Archival Clothing endorses waxed cotton because it’s a rugged, natural fabric that requires simple wax reproofing to maintain its finish and water repellency. Waxed cotton users should know how to reprooof their hats, bags and jackets. Both Filson and Barbour offer factory reproofing services but we recommend performing the work yourself. Reproofing waxed cotton is easy and personalizes the care and maintenance of your garment. Even if you live in the desert, you should establish a reproofing scheduled for your waxed cotton products. Reproofing extends the life of a waxed item and prevents it from developing folds and wear lines that might cause holes.
I do my reproofing work in August so I can move the work into the backyard.
Scrub off dirt with a moistened sponge. Do not use soaps or detergents.
Use quarter sponge to spread warmed reproofing wax. Small strokes best.
Reheat surface of fabric with blow dryer to melt down larger wax deposits.
Fully shellaced. Let the sun help melt the wax. Retreat with a blow dryer if you find any remaining, unmelted spots of wax. I love how stand up sturdy waxed products become after reproofing. Daily use and rain will wear down overly zealous reproofing efforts.