As mentioned in the Gear section of the blog, I purchased BMW’s TourShell jacket and pants soon after buying the motorcycle. The TourShell is a Cordura textile (not mesh) with GoreTex lining.
When new, the Cordura material was quite water-repellant as the textile was treated with a durable water repellant coating. By repelling water, the outer layer of fabric allows the Gore-Tex lining to more efficiently breath, preventing moisture buildup inside the clothing. Over time, both the jacket and pants have lost their water-repellency and the Gore-Tex has lost much of its effectiveness in the rain.
To restore my gear to its prior excellence, I purchased a cleaner especially designed to clean Gore-Tex based outdoor clothing and a spray-on waterproofing to renew the repellency of the Cordura.
The Tech Wash called for warm water but the label inside the TourShell clothing recommends cold water, so I opted to use cold. Even with cold water, the Tech Wash appears to have cleaned the jacket and pants very well, and after hanging both outside to dry, some of the original repellency was restored, an expected result of removing dirt and other contaminants.
The directions call for further ‘reactivating’ the durable water repellant coating using low heat. I simply hung both items in the sun to dry.
For those interested, I used about 3 ounces of the Tech Wash, so the 33 oz. bottle will last for at least 10 washings.
To increase the water-resistance of the Cordura even more, I sprayed the outer layer with the waterproofing with great results.
Taking care to not miss spots and to wipe off any extra, I ended up using about half of the bottle of waterproofing, or about 8 ounces total. So the bottle I purchased would re-coat the jacket and pants twice.
After drying, I tested the repellency and was pleased with the beading of the water.
I took a picture of the ‘armor’ contained in my outer gear prior to reinstalling it, just for fun 🙂 There is armor for my shoulders, back, elbows, hips, and knees.
