Last update on: 9:30 am July 9, 2024 by fashionabc

What does it mean by cheap is expensive? There are times that you may go with buying more affordable goods to avoid overspending. However, as much as you’re trying to save money, you should consider the quality of what you’re purchasing. 

Less expensive items’ quality may be poor such that you’ll be back at the shop after a while to get another one. As a result, you’ll have spent more without realizing it. Therefore, it’s best to consider buying top-quality products despite them being costly instead of cheaply-made items multiple times.

This concept also applies to clothing. One of the quality clothes you can get is an oilskin vest. But to maintain its quality, you need to take care of and maintain it. There are various care and maintenance tips discussed below that you can use on your oilskin vest. Also, if you’re in Australia, there’s s a variety of Australian made oilskin vest that you can purchase to use and enjoy. Keep reading to learn more.

What’s Oilskin Vest

An oilskin vest is a vest that’s made using woven cotton that’s been soaked in a solution containing oil, gum, and hot wax. The solution helps form a protective coating around the vest. This protective coat is the basis of the advantages of an oilskin, which include:

  • Waterproof which keeps you dry when it rains or when you’re in wet areas. This explains why many sailors and fishermen have oilskin vests or jackets.
  • Windproof, meaning it can keep you warm.
  • It’s comfortable as it’s not too tight or too big. Yet this benefit depends on the size you choose when buying your vest. Besides comfort, the right size prevents stretching, especially at the edges.

How you treat your oilskin vest determines how long it’ll last. To assure product longevity, you can store your oilskin vest well, re-proof it, and so on. Continue reading below to learn more about each one. 

 

Tips On How To Care And Maintain Oilskin Vest

As an essential part of your wardrobe collection, your oilskin vest needs to be maintained properly. Here are tips that’ll help you keep your oilskin vest in good condition:

  •  Store It In A Well-Ventilated Area

How you store your oilskin vest affects its quality. To maintain it well, you should keep your oilskin vest separate from other clothes as the coating can rub off onto other textiles. 

Moreover, oilskin vests need to be stored in dry areas to maintain their quality. One storage condition that affects oilskin vests’ quality is dumpiness, which leads to mold growth. 

To prevent dampness or mildew, consider storing your oilskin vest in a well-ventilated area that allows fresh air to circulate. 

  • Clean It Well

After wearing your vest a couple of times, you’ll notice that it may start to shine. This shine signifies dirt. Now, it’s time to clean your vest. Besides removing the dirt, cleaning helps in taking care of the protective coating.

The following are guidelines for cleaning these vests:

  • Don’t use machines or dry cleaners. Instead, do handwash. 
  • Use cold water and a sponge; don’t add detergents or bleaching agents.
  • Give your oilskin vest enough time to dry naturally instead of using dryers, fire, or radiators.

These washing precautions ensure that your vest doesn’t lose its protective layer.

Additionally, you should note that frequent washing damages the protective coating. Thus, wear it 3-5 times before you can clean your oilskin vest.

  • Remove Molds

Temperatures change over time and the place you’ve stored your vest may become cold and damp without prior notice. Unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, this may cause mold to grow on your vest. The good thing is you can easily get rid of it through:

  • Using a soft-bristled brush to remove the mold
  • If a brush doesn’t work, make a solution using 2/3 water and 1/3 white vinegar, spray it on your vest and brush it.
  • Rinse off the solution using cold water and leave your vest to dry.

After getting rid of the molds, you should consider storing your oilskin vest in a different place with proper air circulation to avoid the molds from ever making a return.

  • Re-proof Your Vest

After wearing your oilskin vest for a while, you may notice the formation of uneven patches on it. These patches signify that your vest may start leaking water, so you need to re-proof it. 

You can do re-proofing by using a special cream or wax. If you choose to use wax, apply heat to the wax to melt it slightly. Heated wax is easier to apply to the oilskin vest.

When re-proofing, you should:

  • First, make sure that your oilskin vest is clean and dry.
  • Lay your vest on a flat surface to ensure you apply the re-proofing cream equally.
  • Use a soft cloth to apply wax or cream to the vest. You can apply a thicker coating on particular areas like the shoulders and seams.
  • After that, use a hair dryer to gently heat the vest so that the re-proofing cream is well absorbed. You should then leave the vest to cool off and later store it well, as discussed above.

Summing It Up

As much as you’re trying to save money, you should consider the quality of the items you purchase so that you can get the most bang for your buck. 

When it comes to clothing, one of the high-quality and long-lasting products you can get for yourself is an oilskin vest. Apart from its good quality, an oilskin vest is waterproof, windproof, as well as comfortable. Nonetheless, you need to care for and maintain oilskin vests to enjoy these benefits. Consider using the points featured above on properly taking care of and maintaining an oilskin vest.