Our ripstop clothing is made from robust, hardy fabric that lasts for years. All dyes will tend to fade, but ours has an excellent colour fixative that will remain effective for years. The basic principle of care is to be sensible. Heavy reactive chemicals will strip the fabric, and overly gentle treatments will not be particularly effective. Be sensible. The thing to remember is that general wear and tear comes in many forms, not just abrasion. Strong light has a powerful effect (photodegradation), and there are even chemical compounds in rainwater, so generally everything you use can be expected to deteriorate. Arktis fabrics have been developed with these characteristics in mind. Making them durable and resistant to wear and tear. Most caring involves being thoughtful about what you do.

Washing: Ripstop & Nylon Minirip: For light marks and dirt, use a wet cloth to wipe down your garment. For more serious cleaning, you can place your Arktis garments in the washing machine with minimal issues. Wash at 30°C using a non-bio cleaner. Do not use softeners or bleach. Leave to dry in a warm ventilated room, do not tumble dry. Whilst our ripstop has resistance to dry cleaning, chemicals are used in the production of coatings such as DWR. These chemicals can react with dry cleaning chemicals, so we recommend that you do not use this method.

Reproofing: A time will come in the life of a waterproof garment when you notice that you are still dry but that the outer garment is becoming waterlogged and heavy. A modest restoration of the outer’s water repellency could help solve this problem – not to make it waterproof but to diminish the absorption of water into the outer fabric. With some coated fabrics, pressing the garment with a cool or “1 Dot” iron will revive the coating to an effective level. The reason behind this is that heat can reactivate the finish, bringing it back to life. It’s always worth trying ironing as the first step. If required you can restore outer water repellency using Stormsure, NIKWAX or similar products. We prefer spray-on type products to allow for precision on key areas. When spraying make sure the garment is clean and free from any detergent, focus on areas such as shoulders and hoods.