LUCY: I’m really chuffed that as a brand ambassador for Grangers, I get to try their products and write about them. Taking care of my equipment is really important to me. Here’s my first blog post bringing you my thoughts on Grangers Wash + Repel.
I’m pretty hard on my gear. I’m out in all weathers, and most days of the week. My waterproofs have the roughest time of it, having to deal not only with sideways Scottish rain but also sweat, mud, rucksack abrasion, being stuffed in to overloaded rucksacks and generally mistreated. Long ago I realised that washing and reproofing my waterproofs regularly is essential to maintain the performance that I need.
I usually use a two stage process, washing in a specialist detergent (eg Grangers Performance Wash), and then use a spray on proofer (such as Grangers Performance Repel) that helps me focus on the highest wear areas, which loose their water repellency first, (eg across the shoulders and back). Anyway, to cut a long story short, it’s been a busy few weeks and despite my lack of time, my gear needed a good refurbishment before the winter season got fully underway. Luckily Grangers sent me a bottle of their Wash + Repel treatment, a 2 in 1 product that basically halves the time it takes me to wash and reproof hardshell.
It’s very simple to use, but for best results, you need both a washing machine and a tumble dryer. A 300ml bottle will treat up to five garments. Simply add it to the wash instead of your normal detergent, and hey presto, the job is done. Drying the gear in a tumble dryer afterwards helps activate the proofant. Grangers say that if you don’t have a tumble dryer, a gentle iron can also help.
So does it work? In short, yes! Really well!
It’s early days, so I can’t comment on the durability of the treatment, but my newly treated hardshell beads up nicely in the rain and feels clean and rejuvenated. I’m so pleased with the ease of use, that I’ve finished the bottle, having washed and reproofed my favourite winter Gore-Tex hardshell jacket, my mountain rescue waterproofs (utterly caked in mud), a pair of ancient waterproof trousers in prep for an epic glueing and patching job*, and my beloved Gore-Tex bib salopettes that were tragicly starting to let the damp in. The whole process is much less faff than using two separate products, meaning more time for me to get on with things I need to do, which definitely includes resting, eating and sleeping right now… between full on days in the hills.
*Making my gear last is both a hobby and a mission!