Tackling the Great Outdoors : Waterproof an Old Cloth Jacket

You've been using the same jacket season after season and now it's leaky and moist every time you use it. Do you have to go buy a new one or is there some hope left for this old treasure?

After wearing the jacket in the rain, blow dry it. Blow drying the outer surface of the jacket evenly will re-waterproof it.

Most jackets that are made to handle the rain have a DWR (durable water-resistant) outer layer. With use this layer becomes flat allowing the water to enter the jacket making it, and you, wet. When you heat the layer with a blow dryer it re-activates the fluorochemicals in the DWR layer restoring it's water repelling qualities. If you don't have a blow dryer on hand, you can use your clothes dryer on high heat. Just toss it in for about 30 minutes.