Cleaning a wax jacket

[PurpleEglu]

Lovely Good housekeeping types, how on earth do I clean a wax jacket?

DS2 has just inherited his older brothers wax jacket and it is rather dirty. How can I make it look nice again, please.

Bump for the daytime crowd

I wipe mine with a damp cloth if it is muddy. You can get them re-waterproofed which it sounds like it could need. You can use this.

Watching this as I found one in a cupboard and it smells really fusty.
It has been hanging outside for a few days but still smells.

You can't do a lot with them tbh. If a very expensive Barbour or Driza, then you can have them professionally cleaned and reproofed, otherwise its a good brush and a squirt of Febreeze.

Hence why I only ever bought really cheap ones then moved them down the list from being seen in public through to mucking out the male goats.

To do it properly, you ought to re-wax it. Stains won't come out because you cannot use detergents on waxed jackets.

1. Wipe, fairly aggressively if needed with a sponge - do not use soap or very hot water.

2. Allow to dry (airing cupboard, not forced)

3. Buy a tin of reproofing wax

4. Warm the wax in a pan of hot water until fully softened.

4)Give yourself at least 2 hours to rub wax into the material with a soft cloth - all the nooks & crannies, especially the seams, crease points and wear points.

5. get someone brave to put it on, or hang it up, so you can use a hairdryer, on low heat setting, over the whole jacket, warming the wax and helping it impregnate the material, without getting it so hot that it 'runs' through to the inner lining material. (Or bung it onto the top of an Aga for 15 mins :-) )

HTH...

Thanks for all the replies. They are very helpful I will see how I go.

Best way to clean a wax jacket is to get it done professionally. An old smelly forlorn looking jacket can often be smartened up with a professional clean & re-wax, giving excellent value for money.

You should never wash a wax jacket, that will ruin it.

Damp sponge occasionally.

An annual professional clean should extend its life.

hop over to www.butlerz.co.uk for more info.