How to Look After Your Ski Gear Between Seasons

Most people put their ski kit straight into a cupboard at the end of a trip and pull it out again eight months later without thinking about it. Then they wonder why their jacket is less waterproof than it used to be.

Ski kit lasts longer and performs better if you look after it between seasons. None of this is difficult. All of it is worth doing.

The basics: wash before you store

Ski jackets and pants need to be washed at the end of the season. Skin oils, sunscreen, sweat and general grime break down the waterproof coating over time if left on the fabric. A jacket stored dirty for eight months will be less waterproof next winter than the same jacket stored clean.

How to wash a ski jacket

Zip all the zips up, fasten any velcro, empty all the pockets
Use a technical wash liquid designed for waterproof fabrics (Nikwax Tech Wash, Grangers Performance Wash, Storm Eco-Wash, or similar)
Do not use normal detergent, it leaves residue that damages waterproof coatings
Do not use fabric conditioner, same reason
Cold or warm wash according to the care label, usually 30 or 40 degrees
Two rinse cycles to flush out the soap properly

Most technical wash brands are straightforward to use. Follow the bottle. One jacket’s worth of wash usually costs about the same as a cinema ticket and does several jackets or pants.

When to reproof

After washing, check whether water still beads off the outer fabric when it hits. If it does, you’re fine. If water soaks in instead of beading, the DWR (Durable Water Repellent) coating has worn off and the jacket needs reproofing.

Reproofing is a separate wash cycle with a DWR product like Nikwax TX.Direct or Grangers Performance Repel. Again, follow the bottle. You put it in a washing machine, run a cycle, tumble-dry on low heat to activate the coating.

A reproofing wash every few seasons is normal. Every season is overkill for most users. Never is a mistake.

Drying properly

Ski jackets are best air-dried on a hanger after washing. A tumble dryer on low heat helps activate a reproofing treatment, but for a normal wash, hang-drying is fine.

Don’t put a ski jacket on a radiator or in direct sunlight. Heat damages membrane laminates and makes colours fade.

Storage

Once washed and dry, a ski jacket should be stored:

On a proper hanger, not folded (folding creases the membrane at the folds)
Loose in a wardrobe, not compressed in a vacuum bag or tight stuff sack
Away from direct sunlight
In a dry space, no damp garages or sheds

The compression issue matters more than people realise. Ski jackets stored compressed for months lose loft in the insulation and can develop creases in the waterproof laminate. Hang them properly.

Looking after zips

Zips are usually the first thing to fail on a ski jacket. Two things extend zip life:

Keep them clean. Zip teeth pick up grit, sand and salt. If a zip is getting sticky, clean the teeth gently with an old toothbrush and water, then dry it.
Lubricate them occasionally. A rub with a candle or a dedicated zip lubricant (Gear Aid Zip Lube is one) keeps them running smoothly.

If a zip fails, replacement is usually possible. Outdoor-repair companies like Scottish Mountain Gear, Lancashire Sports Repair, and similar specialists in the UK repair zips at reasonable cost. Cheaper than replacing a jacket.

Repairs: small fixes vs major ones

Small repairs worth doing

Loose threads: trim, don’t pull
Small nicks or cuts: patch with Tenacious Tape or similar outdoor repair patches
Worn DWR: reproof rather than replace
Slightly loose buttons or snaps: tighten with pliers, re-sew if needed

Larger repairs worth considering

Failed zips: send to a repair specialist
Torn seams: same
Delaminating membrane: harder, but sometimes possible

When to stop repairing

A jacket with multiple issues, failing zip, leaking seams, dead DWR, general tiredness, is reaching the end of its useful life. At some point it is more economical to buy a replacement than to keep repairing the old one. Use your judgement, but don’t chuck a jacket for one fixable problem.

Boots

Boots deserve their own attention between seasons.

Dry them properly before storing. Pull the liners out and let both inner and outer dry completely.
Store clipped loosely closed, not fully open. This preserves the shape of the shell.
Never store near heat. Radiators and airing cupboards damage boot plastics.
Check straps and buckles at the start of each season. Replace anything broken or weakened before you need them.

Skis

If you have your own skis:

Wipe them down at the end of the season
A summer storage wax, a thick coat of wax applied and left on, protects the base through storage
Store in a ski bag or flat in a dry place, not standing in water or damp

A ski service shop can do all of this if you don’t want to wax them yourself. Worth the money once a season.

Accessories

Goggles: wipe the inside with a soft cloth only, never paper towels or tissue (scratches the anti-fog coating). Store in a soft bag, not loose.
Gloves: wash per their care label if they are washable (most synthetic gloves are, many leather ones are not). Store fully dry.
Helmets: wipe down, remove liners if possible, let them dry, store loose.
Ski socks: wash cold, hang dry, don’t tumble. Check for holes at the toe and heel, throw out any that are dying.

The start of the next season

A week before your first session or trip:

Pull everything out of storage
Check jacket and pants for any issues that developed over the summer
Put a jug of water over the jacket to check beading is still working
Check the fit still works, bodies change, kit doesn’t

A 10-minute check a week before a trip beats discovering a problem at the airport.

What this actually adds up to

An hour or two of effort at the end of each season adds years to the life of a good ski jacket. The maths is worth it: premium jackets from Dope Snow, Montec, Helly Hansen, Rossignol, Salomon and others are all significant purchases, and looking after them properly is the difference between replacing them every three years and replacing them every six or seven.

It is also the difference between a jacket that works on day one of your next trip and one that lets snow through because the DWR died in a cupboard.