Trouble getting Hi-Viz jacket clean?

After 14 months of riding in AZ, mine was filthy; collar was grimy from neck sweat, pockets around zippers that get touch a lot and a lot of other general grime, not to mention sever big bug spatters that then got baked on.

I removed all armor and washed in cold water with Woolite as per mfg. instructions. I was underwhelmed with the results. Maybe all the grime was half a shade lighter, if that. So I mixed a 1-1 mixture of hot water and Woolite and sacrificed my tooth brush and went to work scrubbing all the grime. It disappeared almost like magic! I then re-washed it as I had done the first time. It now looks literally brand new! Just thought I'd share!

Thanks for that, good info.

Yeah seems any gear, especially hi viz, is gonna show the dirt.

I've had good luck with using products like "bleach for colors" etc. So they aren't really bleach but they get stuff clean. Have also used "oxy clean" it seems to be pretty good too.

Great thread really, everybody has to deal with this sort of thing.

Cheers

Def gotta remember this. Just bought a Hi-Viz finally, love the jacket, was just wondering the best way to clean it.

Chris

I throw it in the bathtub, get it soaking wet, then hit it with some Simple Green and a soft bristle brush. Sometimes I'll throw it in the washer afterword, sometimes I'll just rinse it and call it good. Simple Green gives great results.

Adding some water softening agent to the detergent in the washer seems to help things along too.

People wash their jackets?!?!?!? :eek1


I thought that's what rain was for......

I tried to use sweating as a way to wash it from the inside out, but just made it smell bad!

My work coats are Hi-Viz and working in EMS, you can't imagine how dirty they get.

We use a mixture of Peroxide and Blue Dawn Dish Detergent. No color fade and cleans it up like you wouldn't believe.

ScotchGuard that sucker now.

This! Adding a little real bleach in the washer helps too.

What the color of your jacket (Hi-Viz) has to do with the fact that it catches bug spatters, neck sweat or any kind of shit?








Oxy Clean usually works good, especially if you let the jacket soaking into the mix.

Gotta be careful when cleaning jackets because ANY detergent will completely ruin DWR fabrics. (Rubber-impregnated materials are the exception.)

I never wash my snowmobile gear for that very reason! Sometimes you can re-waterproof a jacket, but Nik-Wax is NOT cheap... and it will never return it to how it was from the factory.

Knowing this; I buy cheap vests to wear over my jacket when I need the hi-viz (i.e. riding on the USAF base). When they get dirty, I can wash them, or toss them. Either way, I'm not ruining my good jackets with bugs, grime, or detergent washes.

Wow, I went out and purchased some Dawn Dish Detergent today (sorry they only had green, not blue), mixed it with OxyClean and then had scrubbed it. It is like new again. What a difference - unbelievable.

As I couldn't get all the soap etc. out, it is now in the washer on gentle getting a proper rinse. Once it dries I will again be the hi-viz stud I always am.

So next time try it with the blue dawn and the peroxide. You'll be pleasantly surprised how much better it works.

Good idea on that. Me, I just use the bathtub (I know, my wife HATES me doing that, don't care ) pour the Woolite direct on and use a nylon scrub brush. (medium stiffness works best) Dry in the sun and it looks great.