How to Care for Your Raincoat
Raincoats are essential for foggy mornings and torrential downpours both. But, they are often taken for granted. Moreover, raincoats are the first thing you grab on a rainy day or a foggy morning, but you keep them in the closet until the weather calls for it again. Right? More importantly, you must remember to take proper care of your raincoat, just like your other clothing items.
You must be wondering what the need to care for a raincoat is. Well, the need is to help it last longer, maintain its water resistance and help you save unnecessary amounts of money on buying raincoats every monsoon season.
In this article, we will help you with a few tips on how to care for your raincoat during foggy mornings and torrential downpours.
The Working of a Raincoat
Before we move on and look at the tips, you must know how the raincoat is designed in a way that helps in protecting you from getting drenched during a heavy downpour. Raincoats usually have a multi-layered fabric structure such as 2-layer, 2.5-layer and 3-layer. All these layers serve different purposes.
The raincoat fabric structure and the inside membrane helps in allowing sweat vapours to escape and keep precipitation out. Moreover, the membranes are made of tiny pores that will enable the raincoat with its breathability.
The DWR, durable water-repellent finish gives the raincoat its waterproof properties, and this finish adds an additional barrier between the precipitation and you by protecting the fibre from moisture.
The primary purpose of the DWR finish is to help water roll off the coat rather than sinking deep into the coat, making it wet.
The Features of a Raincoat
Usually, a waterproof raincoat also works as a windproof raincoat. The barriers that work to block water also work against the wind. Furthermore, all waterproof raincoats are made of 3 layers.
Apart from these layers, there are a few other features, as mentioned below
- Breathability
This is one thing you must check when buying a raincoat. Breathability is the comfort and effectiveness which provides warmth underneath. The objective is not to get sweaty and not feel the humidity but to keep you warm;
- Hood
The hood size must be big enough to fit your head comfortably;
- Pockets
There must be enough pockets to keep your belongings safe if it has additional closures, nothing like it. Pockets on the inside can be an add-on;
- Length
The length of the raincoat must be such that it is longer at the back and mid-sized in front so as not to restrict movement;
- Size
The right raincoat size is vital as it can be a game changer. The right length of the sleeves leaves room for additional layers for warmth and for your hands to move freely
You can choose ZEEL Rainwear for the perfect raincoats for men, women and kids. They are 100% waterproof resistant and come with DWR coating.
Tips to Care for Your Raincoat
By now, you should know why taking proper care of your raincoat is essential and crucial. Getting caught in heavy rainfall can be pretty unpleasant. It's even worse when your raincoat fails to serve its purpose when you stop caring for it.
To ensure that your raincoat does not lose its waterproof potential and does not turn into just a coat, you must follow a few tips, such as
Knowing When to Wash your Raincoat
You will know when your raincoat needs to be washed by noticing two signs
- The raincoat has become dirty
You will know when exactly your raincoat has stains or it appears dirty. This is the time to wash it. Washing this raincoat at the time it gets dirty is essential rather than letting it accumulate with dust and dirt.
If the dirt stays for a long time, there might be no coming back from it. Moreover, like any other apparel, you should keep the raincoat in good condition.
- The raincoat lacks performance
After regular and repeated use, your raincoat may suffer damage. This can be due to wear and tear. You will figure this out and notice when your raincoat starts lacking in its performance.
The signs to notice when your raincoat lacks performance are when it becomes heavy after a stroll in the rain or doesn't protect your skin from getting wet. However, just because the raincoat has wetted out does not mean you get rid of that. It simply means it needs to be washed, cleaned and waterproofed again.
How to Clean your Raincoat
A few tips should be kept in mind when cleaning your raincoat
- You must read the care instructions carefully before you start cleaning. Follow all instructions mentioned in the care label, like appropriate water temperature and product types, to avoid them while cleaning;
- Preparing the raincoat while cleaning is another essential point. You must close all the zippers and then put on the raincoat for washing. It should be washed with the products mentioned in the care instructions to avoid possible damage;
- Choosing the right detergent is a must when washing your raincoat. A detergent can be hard on the raincoat fabric. This way, your raincoat will be safe from any unwanted chemicals;
- When washing your raincoat, you must remember to use the appropriate strength cycle, which is medium and the right temperature. A single wash is enough, and it revitalizes the repellency;
- The last and next step in washing is drying the raincoat. It is essential to know the care instructions well for drying the raincoat. However, a commonly used method is tumble drying or air drying. You must not overheat or overdry, as it can sometimes damage the fabric
How to Waterproof your Raincoat
When you waterproof your raincoat, you must first clean the coat and not dry it.
- Start with running a second wash cycle
When you want to waterproof your raincoat, you must wash it for the second time using a DWR-safe product instead of a technical cleaner.
- Drying the raincoat
As mentioned above, dry the raincoat using air drying or tumble drying on medium heat.
- Miscellaneous tips
Apart from all the tips mentioned above, there are a few random tips that you can follow when caring for your raincoat, such as
- Avoid ironing and specific cleaners
Since raincoats are technically waterproof rainwear, you must avoid using bleach, hard laundry detergent or fabric softener. Also, dry cleaning and ironing the raincoat are not recommended.
- Hang your raincoat
It is crucial that you do not keep your raincoat with regular-use clothes. Instead, store it on a hanger. Do not even fold and keep your raincoat. Hanging it ensures that it is free from any visible creases.
Conclusion
To choose the best raincoats in India, you must check out ZEEL. Their raincoats are comfortable, stylish and highly functional. They specialize in making raincoats, rain pants, trench coats and rain jackets. ZEEL raincoats are high quality with waterproof materials such as nylon, polyester and polymers.
ZEEL raincoats have breathability and ensure that you do not sweat. From bright colours to transparent raincoats, they have an extensive range of rainwear crafted from one of the finest materials. Also, raincoats must be taken care of correctly, and for sustainable and durable wear, you must explore the ZEEL Rainwear collection.
