Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In

Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In is a simple and effective way to restore the water repellency of coats, jackets and other wet weather clothing.

• Pros: Makes your waterproofs waterproof again, simple to use
• Cons: Soaked my kitchen floor (in a good way)

This time of year generally demands a good waterproof jacket when out riding, and if you've spent a lot of money on one, you want it to last for years. Unfortunately, regardless of how waterproof they are when you first get them, jackets lose waterproofing as time goes on. Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In aims to solve that by re-waterproofing them, and improving breathability.

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I tested this out on a Gore jacket I've had for about three years that had fallen out of favour for this exact reason: rather than water beading off, it was just soaking in.

With the TX.Direct you simply put the jacket/garment in your washing machine, and instead of using detergent you just put this stuff in instead. Nikwax suggests washing out all detergents from the machine first.

I used it on both my Gore jacket and another Berghaus non-cycling coat, and when I took them out of the machine they soaked my kitchen floor. I hadn't put two and two together, that through waterproofing a coat it will pool water in the washing machine. However, at least my soaked kitchen floor and socks are testament to the fact that it works.

After I had left them to 'dry' (dripping above the bath), they both work as new. Both jackets did the same thing in terms of soaking up water beforehand, and now water beads off them – even in the heaviest rainfall. My previously redundant Gore jacket is now back to being my go-to.

> Read more road.cc reviews of Nikwax proofing products

This water repellency doesn't just help with waterproofing either, but also assists breathability. When water soaks into a jacket it can lose up to 70% of its breathability. Both jackets are now considerably more comfortable to wear, even in the worst downpours.

With an rrp on a 300ml bottle of £8.25, it's a snip compared with the cost of my previously redundant Gore jacket – north of £120. You should get six washes out of a bottle, which actually puts the price at £1.37 per jacket, making it an even better deal.

Overall the TX.Direct Wash-In lived up to its claims and reinvigorated a jacket that I'd left hanging in my wardrobe for the past six months. There is no patchiness in the coverage either – I haven't noticed any points where water soaks in. This is a genuinely impressive product.

Verdict

An excellent way to take waterproof jackets back to their previous best