How to wash your fancy rain jacket

By Suvi Loponen | Escape Collective | November 5, 2025

Read the full article by Suvi Loponen (Escape Collective)

"On a wet day, the sort that turns chain oil to black and cafe floor into an ice rink, a familiar comment often drifts out as people get their rain jackets on and off: "My new rain jacket sucks, it just leaves me soaked despite all the big claims." The gripe is nothing new; this issue predates the phase-out of the PFAS chemicals that for decades helped keep riders dry, and has only become more common as PFAS-free rainwear has started to become the norm. To the rider, the obvious villain in the equation is the brand and the product. But often, the actual conditions and our neglect of the care of the garment is the real culprit.

This is not to say companies get a free pass. After years of producing waterproof garments, many ship their products with care labels that are, at best, vague; and few brands provide concrete care instructions on their websites. And while the companies making garment care products are better, they often offer guidance that conflicts with garment care labels. The result is as described above: a lot of disappointment that could often have been avoided with proper maintenance.

British apparel brand Albion's product designer, Graeme Raeburn, suggests a change in mindset to looking at our kit the same way as we look at our bikes. "You’re cleaning, refreshing, relubing, you keep things going," he said of how we care for our bikes. "People do need to think about the clothing now in that way, too; they don't have this miraculous chemical that they once had for a good reason, and they need to be cared for."