# nikwax tx-direct spray or wash?



## Karpediem (Aug 29, 2007)

Can't comment on the spray, but I used a the wash on my pants last year was very pleased with the results. It's only a temporary solution that works for a while, so once you start having to use it, I would keep any eye out for a good deal on some new gear.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Get the wash. It's great stuff. I use it once at the beginning of a season to keep my gear fresh.


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## lifty_scum (Aug 31, 2013)

cool, thanks guys.


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## Tatanka Head (Jan 13, 2014)

NWBoarder said:


> Get the wash. It's great stuff. I use it once at the beginning of a season to keep my gear fresh.


Does it last through the season? I thought it had to be "washed" every month or so.


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## cookiedog (Mar 3, 2014)

Don't want to sound stupid but I think It will. 
What is wash? is it a water repellant ?


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## readimag (Aug 10, 2011)

It will last for a little bit but if you are hard on your gear, always rubbing and wearing you pants and jacket when not boarding it will go away. Like with my jackets the DWR goes off the shoulders fast cause of a ABS bag when I hit side country. I moved to the PNW and 20k is what you need cause the DWR is gone in an hour here.


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

I use wash but spray it on full strength on slightly damp coat/pants (damp for soak in factor), air dry and then heated tumble dry to activate. Ime this works the best and last the longest...(but as noted above abt wear points)...but can leave some streaks...btw don't care abt the streaks cause its pnw.


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## NWBoarder (Jan 10, 2010)

Tatanka Head said:


> Does it last through the season? I thought it had to be "washed" every month or so.


Eh, I use it once, and then don't sweat it. My jacket is like 25k, and my pants are 20k, so they're pretty good on their own as it stands. The wash is just to refresh them for the coming season. Of course, my jacket finally exploded on me last season, so I'm gonna have to avoid the wash this season and use a liberal amount of duct tape to hold it together until I can find a new one at a reasonable price.


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

So I washed a pair of my Burton SB pants with NikWax Tech Wash last year, and the next time I wore them, they were soaked. I bought them new, that was the only time they were washed. Do I just need to hit them with the TX Direct anyway? NikWax says you should be able to wash them a few times before reapplying the DWR.


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## Argo (Feb 25, 2010)

wrathfuldeity said:


> I use wash but spray it on full strength on slightly damp coat/pants (damp for soak in factor), air dry and then heated tumble dry to activate. Ime this works the best and last the longest...(but as noted above abt wear points)...but can leave some streaks...btw don't care abt the streaks cause its pnw.


I do this too, i have both types laying around the house. Im pretty sure the wash directions say you should not use it on anything other than shell outerwear. I get much more use out of the spray bottle than the wash too.


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## speedjason (May 2, 2013)

Deacon said:


> So I washed a pair of my Burton SB pants with NikWax Tech Wash last year, and the next time I wore them, they were soaked. I bought them new, that was the only time they were washed. Do I just need to hit them with the TX Direct anyway? NikWax says you should be able to wash them a few times before reapplying the DWR.


I thought the Tech Wash is only to clean the material. You need the Wash-in stuff that you put in the softener thing to coat?


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## Deacon (Mar 2, 2013)

speedjason said:


> I thought the Tech Wash is only to clean the material. You need the Wash-in stuff that you put in the softener thing to coat?


I thought I read on their site that you could wash it a few times before recoating. Can't find it again. Also, can't read the bottle because the text is too small for my old eyes. ?


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## Lad Stones (Sep 9, 2016)

Deacon said:


> speedjason said:
> 
> 
> > Also, can't read the bottle because the text is too small for my old eyes. ?
> ...


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## Craig64 (Jul 16, 2015)

The best answer to this is go Gore-tex. I've used both and find DWR is great for locking out moisture from the outer shell fabric. My wifes Burton Embark is about 8 seasons old and is still bullet proof but you can start to see it needs a DWR coating.


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## SlvrDragon50 (Mar 25, 2017)

I remember reading that the spray is preferred over wash in. 

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

SlvrDragon50 said:


> I remember reading that the spray is preferred over wash in.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk


Perhaps only in areas where you don't ride in the rain....spray on the wash-in :wink:


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## Salt Shaker (Sep 13, 2017)

I have used the NikWax Wash-In on shell pants and jackets. It does help to restore some water resistance, but probably not the same as when the garment was new. I also use a aerosol spray that Vans makes. I mostly apply the spray for touch ups in critical areas.

For the Wash-In I use a 5 gallon bucket to soak the jacket or pants. Then put it through a gentle rinse cycle in the washing machine. I would not put the Wash-In directly into your washing machine. It will gum it up. Like others have said you should use a little bit of heat when drying as it helps to bond the NikWax to the fabric, and it can restore some of the original waterproofing. 

The Wash-In does leave a residue, so if you are not wearing base layers it can feel a bit uncomfortable (like many of the DWR hoodies). This is why I would avoid using it on anything with a high pile lining like fleece.


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