How to Waterproof Your Hiking Boots and Jacket: A Complete Guide

You put on your jacket during a rain shower and felt like it wasn't waterproofing anymore? Your hiking boots let water in whenever the trail gets muddy? In the vast majority of cases, the problem isn't that the material has died — it hasn't been maintained properly. This guide tells you exactly what to do, in what order, and how often.

DWR and Waterproofing: Two Different Things

This is the most common source of confusion, and it leads to misdiagnosing the problem.

Waterproofing (or impermeability) refers to the membrane's ability to prevent water from passing through under pressure — Gore-Tex, eVent, Patagonia's H2No. This membrane doesn't wear out with normal use and isn't "lost" through washing. It can delaminate from seams after years, but that's rare.

Water repellency (or DWR, Durable Water Repellency) refers to the surface treatment applied to the outer fabric. This is what makes water bead up and roll off. When this treatment disappears — through washing, dirt, sweat and sun — the fabric absorbs water. It becomes heavy, clings to your body, and the membrane can no longer let the water vapor from your body escape. The jacket "stops breathing" and you get soaked from the inside through condensation.

The paradox: a jacket that has lost its DWR looks from the outside like a jacket that's leaking. But the membrane is often still perfectly intact. It's the surface treatment that needs restoring.

Why Washing a Jacket Makes It Waterproof Again

Counter-intuitive but proven: regular washing is the first step to restoring a technical jacket's DWR.

Dirt, sunscreen and body oils clog the fibers and neutralize the DWR. By cleaning the fabric, you remove what's blocking the treatment. Many hikers avoid washing their jackets for fear of damaging them — the opposite actually happens.

Step-by-Step Method

1. Close all zippers — the metal teeth can scratch the fabric in the machine.
2. Use a technical detergent for waterproof fabrics (Nikwax Tech Wash, Grangers Performance Wash). Regular detergents leave residue that neutralizes DWR.
3. Gentle cycle at 30°C, low spin. For Gore-Tex, you can go to 40°C — check the label.
4. Rinse twice to remove all detergent residue.
5. Low-heat tumble dry or iron on the reverse side with a damp cloth between the iron and the fabric (max 40°C). Heat reactivates the DWR molecules and restores them.

This last step — heat — is often overlooked. After washing, if your jacket still isn't beading, put it in the tumble dryer on low heat for 20 minutes before concluding the DWR is gone.

To clean your technical textiles, specialized products give much better results than ordinary detergents.

Reapplying DWR Treatment: Spray or Wash-In?

If after washing and drying the water repellency is still unsatisfactory, you need to reapply a treatment.

Waterproofing Spray

Advantages: quick, easy to apply in a targeted way (hood, shoulders). Disadvantages: less durable, doesn't penetrate as deeply into the fibers.

Method: spray onto clean, slightly damp fabric from about 20 cm away. Leave for 2-3 minutes, wipe off excess with a clean cloth. Dry with gentle heat.

A good waterproofing spray takes 5 minutes to apply and effectively restores DWR for the season.

Wash-In Treatment

Advantages: penetrates all fibers evenly, more durable. Disadvantages: treats the whole garment, can slightly add weight to the fabric.

Products: Nikwax TX.Direct Wash-In, Grangers Performance Repel Plus. Add directly into the drum after the normal wash cycle, run a short additional cycle.

Our Recommendation

For a hiking jacket used regularly: technical wash (Tech Wash) + tumble drying two to three times per season, and apply a TX.Direct Wash-In once a year (or when DWR is clearly insufficient).

Waterproofing Your Hiking Boots

Boots require a different approach depending on the material: full-grain leather, nubuck/suede, or synthetic (mesh, technical textile).

Full-Grain Leather (traditional smooth leather)

This is the easiest material to maintain and the most durable when properly treated.

1. Clean with a brush and water. Remove all mud.
2. Air dry away from any direct heat source.
3. Apply a leather waterproofing wax or grease (Sno-Seal, Grangers Leather Conditioner). Work in with fingers or a soft cloth.
4. Gently heat with a hairdryer to help penetration — the wax softens and seeps deeper into the pores.
5. Wipe off excess. Leave overnight before use.

Frequency: after every outing in muddy or wet conditions, and before any extended storage.

Nubuck and Suede

Nubuck is full-grain leather whose surface has been buffed to give it a matte, velvety texture. It reacts badly to waxes and greases which ruin its appearance.

1. Brush dry with a special nubuck brush to remove mud.
2. Use a nubuck-specific waterproofing spray — never wax or grease.
3. Apply a thin coat to clean, dry material. Leave to dry.

Synthetic and Textile Boots

Mesh or technical textile boots (often the lightest options) are the trickiest to waterproof as treatment barely penetrates the fibers.

1. Clean with lukewarm water and a soft brush. You can machine wash at 30°C without the insoles if the manufacturer allows.
2. Air dry. Never use a hairdryer — synthetic mesh melts.
3. Apply a universal DWR spray when the material is still slightly damp.

For more on caring for all your wet gear, see our guide on drying and maintaining wet hiking equipment.

Products Broken Down: What They Actually Do

Nikwax products are water-based (no solvents) and work equally well in the machine or as a spray. Grangers offers slightly lighter formulations, favored for very technical jackets with thin membranes.

To go further on choosing your jacket, our comparison of the best waterproof hiking jackets will guide you through the market's options.

How Often Should You Redo It?

There's no universal rule — it all depends on use. Here are practical benchmarks:

Hiking jacket:

• Technical wash (Tech Wash): every 10-15 outings, or as soon as the jacket "wets out" instead of beading.
• Thermal reactivation (tumble dryer, 20 min): after every wash.
• Full DWR reapplication: once or twice a year depending on intensity of use.

Leather boots:

• Clean + wax: after every muddy or wet outing.
• Full treatment (penetrating grease): before each autumn-winter season, and before any long storage.

Synthetic boots:

• DWR spray: every 5-8 outings in wet conditions.
• Machine wash (if permitted): once a month with intensive use.

The quick test: spray water on your jacket or boots. If water beads up and rolls off — you're good. If it spreads and absorbs — it's time to act.

The One Mistake to Absolutely Avoid

Never store wet gear without letting it dry completely first. Residual moisture encourages mold growth in fabric and inside leather, irreparably damaging the materials and creating persistent odors. Allow 24 hours after every wet outing to air everything out.

For waterproofing products, invest in a complete clean + treat kit: saving on a low-quality product costs you in prematurely worn-out jackets or boots.

Well-maintained gear lasts two to three times longer. On boots at €150-200 and a jacket at €200-400, a few minutes of maintenance after each outing is a very worthwhile investment.

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