Can I safely wash my Altura Night Vision jacket?

[Auntie Helen]

I have a Night Vision jacket (fluorescent yellow) and it's got a lot of oil stains on it, plus some mud, plus it might appreciate a wash anyway due to being worn when I overheated a few times.

However I bumped into a lady with a very faded greenish-looking one who said it wasn't that old but she'd washed it in the washing machine (admittedly with biological powder) and it had massively faded.

I have some special washing liquidy stuff for gore-tex jackets (which has worked very well on my walking coat) and would like to give it a go using that, but I want to check first with you lot out there, to see if you have managed to wash these jackets and they come out unscathed.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[snapper_37]

Oooh thanks for asking that.

*watches patiently as Altura NV Jacket also needs a wash*

 

[jimboalee]

www.swinnertoncycles.co.uk/Night-Vision-Jacket-Zyral22nvi.aspx

Is this the one?

 

[snapper_37]

Yes, in the hi-viz.

 

[Auntie Helen]

Yep, that's the one, looks like this in the yellow (modelled by me, of course )

 

[Chris James]

It'll will be fine getting washed. Like all waterproof materials it is probably best to was in Techwash or soap flakes to avoid losing the durable water repellant coating applied to the garment surface.

You might want to check what temp on teh care label (may say only 30). Really bad marks can be removed locally by rubbing a small amount of soap or (if necessary) detergent on the area and rubbing in before you wash it.

I have a Night Vision windproof which I just bung in the washing machine with non bio at 40 degrees C. It says 30 on the care label (presumably to avoid the refelctive patches disbonding) but I haven't had any problems. But the windproof doesn't have a DWR coating hence the recommendation to use Techwash or soap flakes.

 

[inaperfectworld]

yes the soap tech washes, nikwax etc are good, but you can buy pure soap flakes: a lot cheaper (which were marketed as lux flakes, but the brand i got in supermarket were "grannys original"). soap flakes don't affect the waterproof coating unlike washing powders.
unfortunately oil stains are unlikely to come out on a wash cycle at 30 or 40 degrees. i had a goretex jacket and i used some dry flakes directly onto the jacket with enough water to make a thick lather and then gently rubbed the areas together gently before washing in the machine. this seemed to get them out without damaging jacket

 

[Auntie Helen]

The waterproof washing liquid stuff I have is German so not a brand with which I'm familiar but it has done the trick for the last 8 years on a waterproof/breathable jacket that I wash monthly and which is still waterproof and breathable. I'm more concerned about the NV jacket fading, although I wouldn't like the reflective patches to disbond either. The jacket says it's OK to wash at 40 but not to use biological washing agents or softeners.

 

[johnny]

I stick mine in with Fairy at 30 and it doesn't seem to have done it any harm. But I only wash it when the smell starts to get noticeable.........

 

[tomb1960]

I've washed mine too on 30 (too tight for 40!) with a non-bio liquid and it was fine. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that you are meant to tumble dry waterproofs as this somehow reactivates the proofing.

 

[cheadle hulme]

Don't know whether the material is the same as used in the Altura Nevis jacket, but mine is a sort of greyish yellow after 3 washes - not hi vis at all.

I never read washing instructions though and just bunged it in at 40 with normal powder.

Its still waterproof though, just looks fairly crappy.

 

[Tynan]

not sure I've ever washed a hi viz top ever?

why would you? it's not like you ever wear them indoors is it?

 

[cheadle hulme]

Because they get really sweaty inside and after a week they smell rancid.

 

[Tynan]

what do you wear under them?

Mine is well over a year old and fine

 

[Auntie Helen]

Mine's got muck and dirt on it and doesn't look very smart. Plus I've sweated inside it so it doesn't feel so fresh. A good wash would improve things no end, and thanks to the comments here it sounds like it's safe for me to wash it.