How to clean waterproof coats, rucksacks etc.

[SnotBaby]

Is there a special cleaner for those really ground-in stains on cuffs of walking jackets, bottoms of rucksacks, seats of coats after many many slides down muddy embankments?

I've tried various stain removers & elbow grease, but things still look grubby.

I just bung 'em in the machine an drip dry

You can buy stuff in outdoor shops like Blacks and Millets that will clean and re waterproof. They have instructions for what to do if especially grubby. I had to ask for it in Millets. It is not expensive.

I think the stuff is Nikwax Techwash - it cleans and reproofs, and there's some other stuff that is heavy duty reproofing that requires a tumble drier at the end

yep that's the stuff

Oh good, thanks folks, trip to Millets on the list for me.

You need two things - the tech wash stuff for cleaning, and then another thing (it'll be next to it on the shelf) for re-proofing it after.