I have bought a great amount of used rainwear for years, from private sellers and in secound hand shops. Some of the items is quite dirty, probably used for industrial purposes. They have dark stains, propably because they've been rubbed against something, and some clothes have ink stains. Does anybody have advice for cleaning the gear? Which cleaning products are strong enough to remove the stains, without ruining the pvc?

Hello

Unfortunately it might be impossible to remove the stains.

I would start with a gentle wash in the washing machine at 30 or 40 C and then see what's left. Do not use high speed sling or tumble dryer to dry - it might damage the fabric (delamination) and the seams.

Some of the black stains might be there to stay. For removing them in vintage yellow Rukka cotton-PVC fabrics for example there has been multiple discussions in Finnish forums, and the conclusion is that there is no way to remove them. Stains left from mold are typically also more or less permanent.

Lot of stains can be removed with stain remover soap or "gall soap" (Gallseife in German) that it is called also.

--Joha--

I guess the problem is that the stains are not on the surface as on normal clothes, but has wandered into the plastic and become part of the plastic among the molecules (I guess). What's needed is to extract the stain out of the plastic without damaging the plastic's molecules. This sounds very hard to me.

This phenomenon can happen if you store light coloured rainwear in contact with dark coloured ones. The dark dye will "wander" over to the light rainwear and cause stains that are very hard to remove. Always keep your rainwear in separate bags!

I've seen the question and was curious about the answers: now I'm more than satisfied. So I have to live with the oldish patina of the clothes and can not really do anything.

freak77

Thanks for the answers. It makes sense that the stains are for other clothes. I will try to keep the rainwear separate from each other, good advice :)

Stains from dirt and mud can come out with warm, soapy water. Dark stains like the one you mentioned will not come out because they are from discoloration of the PVC. I have a yellow rukka rain jacket I bought a few years ago that uses elastoplast PVC, it stains very easily. There are black marks all over it from rubbing against the inside of my backpack, coming into contact with worksheets from my college classes (on the back of the rain jacket it has imprints from a math class worksheet!), and even from the buttons on the jacket. After the experience with my rukka rain jacket, I wrap my lighter colored rainwear (yellows, oranges in a plain white t-shirt or just carry the coat/jacket in my arms. With darker rainwear it does not matter much because the staining will be obscured by the dark color.

In some cases I have been able to remove stains using "Micro Clean", "Tec7 HP clean", "Tec7 cleaner" or similar citrus based cleaners. I use a stiff brush.

On the old HH Linox I have used thinner, hexan and acetone, but this real tuff stuff. PU does definitive not tolerate it. Probably newer PVC don't tolerate it either.

As longer the stains has been there, as more difficult it it to remove it.

Sorry, a bit off-topic, probably.

That's good news: will probably try on my JeanTex (JX) blue-yellow rain-jacked, that doesn't fit for representing purpose (had shrunken in a way, w.o. touching it).
PS: Anyone interest before I risk to destroy it (one of the last batch, before JX, the company originally foundet in DK 1958 disapeared about 2010 from my radar).