Trip was great.

[randy]

I take my stitch to a local laundry that has an extra large commercial washer. Holds the stitch easily. I find it much easier to take to a commercial washer place an do it there.

[mneblett]

I wanted zipper replacement with the new zipper design (required sending to them), so I had them clean my Roadcrafter at the same time. Came back perfectly clean.

[elkroeger]

Just put it in the wash (cold or warm) and line dry it. take the pads out.

 

Sometimes I get excited and use a nikwax waterproofing, but usually I can't tell the difference after a few weeks.

[EddyQ]

Sometimes I get excited and use a nikwax waterproofing, but usually I can't tell the difference after a few weeks.

 

I have never waterproofed after cleaning. I could be wrong, but the waterproofness should still be fine due to gortex. However, the breathability of the gortex will be significantly worse when the shell is wet due to the sheeting of water. But seriously, when it is wet, you are moist inside anyway.

[elkroeger]

Yes, the goretex layer is waterproof, and does the job. The point to using a water repellent (aka DWR - Durable Water Repellent) is to keep from saturating the outer fabric layer. This does a few things: It keeps the garment from getting weighed down with water which in turn keeps the rest of you a little less wet from smearing water around, onto your hands, into pockets, etc. (and also results in faster drying time), and it keeps the goretex membrane from becoming saturated with liquid water, which impedes its ability to breathe. A dry goretex layer keeps you more comfortable inside, which is why you paid so much for that goretex - otherwise we'd all be running around in rubber coated raingear. It's a little goofy: you want to keep the actual waterproof layer dry so it works better.

 

Depending on how you use the garment, that hydrophobic treatment is more or less important. It also becomes less effective as the garment ages. The nylon frays, it gets dirty, and it absorbs water more readily, thus counterating the DWR.

 

For me, I am usually commuting, and my suit is older, so I put up with more saturation, and I'm home in a 1/2 hour where I hang it up and go have a beer. If I were on an extended trip, I'd get more benefit from treating it.

 

Another thing that can be done is to iron your garment, This tends to melt the little frayed nylon filaments so it absorbes less water. But consult the manufacturer. They won't help you if you melt the thing into a big pile of garbage. And neither will I.