Freshening up a Barbour wax jacket...

Freshening up a Barbour wax jacket...

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Discussion

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,079 posts

229 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Right, I've looked all over the internet, and I get that you can't machine wash one, or use detergent, and that the only RECOMMENDED course of action is cold water.

But this is PH, full of life hacks and clever ideas...someone must have come up with a good way of freshening up a Barbour. I know that they always have that waxy smell, which isn't unpleasant, but I'd really like to be able to freshen up the lining a bit so it doesn't smell as waxy as the outer. It's certainly not mouldy or unpleasant, but it would be good if it was a tad fresher.

Febreeze has been mentioned, but this seems to me like the equivalent of spraying some Glade around after a vindaloo event rather than actually opening the bog window for 10 minutes.

I'm very tempted to try some car upholstery cleaner...perhaps cleverly hang the jacket so that the lining is pulled away from the outer, and so if it does soak through, it would have to go uphill/against gravity and across an air gap to make it to the outer.

Anyone got any tips?

Willy Nilly

12,511 posts

167 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Hard-Drive said:
Anyone got any tips?
Roll it up and sling it in the bin where it belongs. Hateful things.

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,079 posts

229 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Willy Nilly said:
Hard-Drive said:
Anyone got any tips?
Roll it up and sling it in the bin where it belongs. Hateful things.
Surely that's going to make it smell worse unless I have just thrown away loads of pot pourri?

maxxy5

771 posts

164 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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Short of sending it to them to do, which takes weeks, no.

longblackcoat

5,047 posts

183 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
maxxy5 said:
Short of sending it to them to do, which takes weeks, no.
Took under 2 weeks last time for me.

Zod

35,295 posts

258 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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You can do it yourself in an hour. Just buy a tin of wax. I did my Belstaff last year.

Hard-Drive

Original Poster:

4,079 posts

229 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Zod said:
You can do it yourself in an hour. Just buy a tin of wax. I did my Belstaff last year.
But I'm not looking to re-wax it, I want to freshen it up...

northwest monkey

6,370 posts

189 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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I'd try the Febreze idea. It does work well on curtains & carpets so I can't see why it wouldn't work on the lining of the coat.

Worst case, it doesn't work - you've lost a couple of quid.

30v

99 posts

147 months

Monday 30th November 2015
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Hard-Drive said:
But I'm not looking to re-wax it, I want to freshen it up...
Can't have one without the other I'm afraid. My old beater stank like an old fox had run a marathon in it. And it was letting in water. I turned it inside out, zipped it up and put it in the washing machine on a short, cold cycle. I used kids shampoo (ie: mild soap) instead of detergent (do not for the love of god use washing powder or any biological soap). Let it dry a few days and got on with re-waxing it which is quite easy and a nice job to do if done right. Turned out great, and the wash gave the outer a nice mildly-distressed look.

julianm

1,534 posts

201 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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How about a carpet cleaner with a hand held nozzle? - the sort that sprays water/shampoo on & then instantly sucks it back into the tank? Lay it on the floor inside out?

A.J.M

7,901 posts

186 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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I've got a wax jacket as well, I'm going to price up sending mine back to them to get cleaned, a couple of threads sorted and it rewaxed.

It's great jacket and is getting a nice patina about it with wear and tear.

J8 SVG

1,468 posts

130 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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A.J.M said:
I've got a wax jacket as well, I'm going to price up sending mine back to them to get cleaned, a couple of threads sorted and it rewaxed.

It's great jacket and is getting a nice patina about it with wear and tear.
Costs £30.. They sent my money back though as it was less than a year old and there was a design flaw that they fixed while it was there

Don't send it over Christmas - took over a month although they did send me a free scarf as an apology

soad

32,882 posts

176 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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J8 SVG said:
A.J.M said:
I've got a wax jacket as well, I'm going to price up sending mine back to them to get cleaned, a couple of threads sorted and it rewaxed.

It's great jacket and is getting a nice patina about it with wear and tear.
Costs £30.. They sent my money back though as it was less than a year old and there was a design flaw that they fixed while it was there

Don't send it over Christmas - took over a month although they did send me a free scarf as an apology
The factory which provides the repairs and proofing service will be closed between 17th December 2015 - 4th January 2016 for annual essential maintenance

If you require a jacket reproof only, we will endeavour to complete this prior to factory closure and a member of our customer service team will update you on the progress of your garment.

All items received from December 1st which require a repair or a repair and reproof will not be completed until January 2016

http://www.barbour.com/repairs_reproofing

Twin2

268 posts

122 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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Does anyone have an idea of how to clean the jacket, not the lining?

A pen burst in my pocket so now I have a lovely green jacket with a stupid big blue blotch on it!!

There's a good tutorial online by some american company who became the first Barbour supplier over there. I've got a tub at home that needs using.


downstairs

3,558 posts

217 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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In my experience Barbour's customer service is second to none. In the past they patch-repaired my International wonderfully, custom-made me a waxed-cotton belt to my own requirement and hunted high and low for the optional hood for an out-of-production Ursula jacket.

I honestly think they are excellent, and the customer service people are brilliant to deal with too. If nothing else OP, you can phone them up and talk to a person who knows their stuff and ask them how to freshen up your jacket.

What I wouldn't do is wash it in the machine though, because remember the jacket is made from waxed-cotton cloth, rather than being made and then waxed. If you wash the wax out of the fabric and then try to replace it, the newly-applied wax can/will melt through the outer cotton to the lining when you put your hairdryer on it. You could still wax the outside and then not melt it all in, but depends on whether you are happy to have a shiny, unevenly waxy-looking jacket, or whether you want it back to that nice matt finish.

If it were me, I would scrub the inside of the jacket with clean cold water without any soap, using one of those washing up sponges (that have the scotchbrite-looking layer on one side)) and then hang it outside to air dry. If there's anything nasty after that then a spray with Febreeze will help.

Perhaps try to clean the inside first and then let Barbour have it to reproof/sort after Christmas?

Anyway.

A.J.M

7,901 posts

186 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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£30?

Had no idea it was so cheap.
I'll send mine once the worst of the winter is over.
It's still water proof, I just want to keep it nice as it was expensive for me and I would like to keep it good.

soad

32,882 posts

176 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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£30.00 is to Re-proof jacket.

(Prices are in the link I've posted earlier).

Foliage

3,861 posts

122 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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I was about to post a link but saw it had already been done. One of the lads at work got a barbour jacket from a charity shop, he sent to be re-proofed came back like new.

popeyewhite

19,793 posts

120 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
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I've just reconditioned a Beaufort Classic. Quite straightforward, though this coat is sylkoil protected, not wax. If it was the new, unlined version of the Beaufort I'd just chuck it away and get another. Or maybe not, they're horrible.

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

224 months

Tuesday 1st December 2015
quotequote all
I put mine in the washing machine, then re wax.

Should add, this is when really old and most wax has gone.

Edited by gizlaroc on Tuesday 1st December 15:26