General rule for UATAC tactical clothing: gentle wash up to 30 °C, garment turned inside out, no bleach and no fabric softener, dried in the shade at room temperature. The exact setting for your model is printed on the label and listed on the product page.
Why gear dies in the washing machine, not in the field
A familiar story: trousers survive six months of field use without a single tear, then after a few home washes they stop shedding water and look visibly faded. The garment is intact, but both functions it was bought for are gone. The cause is almost always hot water, softener or bleach.
What matters most in tactical clothing is not the fabric itself but what sits on it: the water-repellent finish and the camouflage pigment. Those two layers are the first to react to aggressive chemistry and heat.
Temperature: why 30 °C and not 60
High temperature softens and gradually destroys the finish, and with it goes the effect of water beading off the surface. Camouflage pigment is sensitive too: a few hot washes shift the colour by a tone or two, and the kit stops matching itself.
A gentle wash up to 30 °C removes field dirt just as well, provided you soak the garment and do not leave it for a month.
| Action | What happens to the garment | What it costs you |
|---|---|---|
| Gentle wash up to 30 °C | Finish and pigment survive | Several seasons of service |
| Hot water 60 °C and above | Water-repellent finish breaks down | Fabric wets out and dries slowly |
| Fabric softener | A film clogs the fabric pores | Breathability drops, odour builds up |
| Bleach | Alters the camouflage pigment | Patches, fading, changed NIR profile |
| Drying on a radiator | Overheats finish and hardware | Deformation, brittle zippers |
Before the wash
Do three things before loading the machine: take out the knee or elbow pads, close every zipper and hook-and-loop fastener, and turn the garment inside out. An open VELCRO® panel works like a rasp in the drum: it pulls fibres off neighbouring fabric faster than any detergent damages it.
Wash EVA pads separately or by hand — inside a drum they deform under the load of other items.
Drying and storage
Dry in the shade or at room temperature, laid out flat. Direct sun does to pigment what hot water does. Radiators, stoves and fan heaters create local overheating that damages both the finish and the stretch panels.
Between seasons store garments loosely hung rather than compressed in a dry bag: sustained compression is hardest on insulated items and fleece.
Common mistakes
- Washing at 60 °C «to be sure» after a long deployment.
- Adding softener to make the fabric feel softer.
- Using chlorine stain removers on local spots.
- Drying next to an open heat source to speed things up.
- Washing with unfastened hook-and-loop panels.
- Ironing at maximum to flatten ripstop.
What washing will not fix
Washing does not restore a water-repellent finish that has already worn off. That property is consumable: it weakens with abrasion and time. It is restored with a dedicated technical-wear proofing product, not with washing and certainly not with softener.
Washing also will not bring back an NIR profile if the fabric was treated with aggressive chemistry. It is far easier not to ruin it than to look for a way to restore it.
Care checklist
- Remove knee and elbow pads.
- Close all zippers and hook-and-loop panels.
- Turn the garment inside out.
- Gentle cycle, up to 30 °C, ordinary detergent without bleach.
- No fabric softener.
- Dry in the shade, laid out flat.
- Store hung, not compressed.
Frequently asked questions
At what temperature should I wash UATAC tactical clothing?
Up to 30 °C on a gentle cycle. Higher temperatures break down the water-repellent finish and the camouflage pigment. The exact setting is on the garment label.
Can I use fabric softener?
No. Softener leaves a film that clogs the fabric pores: the garment breathes worse, dries slower and picks up odour faster.
Can knee pads go in the wash with the trousers?
Better to remove them and wash them separately or by hand. Inside a drum the EVA inserts deform under the pressure of other items.
How do I restore water repellency?
With a proofing product made for technical clothing, following the manufacturer's instructions. Washing and softener do not bring that property back.
Can I tumble dry?
We do not recommend it: high heat damages the finish, the hardware and the stretch panels. Dry flat at room temperature instead.
Author: Serhii Vynnyk, founder and CEO of UATAC. Updated: 16 September 2026.