Washing Tyvek

[mcgame]

I just got a large piece of Tyvek I'm planning to use as a groundcloth/footprint. I know I read here somewhere that it is best to wash it first to soften it up.

Can someone please tell me the best way to do this? Whenever I use that machine, I usually shrink something or end up with pink underwear! Thanks.

[q-tip]

I just threw it in a washing machine with a little laundry soap,became soft and pliable...... I have since moved to a Gossamer Gear Groundcloth weighs in at 1.7 oz. Saved 3.5 oz.......

[Ken.davidson]

I put four or five tennis balls in the washer with the Tyvek. Water tempurature was set to cold with no detergent or softener. After three times in the washer the krackle sound was gone.

IMHO I thought pink underwear only happened in military basic training and college.

[Razor]

yes just throw it in and wash

[msumax1985]

I just did it again a few weeks ago. Simply washed it in the washer, alone. I dont think you need any detergent, but I added a little. I washed it on the 14 minute cycle, which is longer than the 10 minutes I did last time. I think it came out even softer this time.

You're not really trying to wash it, per se. It's the act of wrinkling the fabric over and over again in different places that makes it softer. The more times you wrinkle it, straighten it, wrinkle it , straighten it, the softer and quieter it will get. You could do it by hand, but the aggitation action of the washing machine is much easier. No need for the dryer. I just laid it over the back of a chair and it dried in minutes. Some have said the heat of the dryer will harm it, but I've never tried to dry it, never needed to.

[kayak karl]

make sure it is Tyvek. it won't work for any other house wraps.

[daddytwosticks]

yes just throw it in and wash

Ditto, with no soap. You may want to wash your piece first, then cut it to the final size. It shrunk a bit after I washed mine. :)

[Dogwood]

I wash mine when new to make it softer with other clean clothing w/ no detergent. Let air dry(it dries quickly) or on low in the dryer but drying it for a short duration. WATCH IT! DO NOT over dry(cook it) or dry on high heat for a long time. Tyvek can shrink up quite a bit and get crinkly hard and brittle if you go past a certain pt in the dryer. I've seen it happen many times, large pieces of Tyvek reduced to a hard crinkly softball size congealed mass. Despite knowing that I've still ruined a few pieces of Tyvek in the dryer on trail which has left me scrambling to locate something usable for a ground sheet. When on trail and Tyvek starts breaking down(pills, strings like spider webbing) it tends to grab more dirt(this is why I occasionally flip it using different sides for the bottom that contacts the ground) and why I first give it a good rinsing of dirt/debris in the laundromat wash basin, in a river in town(not a drinking water sources!), under a hose, etc before I wash it with other things. Once it gets dirty from trail use I start using a bit of detergent to wash it and tend to wash it with equally dirty things like socks. I also tend to shake it off well and rinse it off once it gets into this well used condition on trail.

*AVOID washing highly breathable and apparel pieces like rain jackets/wind shirts with other highly dirty gear pieces! I wash ALL my rain jackets/wind shirts/soft/hard shells EACH separately and all my merino/more delicate pieces separately. I'm mindful of what velcro, zippers, zipper pulls, snaps, toggles, safety pins, even shoe laces(w the hard plastic/metal lace tips), etc can do to some gear and apparel pieces! YES, I know it seems convenient, especially as this is what men typically do, but washing and drying all your clothing and gear together will likely result in damage to something. I'm speaking as one who has learned the hard way! This comes from a reformed destroyer of gear while cleaning(laundering)!

Pre-washing/pre-rinsing of trail clothing once trail used and really GRUNGY/SMELLY/SWEATY/FILTHY makes good sense especially for socks(WHEW!), camp cookware ditty cloths(WHEW!), bandannas, hiking shirts, undergarments(No comment!), and shorts too. Hiking will result in making you and your clothing GRUNGY! It goes way beyond just getting dirty too!

I know you just wanted info about Tyvek but I think it worth saying, occasionally, at the least!, clean your gear: wash off the tent(shelter, setting it up first is the way I do it), wash sleeping bags(according to manufacturers directions, it's not hard if you can take directions), clean shoes(wash off and use a bristle brush, remove inner soles, wash if necessary), clean cookware, sanitize water bottles(a couple drops of unscented regular beach or hydrogen peroxide/H2O2 works for me when allowed to soak overnight in a diluted solution), etc. Doing this intelligently will increase the life of your gear, maintain gear performance, and lead to more enjoyable trail experiences.

I hope this helps. I used to do much more of what you are currently experiencing - pink briefs that used to be white, shrinking things down beyond me being able to use things, putting tears/holes in clothing when I washed them, etc. Now, if I can just catch that damn sock thief who keeps stealing one of my socks each time I launder my clothes. :)