TX Direct

Restore your rain jacket's water repellency and general sense of enthusiasm for bad weather with TX Direct by Nikwax. Simply wash, spray liberally and line dry or preferably take for a lap on a warm (not hot) cycle in the dryer. Each bottle should be good for a few applications.

+Instructions

• Click on the 'washing' tab and follow the guidelines for cleaning your jacket or overpants.
• Spray with TX Direct while the garment is still wet.
• Protect the working surface and lay the clean garment out flat. Zip up all closures.
• Hold the bottle 15 cm away and apply evenly to the outside of the fabric.
• Check carefully to ensure no areas have been missed.
• After a couple of minutes remove any surplus product with a damp cloth.
• Line dry or preferably put in the dryer on a warm (not hot) cycle.

+Washing

Like the drivetrain or expensive components on your bike, proper care and maintenance is essential to extend the life of your HydroFoil™ rain jacket or pants and optimise their performance over time.

Wash Regularly

• Accumulated dirt, body oil, sunscreen and sweat degrade the factory-applied water repellant treatment on the outside of the HydroFoil™ fabric.
• Wash after about half a dozen outings, or after a particularly grubby ride. If it looks dirty, then your garment is definitely overdue some love.
• No need for kid gloves - just a warm machine wash at 40º with a mild plant-based soap like Ecostore, Earthwise or Aware.
• You can also opt for a specific sport wash like Nikwax Tech Wash or Grangers Performance Wash - around NZ$30 online or from most outdoor shops.
  
• Avoid cold-water detergents and those with bleach, 'oxygen whitener' or fabric softener.
• The cold-water varieties have little enzymes that are super-charged to brave the cold but damage technical fabrics like HydroFoil™.
• Bleach and sodium percarbonate (the main ingredient in oxygen whitener) can also cause damage and make colours run.
• Fabric softener and wool wash attack HydroFoil's water repellent finish.

Recharge and Restore

• After washing, line dry or preferably give it a spin in the dryer on a warm (not hot) cycle - this helps ‘recharge’ the factory water repellent finish.
• The factory treatment does wear off quite quickly. When the fabric starts to rapidly wet out - generally after about four washes - you’ll want to restore with a water repellent solution.
• Ground Effect recommends TX Direct. It is easy to apply and each bottle is good for a few applications. At just $29 NZD ($10 off the usual retail price), it’s a small and worthwhile investment to keep your expensive jacket or pants humming through the winter.
• The effectiveness of this restoration process depends on the age and condition of your jacket.
• Note that while the fabric's wetting-out impairs performance, particularly breathability, the HydroFoil™ laminate will remain waterproof.

Store Dry

• A damp jacket left to fester for an extended period of time in your bag will suffer. Hang it on a hook or coat hanger in a dry place between rides.

+Shipping

• Items are generally packed and sent the same day your order is received.
• Costs $9 by overnight courier within New Zealand.
• NZ$12 by tracked airmail to Australia.
• Around NZ$15-25 by tracked airmail to destinations elsewhere in the world - calculated in our shipping cart as you check out.
• More shipping and tax details in our FAQ.