FAQ

Outdoor garments are often complex constructions made up of a variety of materials. Through use and laundering, these materials are subject to degradation. Especially the factory applied water repellent finish (DWR), is vulnerable as it is applied in the last stage of fabric processing. It is the layer that protects the fabric. Not only from wetting but also to some extent to wear and tear. This means the DWR degrades faster than the textile fibres themselves. In addition, good water repellence is important for supporting membrane function, as a wet outer fabric reduces the moisture transmission rate of the membrane. By reapplying a water repellent finish, you restore the properties of this finish and extend the useful life of your garment. As a result, garments would in the long run profit from a regular reproofing treatment over waiting until the factory applied DWR is washed out completely.

Both products rely on the same technology and use a 3D lotus effect to provide water repellence. The products are optimised to suit the different application methods. Based on the garment and circumstances, you can pick the product of your choice. Please, follow the instructions on the label carefully, or check out our instruction videos here.

Since the garment is immersed in a solution containing Wash-In, some product may also set on the inside, depending on the material. One may think that it is undesirable to get waterproofing on the inside of the garment. However, our safe products  are not film-forming, and therefore allow for maintained breathability. 

There is a wide range of technical membranes on the market, and new membrane technologies are introduced continuously. However, as a rule of thumb, for all hydrophobic or microporous membranes (e.g., Gore-Tex) both Wash-In and Spray-On can be used. For hydrophilic membranes (e.g., SympaTex), where the function relies on a chemical moisture transportation property, Spray-On is preferred, as it can be applied more specifically on the outer fabric only, whereas Wash-In might change the chemical property underlying the function of the membrane. Although what can be seen generally, is that even hydrophilic membranes do usually not tend to show a practical loss in functionality when they were subject to an impregnation with Wash-In.

Not necessarily, as our technology does not require heat to be activated, which means that you can expect a restored water repellence on your garments by just letting them dry at room temperature. However, warm drying in a tumble dryer or drying cabinet increases the durability and often boosts the effect of your freshly applied OrganoTex treatment; so, when care instructions allow, we would still recommend running a short cycle at low temperature. Alternatively, you can apply some heat with a hair dryer or on a heating element or by hanging it in strong sunlight. Warm drying also improves the functionality on a major part of the factory applied finishes (DWR) on the market.

This is mainly dependent on the fibre type and how much of the factory applied water repellent finish (DWR) is left. In general, one could expect the treatment to last between 5-10 laundry cycles. It is always recommended to use a technical detergent to increase the useful life of the treatment. On synthetic fabrics the treatment is often retained longer than on fabrics made from natural fibres. 

Typically, conventional detergents are packed with surface actives and other functional molecules that help water reach hydrophobic dirt. They may be left in your functional finish, where they will act as a channel for water molecules reaching the fabric, causing it to wet. Residues are often a result of excessive foam formation during laundering, as foam is hard to rinse out from your washing machine. If you see foam left on your garment after washing, it is recommended to carry out additional rinsing cycles until no foam can be seen on the outer fabric surface. To prevent this from happening, it is highly recommended to use a technical detergent, like OrganoTex BioCare, on your outdoor garments. These are not only milder for functional finishes and the environment, but they are also developed to minimise foaming and thereby the amount of residue left after running a normal laundry cycle. 

Generally, quite frequently, even when not visible dirty, sweat and dirt might be sitting in the membrane reducing its functionality. Washing the garments with a technical laundry detergent cleans out the pores in the membrane and removes dirt that inhibits the water repellent finish on the outer fabric. Moreover, it removes sweat that has gathered under for example seam tapes. Over time sweat residue can decrease adhesion in the taped seams, so keeping your garments clean is the way to increase their useful life.

Our combined Wool & Down wash is equipped with an optimised amount of lanolin, which is natural wool grease. While washing, this grease refats the fibres in wool, while not altering the properties of down. The detergent is even equipped with lemon eucalyptus essential oil, that refreshes the fabric deeply.

It means that OrganoTex is made from renewable resources, such as agricultural waste streams, and other forms of biomass. This is an important step towards the bioeconomy, where we are no longer depending on fossil fuels to create high-performance materials and functionalities. USDA BioPreferred is a certification body that measures the share of renewable carbon in our products based on testing.

Since we are marketing a unique range of biobased products, this is a legitimate question. Currently, our products contain ingredients derived from agricultural rest streams, which may also include streams from animal origin. Therefore, we cannot put a vegan claim on our products.

The OECD 301 method is a quick but harsh test that assesses what happens with chemicals when they are exposed to microorganisms that commonly occur in surface waters. The test requires substances to be eaten up by nature within a 10-day window. A reference known to biodegrade is added for comparison. When the chemical passes this test, it is classified as readily biodegradable. Sometimes producers call their products biodegradable without referring to a test method. By successfully testing OrganoTex for this type of harsh biodegradation tests we have strong proof of rapid biodegradation.