Waterproof breathable materials allow water vapor to pass thru while stopping liquid water. This is done with a membrane of Fluoropolymer (Teflon type) material that has very small spaces allowing single molecules of water vapor to pass, but stopping water droplets.

These materials are made by manufacturers such as W.L. Gore® and Associates (makers of Gore-Tex®) and others. They are made in different densities from very water resistant (limited breathability) to slight water resistance but excellent breathability. They are always sandwiched between two or more layers of material for physical protection against tearing, and abrasion. Being made of Fluoropolymer, nothing sticks to the membrane itself short of roofing tar. Fluoropolymers are resistant to all common chemicals, it matters little if the membrane is clean, or what is used to clean it. The most common problems to affect the Fluoropolymer membrane are damage from sewing, tearing, or stretching. Proper care is not dictated by any special needs of the Fluoropolymer membrane.

It is the outer shell that determines how the garment must be cared for. Typically jackets or pants that have a Fluoropolymer membrane will have an outer shell that is factory treated with a fluoropolymer water repellent coating. This has obvious advantages if the Fluoropolymer membrane should leak. It is always important however that the Fluoropolymer coated outer shell remain clean and dry to allow the water vapor to escape. This is because the body moisture that passes thru the Fluoropolymer membrane must be allowed to escape thru the shell or it will accumulate reducing further evaporation and in some cases condensing making the garment feel wet. When it is raining the Fluoropolymer coating on the outer shell must keep beading and shedding the rain. Saturation of the shell stops its breathability, leaving nowhere for the body moisture to go.

So how do you care for the shell to keep it dry and breathing? Mostly, it must be clean. Never wash with a soap or detergent that leaves residue behind. This detergent residue covers the Fluoropolymer coating making it ineffective, allowing the water drops to spread out and leak thru the shell. W.L. Gore® recommends powder detergents to avoid the suggestion that special care is required for their Fluoropolymer membrane. Unfortunately, the residue from typical laundry powders and liquids covers the durable Fluoropolymer coating on the outer shell. These residual wetting agents allow water to spread out and soak in instead of beading and running off. Another source of wetting agents is air pollution. A new raincoat can lose its ability to bead water just by hanging in the closet for a year. Dry cleaning is not recommended as it also leaves a residue behind that stops the beading action.

Tests conducted at Clemson University School of Textiles demonstrate that Sport-Washand Sensi-Clean Laundry Detergent leave absolutely no residue. They rinse completely, leaving nothing behind to cover the fluoropolymer coating while other laundry products deposit chemical residue totaling 2 to 3% of the weight of the fabric. Leaving no residue allows the fluoropolymer coating on the outer shell to work like new.

Ironing at the highest setting recommended by the garment manufacturer further enhances the effectiveness of the repellant by activating the fluoropolymer molecules so that they can optimize their orientation and maximize the beading action of the water droplets. People often claim that washing with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean has restored the waterproofing of their garment and ask for the detergent with the waterproofing in it. There was nothing wrong with the Fluoropolymer coating at all; it was only dirty, allowing the water droplets to spread out and soak thru the shell.

By washing the garment in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean you are restoring the water repellence and breathability of the outer shell therefore enhancing the performance of the Fluoropolymer membrane.

If washing in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean without fabric softener followed by ironing fails to restore the shell to water repellent condition you can be certain there is no repellent present. It is rare to find a waterproof breathable garment without a fluoropolymer type Durable Water Repellent (DWR). It may have been an error, it may have been treated with wax or silicone instead of a DWR because it is not washable, or the DWR may have been exhausted by age, use, and improper washing or dry cleaning.

For washable and ironable fabrics use our Permanent Water-Guard. It is a superior fluoropolymer DWR in a non-flammable solvent-free non-Volatile Organic Compound formula. When applied and cared for per our instructions Permanent Water-Guard will exceed the performance and durability of factory applied DWR’s because we do not use wax, silicone, or other extenders that make a big first impression and then wash away.

Permanent Water-Guard is guaranteed for 25 washings in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Cleandetergent. Keeping the shell dry and breathing assures you will enjoy the full benefit of your Waterproof/Breathable garment.

Leather, Suede or “Dry Clean Only” garments and boots can not be washed in Sport-Washor Sensi-Clean as required for fluoropolymer bonding, and can not be heated to cure and activate a DWR. For these applications use Silicone Water-Guard by Atsko, Inc. It is a heavy duty catalyzing silicone formula that cures without heat. Only one treatment is necessary but it does wash away in a few good soakings.

Waterproof breathable liners are often used in boots. Usually these boots will be silicone tanned because the liner would be useless if the boot soaked up water. Foot moisture passing thru the membrane must be absorbed by the leather in order to provide comfort. If the boot leather is soaked thru with oil, grease, animal fat, or water; the absorption and release of this foot moisture can not occur. Your boots will be heavy and your feet will feel wet and cold.

In boots as with garments, the Fluoropolymer membrane requires no special care. Simply care for the out side of the boot properly. If it is smooth top grain leather use Sno-Seal the original Beeswax Waterproofing. If silicone tanned, use Silicone Water-Guard. For split, suede, brushed, napped etc., use Silicone Water-Guard to preserve appearance, but for serious hard working water proofing use Sno-Seal, it will last longer.

As a manufacturer of products to care for clothing, footwear, and outdoor gear, I am frequently asked about the difference between soap and detergent. I’m going to try to keep this as simple and general as possible so that it applies to cleaners from laundry detergents to baby shampoo. You can also look up the Soap and Detergent Association’s online info to see what they have to say. Remember, these folks are marketers for their industry and though their information is accurate, it may not be complete.

The FDA has a definition to distinguish soaps and detergents for the purpose of applying regulations. It gives special treatment to alkali salts of fatty acids. In fact, soap is just a very unspecial form of detergent. 100 years ago there was no such thing as detergent but almost every cleaning aid we had, especially everything called soap, is now under the definition of detergent. When someone says a cleaning product is a “Soap – Not a Detergent” or it is a “Non-Detergent” they are just marketing statements.

A detergent is anything that grabs onto dirt, soil, grease, oil, odor, etc. and holds it well enough to loosen its grip on clothing, skin, hair, house paint, etc. and pull it into the wash water. This gets tricky. If the detergent hooks-up too well it may join the dirt on the fabric or surface and become part of the problem (soap and detergent scum). So our cleaning agent must remain well attached to the water so that as the water rinses away, the detergent goes with it still holding fast to the dirts and soils it has released from the material being cleaned.

That’s how cleaning works whether we call it soap or call it detergent. The difference comes from how we create the cleaner that must love oily dirt on one hand and love water on the other hand. A detergent or soap molecule is different on one end from the other. One end loves dirt and the other loves water.

A modern chemical plant can make any kind of cleaner you want. There are many compounds that are non-polar or uncharged at one end and polar or charged at the other end. The non-polar end will grab the dirt from the surface and the polar end will hang onto the wash water to carry it all away. You can make each molecule exactly the same for a very specific dirt or you can create blends of several different molecules to attack a range of soils. Each of these elegantly engineered molecules is a surfactant (surface active agent) and a blend of surfactants for a specific cleaning task is a modern detergent. The value, effectiveness, safety, efficiency, biodegradability and purity of a proper detergent is a work of art.

Unfortunately, modern marketing is not overly concerned with great cleaning, so they add brighteners, softeners, colors, anti-microbials, fragrances, enzymes, extracts, essential oils, vitamins, milk, tea, oatmeal, etc. The list goes on forever, a long march of “new and improved” products to eager consumers. Manufacturers can produce outstanding detergents but Marketers insist on polluting them all with counterproductive chemical slop.

Is “soap” the answer? NO, quite the contrary! Most of them are based on the modern surfactant blends, same as the products called detergents. Soaps usually have all the same modern pollutants that you find in detergents and they have the additional problem of not working well in hard water.

There are some “soaps” that don’t use efficient surfactants. They use fats or oils that have had a charged group of atoms attached by ancient chemistry. If they actually do the cleaning with an alkali salt of fatty acid, they meet the FDA definition of Soap.

The classic form is to boil animal fat and throw in an amount of lye that will supply charged ends for all the oil molecules. You have very little control of this process. It’s more art than science. You are beginning with a mix of different fat/oil molecules and a mix of alkali along with impurities. Time and temperature cause various combinations to occur and each will interact differently with the soils and especially with the calcium and magnesium in the wash water. Such soap doesn’t clean well and often leaves a bigger mess than you started with, particularly in hard water. Now add peppermint, honey, apricot extract and a dozen more sensitizers and you have a toxic mess guaranteed to succeed in a market where products strive to distinguish themselves by the chemical residue they deposit on your hair, skin and clothing.

So how do you choose a cleaner?

For starters, forget about looking for “Soap.” It’s probably not really soap and would be a poor choice if it was.

What ingredients should we look for and which to avoid? This is a trick question. It’s not what is in the cleaner that causes problems, it’s what fails to rinse off your skin, your hair and your clothes. A properly selected high quality surfactant should do the job efficiently and rinse away completely. A proper blend of two or three compatible surfactants can be the basis of a good cleaner. Rather than name hundreds of possible ingredients that may or may not be synergistic or appropriate, my advice is to find a product that does the best job with the least ingredients in number and amount.

Liquid laundry detergents should do a machine load with one ounce or less. A laundry powder should dissolve to totally clear in cold water in one minute or less and should get the job done with one tablespoon per wash load. If more is required, there are several possibilities and none of them beneficial except to the marketers. They may just water it down so you think you’re getting more for your money. This is a waste of packaging, space, transport, convenience, etc. Maybe they use poorly chosen, incompatible, inappropriate, or ineffective surfactants and need lots more chemical to do the job. Usually they have loaded in so many counterproductive chemicals to “Distinguish” their product that it overwhelms the cleaners so they have to use more. This a recipe for poor rinsability and lots of irritating residue.

And how do you measure performance? Assuming it removes obvious soils and odors, here are a few other things to look for.

If a product leaves UV Brighteners or Fluorescent Whitening Agent, it’s not clean.

If a product leaves an antimicrobial, it’s not clean.

If a product leaves a residue that reduces water repellency, it’s not clean.

If a product increases flammability of 100% Polyester, it’s not clean.

If a product adds to the weight of the fabric, it’s not clean.

If you need to use fabric softener, it’s not clean.

If your hair feels cleaner for a few days each time you switch brands, it’s not clean.
A product should be “Readily” Biodegradable and economical enough so that you can use it for the rest of your life.

If you have very soft water and very little dirt or odor, a soap can do a fair job on common soil. If, however, you have special fabric, soils, odors, skin sensitivities, or high tech features to restore and maintain, only detergents can do the job. The real villain is the residues of fad ingredients that can be added to both soaps and detergents.

You can eliminate all residues and the odor, performance, and irritation issues they cause by selecting Sport-Wash Residue-Free Detergent or Sensi-Clean Irritation-Free Detergent from Atsko/Sno-Seal.

For personal care, choose Sport-Wash Hair & Body Soap or Sensi-Clean Shampoo & Body Gel. The Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean Brands are the same product marketed to target the diverse demographics and issues that are addressed by eliminating residue.

For more information on HOW TO AVOID UNNECESSARY CHEMICAL EXPOSURE and to see UNIVERSITY TEST DATA on residue free detergents, visit www.atsko.com. The Illinois Institute of Technology (my Alma Mater) has a class room demonstration of soap making included on their website. You can get a sticky feeling for why soaps have been replaced by detergents here.

This is dirty business with regularly recurring exposure to acids and bacteria including staphylococcus areous and ecolli. While we want to minimize the unpleasantness to encourage the use of washable diapers, it is dangerous to minimize the importance of protecting your baby from bacterial infection. Broken or stressed skin can be an inadequate barrier and an immature immune response can be overwhelmed by the very bacteria we tolerate thru our entire lives. Sanitation failure can result in serious infection often requiring antibiotics. Don’t be discouraged by the need to get it right. The irritation rate for cloth diapers can be lower than for disposables. In 1955, 100% of babies were cloth diapered; 7.1% of them experienced diaper rash. In 1990, 90% of babies were diapered with disposables, and 10% were cloth diapered; 78% of babies in 1990 experienced diaper rash. (“Why Use Cloth Diapers?” Kim Becker). In 1955 we used bleach in storage pails and boiled diapers after washing. Diaper services all claimed absolute sterilization.

The primary requirement of safe washings is to remove enough of this bacteria so that the skin gets a chance to recover before the next onslaught. If the look or smell of a diaper suggests you don’t want to rub your face with it, then it is not ready for either end of your Baby.

In years past, diapers were dumped, scraped and rinsed in the toilet and then collected in a pail of water with 1 or 2 ounces of bleach. If soils were light the pail could be dumped into the washer and washed in hot water. Diapers that did not come out looking and smelling great would be boiled with a little bleach. We weren’t concerned about saving hot water, avoiding the use of chlorine, or making the diapers last for 3 more kids. There was still the occasional irritation because Moms have always been busy and diapers get toxic real quick because that’s what living bacteria do.

If a doctor’s diagnosis is staph infection or similar, chances are it results from excessive incubation time for a colony of bacteria rather the soap, baby oil, lotion or detergent. First you must eliminate bacteria, then you can concentrate on the benefits of eliminating detergent residue. Washable diapers certainly last longer if you can limit washing to warm or hot water without bleach, but if you are leaving stain and odor, you have no choice but to be more aggressive. Hot water is not what it used to be. In the interest of saving energy and preventing injury, hot water heaters are now regulated to lower temperatures. Some washers now contain heaters because your hot water storage tank is to cold to kill bacteria. Mom used to boil diapers. 212° F kills just about everything. 160° F kills most bacteria and used to be possible with older model water heaters. 120° F as found in a typical hot water home wash doesn’t kill much of anything.

Always wash diapers in water at least 160° F. If you can’t wash at 160° F you must use bleach, ultraviolet, or chemical disinfectant.

Don’t try to maximize each use of a diaper. If you find it only lightly soiled change it anyway, this reduces storage (incubation) time on baby and in the pail. If you use twice as many changes, you will have enough to run a load in half the time. Be certain to pre-clean diapers before placing in pail. Rinsing in the toilet takes only a few seconds and reduces the soil going into the pail and into your machine.

Use a wet pail. Adding a tablespoon of bleach will kill bacteria without killing the diapers.

Use a little common sense and take extra precautions if you get a really bad one. Handle it separately and don’t let it infect the others. Extra bleach or an oxidizing cleaner will shorten the life of “that” diaper only. Throwing it in with the others may cause you to use extra chemicals and heat for several cycles on dozens of diapers.

So much for the nasties. Let’s look at the benefits of using a Residue-Free Detergent (RFD) like Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean.

Most of the residues left by laundry products are from ingredients that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Fad ingredients that are intended to distinguish the product rather than to clean your clothes.

RFD’s have no fragrance to cover the smell of missed bacteria. (Bacteria don’t actually smell, you smell the byproducts they create.). Since these bacteria can be dangerous to us, we have evolved the ability to smell their byproducts so we can avoid them. If your detergent is unscented you can more easily tell if diapers are safe. The “clean laundry signal scent” or fragrance used in regular laundry products is usually oil borne so immediately you have two residues; the potentially irritating fragrance and the oil carrier that reduces the absorbency of the diaper media.

A true Residue-Free Detergent (RDF) must be free of optical brighteners. These have lots of names including FWA’s Fluorescent Whitening Agents, Color Safe Bleach, Color enhancer, etc. They are actually dyes that absorb UV energy and reradiate it as a short blue brightness that is barely visible to humans. These compounds, like fragrance and oils, can cause irritation of sensitive, warm, moist skin. An easy way to eliminate many detergents that claim to be dye free is to observe them under a blacklight. A handy blacklight is available for checking detergents at Atsko.com. If a detergent glows under a blacklight, it has optical brighteners, even if it claims to be dye-free. If it is depositing brighteners or perfume , by any name or disguise, in your clothes, it can’t be a RFD.

The primary cleaning power of a detergent or soap is the ingredient called a surfactant. In the case of soaps, these are poorly defined like the result of boiling tallow with Lye. Soaps leave a lot of residue and scum in all but the softest water. Modern surfactant science provides a choice of hundreds of distinct molecules that can be blended to maximize different features. A Residue-Free Detergent (RFD) is blended to maximize rinsability so that you not only wash away the soil, but also rinse away every trace of the surfactants that separated the soil from the fabric. At 100% strength most good surfactants should be able to irritate skin simply because they can remove the oils from it. But they are highly diluted in your machine and can’t possibly cause irritation if they rinse away completely. If surfactants remain in your clothes, they can be detected by how they reduce the repellency of Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treated diaper covers. The DWR should continue to work thru many washings if your detergent is a RFD.

Other ingredients like preservatives and pH balancers are used in minimal quantities to keep the product safe from biodegrading in the bottle and aid the surfactants. These can’t be eliminated like brighteners, fragrances, enzymes, and oils, so they must be chosen carefully and used sparingly for maximum rinsability.

Finally, we have additives that should not be necessary if your detergent is a RFD. These include silicone and other softeners which are totally unnecessary if the fibers are not pasted together with detergent residue. Also polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) which seals fiber ends and surfaces that are being eroded by oxidizing type detergents. PVP holds things together, like detergent residue and fabrics. Enzymes are another source of irritation that should not be necessary if you have a good RFD to begin with.

RFD’s will allow you to reduce the chance of irritation to the very lowest possible level. It will save you money in several ways and actually make diapers more absorbent and longer lasting. Residue-Free Detergents can even reduce the flammability of children’s 100% polyester sleepwear (see Clemson University study at atsko.com). Only a RFD like Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean can maximize absorbency of diaper media while maximizing repellency of covers.

Be aware that Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean is going to clean all the old laundry residue out of your machine as well as your clothes. If caked up deposits break free during a final rinse, your diapers could be strongly contaminated with your old detergent. To clean your machine, fill it to the max fill with the hottest water possible and 1 ounce of Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean. Agitate for a few minutes and then let it soak for two hours before finishing the cycle. Also rewash your clean diapers without any detergent until they stop foaming. RFD will slowly remove the last of your old detergent over the course of several uses and washings. You and your baby can now enjoy the benefits of Residue-Free Diapers.

An occasional irritation can still occur when you have no detergent residue at all. Babies begin life with immunity supplied, not inherited, from the mother. Over time this immunity fades away and the baby must begin making immune response based on genetic inheritance from Mother and Father. These responses don’t begin immediately. The baby has to learn how to create them as the need arises when immunity from the mother declines.

During this transitional period, rash, redness and irritation of the skin along with digestive upsets, sleep disruption and behavioral changes can all result from exposure to food, liquids, air borne chemicals and organisms from pets to mold spores. A poorly sanitized or over ripe diaper can certainly be a source of irritation. Infants may also lack antimicrobial peptides like LL-37 and HBD-2, which are important in controlling bacterial attacks.

The bottom line; assure sanitation first, then pursue total elimination of all residue by using a Residue-Free Detergent. Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean are free of all counterproductive ingredients and rinse completely as documented by the Clemson University test available on line at www.atsko.com. You can’t have irritation from something that is not present.

From the latest micro fibers to synthetics, blends, silk like cotton and wool, every fabric needs proper care to deliver maximum performance. Often the label instructions are intended to manage liability or facilitate sales rather than maximize the durability and features of the fabric. Some manufacturers specify “Dry clean only” hoping to insure that inexperienced owners won’t damage a garment with excessive heat or improper drying. Waterproof Breathables will suggest powder detergent because they don’t want to create the appearance that special care is required. This usually results in loss of performance after a single washing. Occasionally you are instructed to use residue – free detergent or dish detergent. The manufacturer may not know that superior detergents are available or want to be bothered by evaluating products and maintaining current data on availability for his customers.

Washing performance fabrics with ordinary laundry detergents destroys the very properties that you are trying to restore. Detergent residue is the chemical scum deposited on the fabric with every washing. In about 10 washings it reaches 2 % of the weight of the fabric. It consists of Perfume, Ultra-Violet Brightening Dyes, Salts, Surfactants, Processing Aids, Washing Machine Lubricants, and a variety of Oils, Fats, and Polymers to glue it all to the fabric. This stiffens the fabric by binding the fibers together. Now Fabric Softener is added to reduce stiffness adding more residue.

Residue stops water repellency, breathability, wicking, and moisture transfer. It attacks fibers, adhesives, elastomers, colors, and coatings. Residue irritates skin especially in warm moist areas where the residue is activated and the skin is more permeable. Detergent residue even attracts insects, spooks game animals, and increases flammability. Dry cleaning deposits similar residue gathered from all the items already cleaned.

The solution to most high tech cleaning problems is to remove soil, stains, odors, and the oils that fasten them without depositing a residue. Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean restore fabric features by thorough cleaning without residue. No residue means No Problems, fabrics work like new.

Water-repellent fabric should be washed only in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean Laundry Detergent. Durable Water Repellents (DWR) such as Scotch Guard, Zepel, Teflon, and others rely on changing the electrical potential of the fiber surface so that water is not attracted to it. Water should bead-up and roll off instead of sticking, wetting, and saturating. Typical detergents deposit chemical residue equal to 2% of the weight of the fabric (more on microfibers because of the increased surface area). The residue covers the fluorpolymer in the DWR allowing the water to spread out and soak into the fabric instead of beading up and rolling off.

Washing the residue away with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean restores the repellency. It can be further enhanced by ironing to activate the molecules of DWR enabling them to reorient themselves for maximum effectiveness. In some cases the factory applied DWR repellent may not recover because it was a poor application or has been removed. If after laundering with Sport-Wash / Sensi-Clean and ironing, the shell does not repel water it must be retreated.

The shell can be easily retreated by spraying with Silicone Water-Guard, this is simple and easy but not as permanent as a factory applied DWR.

Waterproof Breathables are a special category of garments with a liner membrane made of Fluoropolymer (Teflon) in a non-woven web. The liner does not require any special care. The outer shell usually has a DWR. Simply care for the shell as if the liner wasn’t there. Contact [email protected] for a tech sheet on Waterproof Breathables.

Insulation value is dependent upon fabric care. Insulation depends on the creation of air pockets to reduce the transfer of heat. Whether down, polyester, or anything in between, oils and other residues tend to stick fibers together. This prevents them from fluffing up and expanding to provide the big voids that stop heat transfer. When insulation mats down,heat moves thru it more easily.

Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean leave insulation cleaner because they rinse out completely. Cleaner fibers can slide easily among each other to expand for maximum loft. This same freedom of motion is the reason why you never need fabric softener with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean.

Other detergents coat fibers with sticky residue that paste them together so they feel stiff, hard, and scratchy. Closed cell foam does not gain and loose insulation value with washing but is not breathable. Items using closed cell foam tend to have drying and odor problems, so it is important that they too be washed with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean. This is also true of Coated materials such as tents, bags, and packs.

Wicking and water transport depend on proper cleaning. Recent advances in active wear include socks (like Active Dry® by Second Wind), underwear, cycling shorts, shirts, expedition wear, etc. with the ability to move moisture away from the skin to maximize comfort. This can be a natural property as in the case of Wool and polypropylene or it may be the result of physical properties such as fleecing for separation or channeling fibers for increased surface. Surface treatments can also be applied to enhance wicking, transport, and evaporation. In all cases these properties are lost when coated with detergent residue. As with all performance losses, you can reverse the damage by washing in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean, which not only leaves no residue but washes away residue left by other detergents.

Fabrics actually last longer when washed in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean. This difference will be most noticeable on items that are washed daily like exercise leotards, swim suits, or socks. Detergent and hard water residues and chlorine compounds will attack fibers by filling micro fissures on the surface and deepening them as temperature and humidity fluctuate. Some detergents contain oxidizers such as hydrogen peroxides, etc. and actually try to bleach away soils and stains instead of removing them. This process usually burns up the good along with the bad. It is especially hard on natural fibers, colors, and elastic whether rubber, latex, lycra, or spandex.

Mechanical damage can be reduced by proper cleaning. Fabrics exposed to abrasive particles as in concrete work or mining will last longer if these abrasive particles are removed. Webbing and rope for work, rescue, and recreational climbing can lose critical strength if used without proper cleaning. Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean clean away particles, even those held in place by oil and grease, without damaging oxidation or chemical residue. This leaves ropes and webbing more flexible to further reduce damage and wear.

Hand wringing and even high speed spin can cause shrinking or stretching and other mechanical damage. Wool, Silk, and delicate items should be patted gently between towels and air dried while supported on a flat mesh or sweater rack.

Rinsing a garment with a few drops of Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean added to rinse water will actually leave it with less residue than rinsing in plain water. It easily removes salt, perspiration residue, and chlorine that plain water won’t remove. Fabrics are cleanest just after the last of the surfactant rinses away. Continued rinsing actually adds back damaging minerals from the rinse water, shortening the life of swim wear and exercise wear.

Heat can damage delicate fabrics. Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean are effective in cooler water than most detergents. Typical powders may waste the wash cycle just to dissolve in cold water. They are useless for silk, acetate, and other delicate items that must avoid heat. When a detergent has marginal solubility it will not rinse well. Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean excel in solubility and rinseability.

Crafts and wearable art tend to be easily damaged. Paints, glue, heat transfers, glitter, and gems all adhere better when fabric is first washed in Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean. Detergent residue rapidly dulls bright colors, metallic, glitter, Rhine stones, etc. Adhesive, heat appliques, and screen printing won’t last as long if washed with anything but Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean.

Color fading is often a case of stripping dyes from one area and redepositing them in other areas. Colors won’t run on a white football jersey’s or other uniforms if washed in cold water with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean and dried immediately.

Fabrics vary widely in their ability to resist U-V damage from the sun. Heavy vinyl coated polyester shelter material may last for several years of sun exposure but a typical light weight nylon family tent has a life of about 21 full days of sun exposure. A poly-cotton cloth used for camouflage clothing or a photographers blind will last about 1 year. The outdoor life of these fabrics can be extended by 200% to 500% simply by treating them one time with U-V-Block or U-V-Killer. Flags, bunting, streamers, banners, canopies, and outdoor decorations will all last longer with U-V-Block or U-V-Killer.

U-V-Block and U-V-Killer absorb the Ultra-Violet energy that destroys colors and fibers. They also protect anything shaded by the treated fabric. An old white dress shirt has an SPF of 4 to 6 when dry and 2 to 5 when wet. A single treatment enhances that shirt to SPF 20 to 30 and you avoid the expense, hassle and chemical exposure of repetitive sun screen applications. This is a great way to protect anyone who is vulnerable to sun damage.

Tents should be pitched in the shade or treated with U-V-Block or U-V-Killer. Always take them down when not in use.

Tents can be washed with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean and the breathable area treated with Silicone Water-Guard or Permanent Water-Guard. Water repellent should not be applied before U-V-Block. Coated areas such as flies, splash areas, and floor are already waterproof and benefit very little from addition of a repellent.

Many serious outdoorsmen still use oiled cotton canvas for tents and clothing. These have a long life and can be highly waterproof. The ideal treatment for such canvas materials is Sno-Seal Beeswax Waterproofing. As on leather boots, it is applied to warm material until no more is absorbed. See our Tech Sheet on leather care.

Most odors will wash away with Sport-Wash. Athletic shoes, waders, wet suits, bulletproof vests, polypropylene underwear, and baseball caps can hold odors tenaciously. But, if washable, Sport-Wash/ Sensi-Clean will make them odor free. As with serious stains a presoak of 10-30 minutes will often remove more odor without any additional physical washing damage. To control odor between washings apply N-O-DOR per label directions. It is safe for most fabrics and can even be used directly on the skin and hair.

High-efficiency (horizontal axis) washing machines now make it possible to machine wash items that have always required hand washing. The new machines cost more initially but will pay for themselves by saving water, heat, electricity, and wear and tear on clothes. They have gentle cycles that really are gentle. By eliminating the agitator, they greatly improve the life of stitchings and seams. To maximize the performance and savings of these new machines use only Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean in them

As you have read, the key to washing any special fabric by hand or by machine is to use Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean. The label information should be followed carefully regarding temperature, drying, ironing, bleaching, and separating of colors, etc. Our residue free detergents make the critical difference between leaving a residue that destroys the special features you paid for and the residue-free condition that enhances those features preserving the appearance, value, and life of your garments.

You may believe that dry cleaning leaves your clothes cleaner than detergents. This is not true, dry cleaning can add new residue (odors) extracted by the solvents from previous garments. The solvents are constantly distilled and filtered but gradually carry more and more as they are recycled again and again. That’s why they are periodically replaced. You don’t want your clothing to be the last item cleaned before the solvent is finally replaced. When you wash at home with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean you can be certain that other detergents and fabric softeners never contaminate your clothing.

Your skin will appreciate residue free clothes too. If you have a family member with sensitive skin, allergies, psoriasis, etc. they can enjoy relief from the irritation caused by laundry detergent residue. Your first few washes with Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean will be cleaning detergent residue from your clothes and your machine. There are several ways to enjoy being residue-free quicker. The simplest is to wash the clothes first without detergent. Your clothes actually contain enough detergent after 10 washings to equal the recommended measure for a standard load. Often, if the same powdered detergent has been used for several years it will be caked between the drums and under the agitator. This can usually be softened and removed by filling the machine (no clothes) with extra hot water and letting it soak overnight before running the cycle to wash it all away. Running a load of very wet towels should remove most of the residue from your dryer by the time they are done.

The front loaders at your local Laundromat probably see a wide variety of detergents that actually clean each other out. Smell the machine and run a load of “non-critical” items if there is any doubt. The big front loader is a must for tents, sleeping bags, big down coats, comforters, etc., unless you do them by hand.

Sport-Wash and Sensi-Clean make it possible to wash almost any fabric and leave it totally residue free. No fragrance, dyes, salts or surfactants to interfere with the properties you sought when purchasing the article. There are several cautions that must be observed, but an informed consumer can get excellent results washing just about anything. Be aware that you won’t have a manufacturer or dry cleaner to blame if you ignore label recommendations, But you gain continued superior performance and save money by doing it yourself in your own home. Needless to say we can’t take responsibility for unanticipated things that can go wrong, but I’m happy to answer any questions by phone, FAX, E-mail, or letter (preferably before the mistake is made). If you are uncomfortable about trying a new approach by all means stay with traditional / professional care.

But if you are looking for maximum performance and already have experienced the mediocre results common to most “proven” methods: why not try a bit of do-it-yourself and common sense for a totally different approach to “clean”.

Read and follow label instructions, some have really good tips. Always use Sport-Wash or Sensi-Clean and feel free to call us for advice.