Nikwax

So, you’ve got all this fancy new gear, but now you want to make sure it lasts you for the seasons to come. Fortunately for you, you’re in the right place. Nikwax makes cleaning and weatherproofing products to keep your clothes, shoes and other equipment looking spiffy and working good as new.

A wax from the past

Nikwax was started by a guy from Kent, England named Nick Brown (hence the name Nikwax — “Nick’s wax”). Nick was dissatisfied with the other stuff on the market, so he decided to make his own non-softening waterproofing wax to use on trekking trips with his father. He went from selling tins of wax from a van to shipping products worldwide, with Nick eventually passing the Nikwax torch to its own Employee Ownership Trust in 2022.

Clean, proof and get on the move

Nikwax is an effective, easy-to-use solution to your at-home weatherproofing woes. All of their treatments are water-based and non-flammable, which means they’re as safe for your home as they are for the environment. Before you treat your gear with the weatherproofing solution in the purple canister, make sure to clean it with the stuff in the green one. Remember — green for clean, purple for proof.

If you need more specialized advice, check out our product care and maintenance guides for info on how to care for your most prized equipment.