Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

I would likely not buy the spray version of this product, nor would I recommend it to anyone.

The spray nozzle on this does not mist, its more of a sloppy, splattery jet. The instructions say to hold about 6" away, however that would blast a 2" section of the jacket with far too much product. There is no way to evenly coat without applying it a bit heavy, and smearing it around with your hand/fingers to fill in the gaps it misses. Since your jackets are (or should be) somewhat water-repellent, it doesn't really spread evenly. It really needs to be misted on.

I ended up just BARELY getting three jackets refreshed with this whole bottle. That's extremely wasteful considering I was having to wring out the towel i was using to remove the excess as described in the last step before drying. I feel a bit cheated seeing it all go down the drain like that.

The bottle claims it lasts 5x longer. My jackets were all 2-3 years old before finally needing a refresh, so I'm hoping (and being optimistic) that I get 1-2 years out of this treatment. Perhaps the wash-in will work better next time around, but I had heard that it isn't quite as effective.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

As other people have stated, do your research before building up expectations. This does not make non-waterproof items waterproof, it restores the dwr (durable water repelant). The dwr is what causes water to bead up and fall of waterproof items which allows them to breath. Anything that is truly waterproof will remain waterproof regardless of the dwr, unless the membrane or seam tape is damaged (which can never truly be repaired). The waterproof membranes are inherently waterproof. Usually when people complain that their "gore-tex jacket isn't waterproof anymore" what has actually happened is that the dwr is no longer effective for shedding water off the jacket, which causes the outer fabric to become saturated with water and the item looses its breathability, causing condensation to build up on the inside. This is called wet out, and yes, it feels like your jacket is leaking, but it isn't, its just not breathing.

It should also be noted that for best results, item must be cleaned prior to application and put through tumble drier afterwords. Check your care label, nearly all gore-tex (and similar) garments can and should be put through and tumble drier (heat helps the bond the dwr and fabric). My Lowe-Alpine shell cannot be put through a drier which is why this Nikwax has never been very effective on that garment, even after using an iron to apply heat.

For items that cannot be tumble dried, I find that the Tectron spray is the most effective.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

I decided to try nikwax because my hiking boots (Vasque goretex) were soaking and retaining water more than I like. I live here in the Northwest (lots and lots of rain) and I commute with my bike year round. Needless to say I need protection for my shoes. (Galoshes dont work for me) Because my boots are on their 3rd season their life is wearing thin and dont shed water like they did when they were new. I gave nikwax a try using it exactly as directed on the bottle and it works like a charm. My boots retain very little water and I can watch the rain literally bead up and shed right off. Very happy with this product as it can add some extra life to that expesnive gear we like to use and would rather not have to run out and buy again. Get out there!

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

Sorry but this product just does not work long enough to justify its price. I coated two garments - an old breathable/waterproof jacket and an "activent" jacket. Results not great on either. The first jacket beaded up water for about 1.5 hours (and stunk). On the 2nd the water repellency lasted about 15 minutes. Exposed winter location, in rain. Not good
I guess there just is no replacement for the original coating on a new jacket. At least I have never found it.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

First off, the performance of the TX-Direct product in the bottle deserves 5 stars, but I've given Nikwax 4 stars because the spray head is prone to clogging & failure.
Secondly: people need to DO THEIR HOMEWORK and know what they are buying!
The one and two star reviews of this product here do NOT reflect failure of the product, but USER FAILURE to understand how technical fabrics work, and how to care for them.

THIS IS NOT A WATERPROOFER!
This is a product that *restores* a Durable Water Resistant (DWR) coating to a Waterproof-Breathable fabric. What this means: this product causes water to bead up on the outer surface of a fabric, thus helping it to shed water. If the fabric itself doesn't incorporate a waterproof barrier inside, it will NEVER be waterproof!
This distinction is important! Most pack covers, backpacks, tents, etc. are NOT made of waterproof/breathable laminate fabrics like Gore-Tex, instead, they are typically coated with a thin layer of non-breathable PU plastic, and once this coating starts to crack & flake off, the fabric has PERMANENTLY lost its waterproofness.

For the poster who complains that his 10 year old Northface jacket was leaking after treating with this product, this has nothing to do with the Nikwax treatment: either 1) your seams are now leaking, or 2) your waterproof-breathable barrier inside the fabric is damaged. (Both 1 & 2 are quite likely if jacket was subject to frequent chlorine exposure, and/or frequent machine washing & drying).

As for the proper use and application of this product:
1) spray application is only neccessary and recommended for *insulated* or fleece-lined waterproof-breathable garments. Nikwax's wash-in product achieves more consistent results with less work for shell garments, but for lined garments, you don't want to mess with the vapor-transmission properties of down or synthetic insulators, so apply the spray to the outside shell only.
2) As another poster noted, you need spray the product on, and RUB IT IN for best results. I simply pull on a medical glove and rub it in by hand to get an even, consistent application and to work it thoroughly into the fabric.
*In the event of sprayhead failure, you can simply apply it using an old sock or small washcloth, which will aid in "massaging" the product into the fabric.
3) ACTIVATE w/ 5mins IN THE DRYER. Excessive exposure to heat is NEVER good for a seam-sealed waterproof garment. Air-dry your insulated garment *first*, then place it for 5-10 minutes in your dryer on low heat. This *reactivates* (essentially "irons in") the DWR coating, and is a trick worth trying on relatively new, clean garments that have begun to lose their water-repellancy, *before* you try re-treating the fabric with TX-Direct.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

i used this to reapply the waterproofing for a couple snowboarding apparel. three jackets, two pants, one pair of glove and two hats/beanies. i washed all first with a wool-lite like wash detergent. after wash, i sprayed all garments while damp with Nikwax. i sprayed evenly and sprayed even more where waterproofing was needed (seams, pant seats). then i threw the garments into the dryer depending on the garments drying specifications. i then dried it twice; i ran all the garments through the drying process twice. all waterproofing was restored. one of the garments was a fleece jacket which also stayed dry when i wore for snowboarding. i will update after more snow trips to see how long the waterproofing lasts. works great for now.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

picked up a bottle of the TX-Direct Spray on waterproofing instead of the wash in because I didn't have access to a machine before the next day's hike in the rain. I checked out some of the reviews on the spray on type and it didn't quite make sense as to why things weren't working out for most people because, a friend recommended this stuff as being great. It sounded like some people did not apply to a WET GARMENT. I did that and it worked just fine. If you think about it, it's like trying to mix water and oil if you are spraying liquid on a jacket with any waterproof finish left on it. As for the smell, yes it does linger for a bit, if you want to avoid it try the wash in formula. The Spray On Waterproofing worked great the next day when a flood warning was issued for the area we were hiking in and will be using the rest of the bottle to waterproof more gear.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

I tried this on a Dana Designs PackFly that had the original waterproof coating worn off. This didn't make it waterproof again.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

True to reviews, it didn't spray well so I wiped it onto my Marmot rain jacket until well coated. Its been two weeks of airing out and the jacket still smells very strongly of the product. I rinsed it really well, it beads up beautifully: but smells so strongly there's no way I could wear the hood up. Maybe this would be a good product for a backpack or pants, but not something you would put close to your nose.

Comments about Nikwax TX-Direct Spray-On Water Repellent Treatment - 16 oz.:

I used this spray after buying it at REI to waterproof a North Face jacket that had lost it's waterproofing due to years of wear and tear. I used the spray, it worked for maybe the first 10-15 minutes and then I got soaked. I'm a water polo coach and have to stand on the deck for a few hours at a time, sometimes in the rain. Last night, I wore my new waterproofed jacket on the deck and was freezing cold and soaked through after about 40 minutes of pretty consistent rain. Extremely disappointed.