Cleaning and reproofing your wax jacket
Barbour waxed cotton cannot be washed in hot water, dry cleaned or machine washed as this will remove the waterproofing wax and oils which cannot be replaced. The only way to clean a wax jacket is to brush off any dirt, and then wipe it down using cold water only.
There will come a time when your Barbour wax jacket will need to be reproofed, however this will depend on how much you wear your jacket and the type of usage you get out of it. Barbour suggests you reproof periodically to maintain the effectiveness of the wax. You can have your wax jacket sent back to Barbour to be reproofed, which will cost about £30 for a jacket, and £39 for a jacket and a hood.
If you prefer, you can reproof your wax jacket yourself, using Barbour Wax Thornproof Dressing. Firstly make sure your jacket is at room temperature, rather than just grabbing it out of the car or a draughty room in your house. Next place a tin of the Wax Thornproof Dressing in a pan of hot water with the lid of the tin removed, and once the wax has softened use a soft cloth or sponge to work the wax well into the jacket. Barbour advises that you pay particular attention to the seams, creases and dry patches to ensure these remain fully proofed against the elements.
For an extra smooth finish it is advised that you use a hairdryer to blow over the jacket, to ensure the wax is evenly spread out.