Waxed Cotton Jackets Can Last a Lifetime. Here’s How to Keep Yours in Good Shape.

Although rewaxing your jacket annually is recommended, you may need to do smaller brush passes throughout the year, especially if your jacket has any surface dirt or is starting to smell.

Wash surface stains with a sponge and plain water

When it comes to spot-cleaning and tackling surface grime, the best way to clean your waxed-cotton coat is with a sponge and cold water. (Do not use soap, which can strip away the wax from the cotton altogether.)

I’ve had great luck getting gunk off the surface of my jacket using soft pressure with a regular sponge or (in the case of more set-in stains) with a lightly abrasive sponge, like a Scrub Daddy. (Of note: I’ve found a kitchen sponge’s scrubby-pad side to be the wrong texture, and it removes too much wax.)

Place your jacket on a flat surface and thoroughly — but gently — scrub the entire exterior with a sponge, making sure to clean around hard seams, buttons, and flaps, where dirt tends to hide. Rinse the surface of the jacket with a clean, damp sponge or lint-free cloth, and let it air-dry in a well-ventilated room.

Use vodka for light smells

Because waxed cotton isn’t the most breathable fabric, it can trap sweat and moisture, which can lead to smells. For lighter smells, Burkett suggests spritzing the lining and the collar with vodka; this is a method we also recommend for removing some smells from delicate fabrics.

Alternatively, Brukett also recommends putting your jacket in a bag and keeping it in the freezer for a few days (I like to put my freezer-bound clothes in a compression sack). Or you can let it sit out in the sun as a first step in de-stinking the garment. (For more information on how to de-stink delicates, check out our full tutorial.)

Deep-clean the coat once a year

It’s important to clean your jacket before rewaxing it; otherwise, you risk trapping abrasive dirt between layers of wax, which is bad for the fabric and also kind of gross. If your jacket sees only occasional wear or light rain, or you tend to be easier on your clothes, then you can get away with cleaning your jacket using only cold water and a sponge (the method described above).

If your jacket has seen heavy wear over a year, then you’ll probably want to clean it inside and out. For this, I first flip my jacket inside out, and then I soak the jacket in a tub of cold water for about an hour, gently agitating it now and then to release grime. You’ll watch as a year of sweat and dirt are slowly relinquished into the brackish water. I usually repeat this process until the water runs relatively clear. And you can then scrub down the exterior of the jacket with a sponge. (Again, avoid using soap or detergent.)

For jackets that have gone several years between washes, have seen particularly rough wear, smell terrible, or are visibly soiled, you’ll want to use a fabric-appropriate cleaner, one that is explicitly safe to use with or is designed for waxed cotton and canvas. I’ve been able to clean some spectacularly dirty jackets, with no ill effect, using Nikwax Tech Wash. (I should note that we haven’t tested any others, and the experts at New England Reproofers do not use this product.)

Unlike almost any other commercial clothing detergent, Tech Wash is safe to use on waxed cotton. And it won’t strip the wax from the fabric (though it’s always a good idea to test it on a small, inconspicuous corner of your jacket before treating the whole surface).

This fabric cleaner can safely clean your waxed-cotton jacket without stripping or damaging the original finish.

There are several ways to use this product, and somewhat confusingly, Nikwax’s instructions also vary across its own website. You can technically use it in a regular washing machine on its own. But doing this might risk shedding flecks of dirt and wax into the drum of your machine, so I recommend that you use Tech Wash by hand, employing one of two methods (whichever method you choose, remember to wear gloves).

1. Apply waxed-cotton cleaner with a sponge. Dilute one part Tech Wash in one part cold water (Nikwax suggests “slightly diluted with water,” but I find a 1:1 ratio works well). Then wipe down the jacket’s surface with the solution, using a soft sponge.

2. Or soak the garment in a waxed-cotton cleaner solution. Alternatively, in a tub or bucket, mix about 1 ounce of Tech Wash for every gallon of cold water. Then soak the jacket for about 15 minutes (again, Nikwax’s instructions aren’t explicit, but I find this range works). Thoroughly rinse the jacket in cold water afterward, to remove the detergent.

If you plan on using another Nikwax rewaxing product, then the process is best done when the garment is still wet. But if you plan on rewaxing by hand, then let the jacket hang to dry thoroughly before rewaxing. Don’t dry it in your machine because high heat will melt the original finish off of the cotton, creating a mess (and a lot more work for you).