How to Care for & Wash Your Changing Robe

So you’ve scored a changing robe and perhaps you’ve already enjoyed its warmth and protection in the great outdoors. Changing robes are an incredible kit essential that work hard to keep your dry, warm, and protected, so you can simply enjoy the outdoors. The Vivida Lifestyle All-Weather Changing Robes are technologically advanced, eco-friendly, insulated & waterproof, designed to shelter you in every weather condition, elevating the ease and comfort of changing for waterside adventures, all year round.

Whether you use yours as a changing room, a jacket, or and all-around mobile warming station, you can be assured that your Vivida robe will deliver the most packable, insulating, and versatile robe functionality on the market – not to mention the feel good appeal of it’s ultra eco friendly construction. 

So now, you are faced with the prospect of caring for your new robe and you may be wondering, how do I wash my changing robe correctly?! Fret no more, we have outlined below the two main ways to wash your changing robe. 

Your Changing Robe Between Uses

The first thing to note is that your changing robe does not require washing after every use, or even often, for that matter. You should consider it as a piece similar to other outdoor waterproof coats or jackets, in that it only occasionally needs a thorough clean. As with any waterproof garment, the more you wash it, the more the robe will age,  as washing too often affects the waterproof treatment of the garment. If covered in mud or sand we recommend waiting for it to dry and gently brushing it off or spot-cleaning with a damp sponge or cloth. But remember, a little dirt never hurt anyone. 😉

Care of your Changing Robe isn’t limited to cleaning, as storing the garment in the best way is equally important. If the garment is damp when put away, remove as soon as possible from it’s pack-away bag to prevent mould from forming. Do not store wet for a long time and air dry at room temperature between uses. Exposing your garment to heat sources such as fires, radiators, heaters etc. can also affect the waterproofness of the garment as well as the the efficacy of the fleece linings.

We recommend hand-washing your dry changing robe as the ideal method and to extend the life of your changing robe. If hand washing your garment is not possible, you can use a washing machine, just know this should be rarely used. To prevent compromising the efficacy of the waterproof outer shell fabric & waterproof membrane, washing should be limited. Never hot wash, dry clean, tumble dry or use a hot iron on this garment, as it can compromise its efficacy in keeping you warm and dry.

Directions for both hand washing and machine washing your dry changing robe are as follows:

Hand Wash Your Changing Robe

1. Turn your robe inside out, with the zips closed, to protect the shell and the membrane during the wash. Ideally place inside a Guppyfriend Washing Bag to reduce the flow of microfibres into our water systems.
2. Select a mild non-biological laundry detergent (without softener) suitable for hand-washing. There are specific performance wash solutions that are gentler on your garment. Eg. Grangers Performance Wash
3. Fill a water basin with tepid water and add the directed amount of detergent to the water. Be careful not to overdo the amount of detergent, you often need less than you think! Swirl the detergent into the water to create a soapy solution, and then add your changing robe. 
4. Submerge your robe in the water. If there is not enough water to fully submerge the changing robe, simply push the robe into the water as deeply as possible. 
5. Let the changing robe soak in the soapy solution for 10-15 minutes.
6. A few times during the soak, give the changing robe a jostle and gently scrub any portions of the robe that require more attention with a clean cloth. 
7. Drain the basin of soapy water and rinse your changing robe with clean water. Make sure that the water runs clean and soap free before finishing your rinsing process. Do not wring fabric, but push gently to release water from the garment. 
8. Lay a clean towel out and place your robe on top of this,  roll the towel with the robe inside to create a firm tube. This will allow the remaining excess water to be wrung out and absorbed into the towel.
9. Place on a hanger or line dry, out of direct sunlight. It is recommended to turn the garment inside-out during the drying process to allow the inner lining to dry more quickly. 
10. Drying your garment in sunlight or with heat sources such as fires, radiators, heaters etc can compromise the waterproofness of the garment.

Machine Wash Your Changing Robe

1. Turn your robe inside out, with the zips closed, to protect the shell and the membrane during the wash. Ideally place inside a Guppyfriend Washing Bad to reduce the flow of microfibres into our water systems.
2. Select a mild non-biological laundry detergent (without softener). There are specific performance wash solutions that are gentler on your garment. Eg. Grangers Performance Wash
3. Select your machine’s most gentle setting, at a cool temperature (maximum of 30 degrees Celsius is recommended).
4. Wash separately, other items may bleed colour if washed together.
5. After the wash cycle is complete, remove and line dry. It is recommended to turn the garment inside-out during the drying process to allow the inner lining to dry more quickly. 
6. Drying your garment in sunlight or with heat sources such as fires, radiators, heaters etc can compromise the waterproofness of the garment.

Replenishing Water-Repellency:

Your Vivida All-Weather Changing Robe is treated with an eco-friendly PFC-free Durable Water-Repellant finish (DWR). After you wear and wash your robe multiple times, the waterproof coating may gradually get worn away, you will notice that it is necessary to reapply this treatment if water is no longer beading up on the fabric’s surface. It is quick and easy to replenish this property with a PFC-free treatment like NikWax or Granger’s waterproof coatings.

Wash Your Changing Robe Bag

If you need to wash the bag your changing robe comes in, simply follow the instructions for hand-washing your changing robe. The same approach can be applied to keep your storage bag in the best shape possible. 

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Jackie Tyburski dives deep into the stories and true essence of the Vivida Lifestyle brand, ethos, and mission. She believes the right words illuminate our purpose and capture life's moments in pure, imperfect, and poetic form. Travelling, cooking, yoga, and paddle-boarding are a few of Jackie's other favourite things, alongside being a mom and wife to a few awesome humans.