Nikwax Explained

Waterproofing wears out long before people usually notice it. A jacket starts feeling heavy and damp on the inside, and the usual assumption is that it's simply failed, when the fix is often as straightforward as a wash and a fresh coat of proofing. Nikwax has built its whole business around that one job: restoring water repellency once the factory treatment wears thin.

Nikwax started in 1977, in a North London flat, when Nick Brown mixed his first batch of waterproofing wax using a discarded tea urn, a Primus stove and a jug, then sold it from the back of a van around the UK before it reached shops in eight countries. Brown had spent years frustrated by boots that lost their support and stiffened after repeated waterproofing, so he built a wax that kept boots waterproof without softening the leather.

In 1983, Nikwax moved away from solvent-based formulas entirely, switching to water-based products that could be used safely at home, in a washing machine, rather than needing harsh chemicals. Nikwax has never used PFCs ("forever chemicals" linked to environmental and health concerns) in any of its products, a claim not every established waterproofing brand can make. Nick Brown ran the company until 2022, when he passed ownership to an Employee Ownership Trust made up of his own staff.

Nikwax treatments bond to the fibres of fabric or leather, coating each strand individually while leaving the gaps between them open. That's what makes the treatment breathable rather than a solid, sealed layer: water beads on the coated fibres and runs off, while air and sweat vapour still pass through the spaces in between.

Unlike a factory-applied DWR (durable water repellent) coating, which sits on the fabric's surface and wears off with abrasion and washing, a Nikwax treatment bonds into the fibres themselves. Reapplying it periodically restores what the original factory coating loses over time through wear, dirt and repeated washing.

Nikwax Tech Wash cleans technical fabrics without leaving behind the residue an ordinary detergent does. Detergent residue clogs the fabric and blocks breathability, so cleaning with Tech Wash first is the step that makes any reproofing treatment afterward actually work.

Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In goes into the washing machine after cleaning, coating the entire garment evenly, including zips, seams and hard-to-reach spots like behind pocket flaps. It suits garments without a wicking lining, since it saturates the whole piece rather than targeting specific areas.

Nikwax TX.Direct Spray-On is applied by hand to the outside of a garment after washing, letting you target specific panels, such as shoulders or a hood, that take the heaviest wear. It suits garments with a wicking lining, since it treats only the outer face rather than soaking all the way through, and it's the better option for a quick touch-up without needing a washing machine.

Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather is the original product, still used for leather boots and gear, keeping leather waterproof without stiffening it the way some treatments can.

1. Check the care label on the garment first, and follow any specific manufacturer instructions.
2. Remove detergent residue from the washing machine drawer, and take out anything non-washable from the garment itself.
3. Add Tech Wash to the drum: roughly 150ml for one to three garments, or 250ml for four to six, in a top-loading machine; around 100ml for up to two garments in a front-loading machine.
4. Wash on a gentle, warm cycle, around 30°C.
5. Air dry or tumble dry on low, following the garment's care label.

Tech Wash is non-detergent and biodegradable, and safe across waterproof, windproof and fleece fabrics, including GORE-TEX and similar membranes.

For the wash-in version, add it to the machine after washing with Tech Wash, following the same measuring guidance, and run a gentle warm cycle.

For the spray-on version, hold the bottle around 15cm from the fabric and spray evenly across the surface. Leave it for a couple of minutes, then wipe off any excess with a damp cloth. Air dry, or tumble dry on low if the care label allows.

Neither version needs heat to activate the treatment, which is different from some waterproofing sprays that do.

A GORE-TEX jacket relies on two things to keep you dry: the membrane, which blocks water while letting sweat vapour escape, and a factory-applied DWR coating on the outer fabric, which makes rain bead and run off instead of soaking into the fabric. The membrane doesn't wear out with normal use, but the DWR coating does, and once it's gone, the outer fabric starts absorbing water even though the membrane underneath is still doing its job. That's what makes a jacket feel heavy and clammy well before it's actually letting water through.

Nikwax Tech Wash cleans GORE-TEX and similar membranes safely, without damaging the coating or leaving residue behind, and TX.Direct restores the DWR layer once it's worn thin. Reproofing doesn't fix a failed membrane, but for most jackets that feel like they're leaking, a worn DWR coating, not the membrane, is the real cause.