How to Wax Your Clothing and Gear

by mikeasaurus

121K45748

Intro: How to Wax Your Clothing and Gear

Applying wax to fabric gives it water resistant and hard wearing properties. Whether a backpack or work clothes, a waxed finish to your fabric is a wise choice for those that like to get a little messy in life.

As great as waxed fabric is, it's not for all items. Heavy cotton like denim and canvas are great for waxing, as are heavy cotton/synthetic blends; These fabrics are typically found in items like backpacks, aprons, pants, and jackets. Your leather dancing pants and polyester shirt, not so great for waxing.

Being a natural finish, all waxed fabrics will eventually fade and need to be reapplied. Luckily applying wax to fabric is easy, and I'll show you how!

Let's wax!

STEP 1: Tools + Materials

There's not much you need to wax (or re-wax) your fabric, but you will need a special wax that's designed for fabrics.

You probably have most of this stuff at home, and the bar of wax lasts a long time and is good for lots of wax applications.

STEP 2: Clean Your Fabric

Before applying any wax your fabric should be clean and free from dust and debris. In my case I am waxing my work apron, which has seen lots of use and needed to be brushed, blasted with compressed air, and cleaned with the hose and detergent and then scrubbed again before it was ready.

For large items like this I find it easiest to work outside, since it can get messy.

Using the hose, laundry detergent, and a stiff brush I scrubbed the fabric to remove any debris and residual wax. Getting down an homogenous surface of the base fabric will result in a more even application of wax.

If you wash your fabric make sure it's completely dry before moving on to any wax application. Wringing the fabric with my hands to remove water, I left my apron out in the sun for a few hours until it was dry.

STEP 3: Wax

I used Fjallraven fabric wax, which is meant for their G-1000 line of semi-synthetic heavy garments. It's a hard bar of wax that has a neutral odor.

Thought any type of fabric wax can be used on almost any fabric, this technique works best of thicker fabrics like heavy denim and other similar types of fabric.

STEP 4: Apply Wax

Lie your fabric on a flat and sturdy surface. Rub the wax into the fabric with a firm scrubbing motion, you should be able to clearly see where the wax was applied to the fabric.

Set the hair dryer to the high setting and wave it over the fabric to heat up the waxed area. Keep the hair dryer a few inches off the fabric to prevent overheating and move the hair dryer in a circular motion.

I find it easiest to work in small patches, heating to melt the wax completely before moving on to the next area. Pay special attention to seams and other areas that might require an additional application of wax.

STEP 5: Wax On!

After the fabric has been waxed and cooled, examine to see if you missed any areas and if a second waxing is required.

Waxed fabrics to lose their waxed finish with use, so keep an eye on your finish and apply more wax as you need. I wax my apron about once a year to help prolong it's life and keep it from absorbing any spills.

Have you waxed your own fabric based on this Instructable? I want to see it!

Happy making :)

34 Comments

Joeybadventures 1 year ago

Can you washed the waxed fabric like normal clothes? How long does an application last?

rwadley 3 years ago

I followed this article including the wax and couldn’t be happier with the result! Thanks! Wound up doing three times over for the desired look and feel and effect.

ogillies143 4 years ago

Where did you get your apron? I love it! I havent found an apron I think is rugged cute (for my bartenders) thank you!

cesar harada 6 years ago

Hi!
I LOOOVE waxed cotton and I love the apron you have.
I manage a makerspace and we do a lot of "dirty" work. Some is metal work. Read sparks and heat. Does waxing make your cotton more flammable? I mean... Does one become a "giant candle"? hahaha
This is a real question - not a critique - Again, I love waxed cotton, and I think your instructable is awesome - thanks for sharing :)

beamer.smith 4 years ago

I invite you to google (or what ever you'd like to use) Iron cloth. Look here on Instructables too lots of folks do this and it seems to make thing fire resistant.

SallyG33 5 years ago

Thanks for the demo.
I am going to re-wax a jacket I have. What do you recommend I wash it with first - normal clothes detergent? Should I use fabric conditioner?
I also have a 100% polyester jacket [Regatta brand]. Could I wax that. Want something hard wearing for walking dogs.

mikeasaurus 5 years ago

Wash the garment, no conditioner, and completely dry before rewaxing.

A polyester jacket shouldn't need a wax coating? I think for a synthetic fabric there are commercial sprays which may be more appropriate.

joeranger 6 years ago

I have a 100% cotton overall that I dyed and I want it to look like an old Diver suit to go with a costume "brass dive helmet" . I used "Flex Seal" on the elbows and knees. I would actually like to use something that makes it look older darker and wet/oily. I assume most products try to preserve the look of the fabric. This is a costume/display item so it won't get much wear or need to be cleaned regularly.

AnthonyJ95 6 years ago

This might be a less labor intensive option. Otter Wax Fabric Dressing. You melt it and paint it on.

Charlie Chumrats 6 years ago

This is excellent! I have a large canvas dropcloth I want to cut and stitch into a knife roll and wanted to apply a waxed finish to it, and now I know how. Do you think beeswax in bar form would work? I have a few pounds of it around, as I cut off chunks of it and use it to melt and wax the top bars of my beehive frames. It's pretty hard wax, but I'm not sure how much harder fabric wax is.

MattUSB 6 years ago

This wax bar is just 65% paraffin and 35% beeswax, so I am pretty sure you would be able to figure out how to make something work. See if there is a proprietary process, or if you just mix them together. There was an 'ibble on Paste Wax yesterday...

TheUglyBarbarian 6 years ago

just melt them, cut pieces as small as possible to get it to melt quickest.

Be careful of temperatures you heat to, paraffin flashpoint is 390°F; beeswax flashpoint is 400°F. If you just heat until melted, stir together and remove from heat there won't be an issue, but you shouldn't be walking away while the wax is on the heat.

Easy to do, have fun.

bethmwl 6 years ago

Would this process become sticky if left in a hot vehicle? Or exposed to a good deal of heat, like setting in the sun?

TheUglyBarbarian 6 years ago

it depends on what you mean by "hot". In a location where it only gets 80 degrees Fahrenheit, it shouldn't feel sticky. I live in Las Vegas, it has been 116 degrees recently, the waxed canvas tarp I leave in my Jeep was "tacky" feeling....

Also, you can make your own wax by combining paraffin (too brittle by itself), bees wax (by itself feels tacky when mildly warm), and oil (I use walnut as it is a naturally drying oil).

mikeasaurus 6 years ago

If you don't use too much, the wax will impregnate the cotton and won't be sticky at all.

evanandkatelyn 6 years ago

Didn't know it was that simple!! I'll have to give it a try soon :)

Bladesmith1970 6 years ago

Very cool. I am hard on my work clothes so I'll be doing it. Thanks.

canoeist144 6 years ago

or just use

Nikwax Fabric and Leather Proof
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