Water repellent: functional finishing for fabrics

BLOG – NOVEMBRE 2022

The rainy season and winter sports have arrived, this requires the waterproofing of ski suits, trekking jackets or simply anoraks.

The structure of a water-repellent material is so dense that water struggles to penetrate. Materials such as polyester and nylon, therefore, are more resistant to water than cotton, due to their structure.

A waterproof fabric, in fact, provides a good degree of protection from rain and snow.

But why do it if these are already able to keep you perfectly dry?

Essentially because the water-repellent finish favors the formation of drops on the surface of the material, making sure that the fabric does not get soaked but that they flow away from the surface, preventing the material from soaking and thus allowing the breathability to remain unchanged.

The waterproof jackets are equipped with a membrane material that combines waterproofing and breathability. This membrane keeps you dry on the inside, not making you sweat, and protects you from the rain and snow on the outside.

Coating the fabrics with a durable water repellent combined with a densely structured material provides a good degree of protection from rain and snow.

Furthermore, the water repellent treatment is not permanent, constant use, exposure to dirt, detergents, insect repellents and other materials can compromise the durability.

Washing in the washing machine followed by drying is the most effective way to restore the water repellency of jackets or other garments. Follow the washing instructions on the label and then dry it in the open air or in the dryer on a gentle cycle at medium temperature.
Once dry, dry the garment in the dryer for another 20 minutes to reactivate the long-lasting water repellent treatment. If it is not possible to use the dryer, iron the dry garment at medium temperature (heat, no steam) by placing a towel or cloth between the garment and the iron.

When the treatment applied in production can no longer be reactivated with a washing and drying, apply a new water repellent treatment available in spray format or to be added to the wash.

Before any intervention, always check the care instructions provided by the manufacturer on the clothing label.

RESITEX

Resitex is an innovative resin, without fluorocarbon derivatives, emulsifiable in cold water and able to give fabrics the following effects:

1 – Water repellent effect
2 – Oleophobic effect
3 – Anti-dirt effect
4 – Anti-stain effect

Is a liquid water repellent to be added on the washing machine.

The fabric treated with Resimon, in addition to showing all the aforementioned properties, also maintains excellent softness.