Care and Repair
Buy once. Wear forever. A Farmerrain garment is built to last for decades — but only if it’s cared
for properly and can be repaired when something eventually breaks. Here’s everything in one
place: how to wash and store it, what to do if a button comes loose, and what happens when it
genuinely needs repairing.
Air out: New garment? Hang it freely on its own on a hanger for a few days — smell and packaging creases fade on their own. Wash: A damp cloth and lukewarm water is usually enough. Repair: Most damage can be repaired. Send the garment in, or fix it yourself with a repair kit. Button: Missing a button? Tools and extra buttons are available to buy at farmerrain.com
Washing instructions
Don’t wash more than necessary – vinyl garments are easy to keep clean.
Clean primarily with a damp cloth and lukewarm water, without detergent.
For more stubborn dirt, you can use an uncoloured, unscented soft soap.
If the garment needs machine washing, wash at 40°C without fabric softener, preferably inside out.
Never tumble dry – let it air-dry hanging.
Creases can be ironed out carefully at a low temperature from the inside, with a cloth in between.
Don’t store light-coloured, glossy garments against dark colours, leather or faux leather,
as they may transfer colour.
Exception: waders are always hand-washed.
Fabric softener does no good on coated fabric and only unnecessarily burdens the aquatic
environment.
You never need to reproof the garment either – the waterproofness lies in the vinyl material itself,
not in a surface treatment that wears off, and it holds up as long as you follow the care instructions above.
Dry cleaning is completely unsuitable for the garment and should never be used – the solvents
used in dry cleaning can dissolve or damage both the PVC coating and the plasticiser in the
material.
Avoid chlorine bleach and similar products (active substance: sodium hypochlorite)
altogether – they can bleach and break down the plastic surface, making it brittle and stiff over
time.
Mould growth almost always comes down to the garment being packed away damp or not
dried properly before storage, not the material itself.
Vinegar (undiluted, about 5% acetic acid) works against several common mould species, but not all:
spray it on generously, let it sit for roughly 30–60 minutes, then scrub it off and rinse thoroughly with clean water afterwards,
since leftover acid residue can otherwise remain on the surface.
Avoid washing powder when machine washing – it can scratch the smooth surface. Ordinary
detergent (especially powder), strongly alkaline cleaning agents, and products containing
degreasers or bleach are all bad for the PVC coating. Choose a mild, liquid, pH-neutral dish soap instead.
Never spin-dry the garment either – the mechanical strain breaks the material down
faster over time. Let it air-dry hanging instead, just as with hand washing.
Stubborn paint stains can sometimes be removed with pure white spirit (mineral spirits), but
this needs great care: always test on a hidden area first, work in a well-ventilated space, and
immediately clean the same spot with water and a little dish soap afterwards so no solvent
residue is left behind.
Acetone, on the other hand, should never be used on the garment – not
even oil-free formulations – since acetone dissolves PVC at a molecular level and can
permanently damage the coating.
Zipper care
The Biker jacket, Sauna jacket and our coveralls all have zips, and they benefit from a little
regular attention. Brush off dirt, sand and grit with a soft brush before closing the zip, and wipe
it down with a damp cloth during ordinary cleaning. If the zip has been in contact with salt water
or a lot of sand: rinse it thoroughly with fresh water and let it dry completely before putting the
garment away – otherwise dirt and salt crystals risk wearing down the teeth over time.
If a zip sticks, never force it – you risk damaging both the zip and the fabric around it. Instead,
work it gently back and forth until it releases. If needed, you can lubricate the zip with a siliconeor wax-based zipper lubricant; avoid petroleum-based products, which can attack the plastic
material around the zip in the same way as other solvents.
New garment out of the packaging, insect repellent and sunscreen
When you open a brand-new PVC garment, it can have a faint plastic smell – a bit like the smell
of a brand-new car. This comes from volatile substances released from the fresh material, and it
isn’t a fault: a garment that’s been hanging on display in a shop or sitting unpacked for a few
days already smells noticeably less, simply because it’s had a chance to air out. Give your own
garment the same chance – hang it freely and on its own on a hanger for a few days: the smell
fades significantly, and any creases from the packaging hang out by themselves too, without
ironing.
Be careful with DEET-based insect repellent – it can attack the plastic surface. The same goes for
sunscreen: the oils and chemical UV filters can leave a film on the surface that makes it feel
tacky and become discoloured over time, especially combined with heat and sun – much like on
other vinyl-coated gear such as furniture cushions and watch straps. Wipe the garment down
with a damp cloth after contact with sunscreen, the same way as ordinary cleaning.
Condensation — not the same as a leak, and why ventilation actually matters
PVC and vinyl-coated garments like ours are completely vapour-impermeable — unlike
breathable garments, there’s no membrane letting water vapour escape through the fabric itself
(see our guide to breathable garments and where they fall short). Any moisture you feel on the
inside only has two ways out: through the openings, or as condensation on the cold inner
surface.
Condensation is simple physics — the same principle as a cold glass sweating on a warm day.
The inside of the garment sits close to outdoor temperature, since the PVC layer is a barrier, not
insulation. When warm, moist air from your body meets that colder surface, it cools below the
dew point and the moisture falls out as liquid — regardless of how active you are. Ventilation
doesn’t solve this by “breathing”; it works by exchanging the air before it saturates: the
openings create a small airflow that carries moisture away from the areas where the body sheds
the most, like the back and chest. That’s why the Hunter jacket has vents at the chest and back,
the Adventure anorak and the Trenchcoat 2.0 have back ventilation, and the Hunter and
Matching Kid waist trousers have ventilation mesh and waist ventilation.
How much you notice this isn’t just a property of the garment, but an interplay of several things:
how much you move, whether you actually open the vents to air out, and how much you
personally sweat. If you’re someone who runs warm and sweats heavily, the difference is
considerably more noticeable than for someone moving calmly in cold weather. In other words,
mechanical ventilation affects your comfort more than people often think — but only if you
actually use it.
What you wear underneath matters just as much as the garment itself, because a sealed shell
can never make up for the wrong layer underneath.
A thin merino wool base layer draws moisture into the fibre itself rather than holding it on the
surface, which lets it absorb a large share of its own weight in moisture before it feels wet
against the skin. It keeps you dry next to the body while leaving an air gap against the garment’s
cold inner surface, so any condensation can run off instead of being soaked up.
A thicker knitted merino jumper — a fisherman-style roll-neck, for example, which we also sell
— behaves differently. Its coarser, airier construction holds significantly more total moisture and
so feels dry for longer, but it also insulates better, which makes you sweat more under exertion,
and it often sits closer against the inside of the garment. Condensation forming there risks
soaking straight into the knit instead of running off. A thick jumper is a good choice for sitting
still in the cold, but the more you move in it, the more it matters that you actually use the
ventilation rather than relying on the jumper to handle the moisture.
In short: ventilation carries the moisture out, and your base-layer choice decides how much of it
you notice before it does
Repairs
Yes. We want your clothes to last as long as possible, which is why we offer repairs that extend
the garment’s life. You can repair it yourself with our repair kits or button kits, or send the
garment to us. We weld and repair at our warehouse in Emmaboda, or send it on to the factory
when needed. When a garment reaches the end of its life, we’re happy to take it back so the
material can be recycled or reused properly at our warehouse in Emmaboda.
Farmerrain repairs every garment we’ve made ourselves, both during and after the warranty
period, whether the damage comes from normal wear or an accident – as long as it’s
environmentally justifiable to repair the garment rather than throw it away. The limit isn’t set in
years or number of repairs, but by that principle. We have garments in our workshop that have
been repaired three times over their lifetime, most recently with today’s Biovinyl+ – the patch’s
shade differs slightly from the original fabric, but the garment is whole, watertight, and good for
many more years.
The repair guarantee applies to Farmerrain’s own brand. For other brands in our range – Guy
Cotten or Ålesund, for example – we don’t offer a guarantee, but we’re happy to help if we have
the right skills and tools.
Most repairs happen on site in Käsemåla, using the same type of high-frequency welding the
garments were originally made with. If the damage is beyond what the equipment there can
handle, the garment is sent on to the main factory – whichever site does the welding, the
garment always comes back whole, provided the damage can be repaired.
For older garments after the warranty period has ended, you cover the shipping yourself, both
to us and back. The repair itself is priced at cost or a strongly favourable price – we don’t take a
margin on helping a garment live on.
Spare parts and buttons
From autumn 2026, every garment with buttons is delivered with spare buttons in the inner
pocket. The tool for attaching them isn’t included with every garment, though – we’ll sell that
separately on our website for anyone who needs it. If a button comes loose, simply attach one
of the spare buttons using the tool.
If you’re out of spare buttons, or need the tool, you can buy them separately at farmerrain.com
– the same buttons and the same type of tool we use in our own workshop. We’ll also sell
complete repair kits there, for anyone who wants to fix bigger damage themselves. You can also
send the garment to us and we’ll attach it for you.
Avoid washing powder – it can scratch the smooth surface – as well as strongly alkaline cleaning
agents and products containing degreasers or bleach. Choose a mild, liquid, pH-neutral dish
soap instead.
No. Spin-drying puts mechanical strain on the material and breaks it down faster over time. Let
the garment air-dry hanging instead, just as after hand washing.
Stubborn paint stains can sometimes be removed with pure white spirit (mineral spirits), but do
this with great care: test on a hidden area first, work in a well-ventilated space, and immediately
clean the same spot with water and a little dish soap afterwards. Never use acetone, not even
oil-free versions – acetone dissolves the PVC material and can permanently damage the coating.
Brush off dirt and sand with a soft brush, and wipe down with a damp cloth during ordinary
cleaning. After contact with salt water or a lot of sand: rinse with fresh water and let it dry
completely. If a zip sticks, never force it – work it gently back and forth, and lubricate if needed
with a silicone- or wax-based zipper lubricant (avoid petroleum-based products).
Hang the garment freely and on its own on a hanger, ideally for a few days – the creases usually
hang out on their own. If they don’t fully disappear, steaming is gentlest, or you can iron
carefully at a low temperature from the inside, with a cloth in between.
Steaming is best – it’s gentlest on the material. Ironing with a steam function is the next best
option. If you iron without steam at all: do it carefully, at a low temperature, from the inside,
with a cloth in between.
You cover the shipping yourself, both to us and back. The repair itself usually costs only the cost price, or a strongly favourable price.
More times than you might think. We have garments in our workshop that have been repaired three times over their lifetime. The patch’s shade differs slightly from the original fabric, but the garment becomes whole and good for many more years.
Our repair guarantee only applies to Farmerrain’s own brand. If you have a garment from another brand, we’re happy to help anyway, if we have the right skills and tools.
Almost always, whether the damage comes from normal wear or an accident. The limit isn’t set in years or number of repairs, but by the principle that it should be environmentally justifiable to repair the garment rather than throw it away. We assess every garment sent in individually.
Attach one of the spare buttons that came with the garment. If you don’t have the tool on hand, you can buy it separately on our website, along with more buttons if you need them, or send the garment to our repair service and we’ll attach it for you.
Yes, we’ll sell complete repair kits at farmerrain.com – for anyone who wants to fix more extensive damage themselves, without sending the garment in.
Yes. We sell button kits separately on our website, with the same buttons and the same type of tool we use in our own workshop.
Yes. From autumn 2026, every garment with buttons is delivered with spare buttons in the inner pocket. The tool for attaching them isn’t included with the garment, though – we sell that separately on our website for anyone who needs it.
A thin merino wool base layer is usually best: the fibre draws moisture inward instead of holding it on the surface, so you stay feeling dry for longer and keep an air gap against the garment’s cold inner surface. A thicker knitted jumper, like our merino fisherman roll-neck, is warmer and buffers more total moisture, but tends to sit closer to the inside of the garment and so feels damper sooner if you’re sweating heavily. The more you move in a thick layer, the more it matters that you actually use the ventilation.
Most likely condensation, not a leak. Our garments are completely vapour-impermeable, so moisture on the inside is moisture that hasn’t had time to ventilate out — the same principle as a cold glass sweating on a warm day. The ventilation in models like the Hunter jacket, the Adventure anorak, the Trenchcoat 2.0 and the Hunter and Matching Kid waist trousers exchanges the air before it saturates. Keep the vents open during activity, and think about what you’re wearing underneath — it matters just as much as the garment. How much you notice it also depends on how much you move and how easily you sweat – if you run warm and stay active, the effect is considerably more noticeable.
Be careful with both. DEET-based insect repellent can attack the plastic surface. Sunscreen can leave a film of oils and chemical UV filters that makes the surface tacky and discoloured over time, especially combined with heat and sun – wipe the garment down with a damp cloth after contact, the same way as ordinary cleaning.
Hang the garment freely and on its own on a hanger, ideally for a few days – the creases usually hang out on their own. If they don’t fully disappear, you can iron carefully at a low temperature from the inside, with a cloth in between.
There’s nothing wrong with the garment, and it isn’t a reason for a complaint – it simply hasn’t had time to air out yet. A garment that’s been hanging on display or sitting unpacked for a while has already had that chance. Give yours the same chance: hang it freely and on its own on a hanger, and the smell will fade significantly within a few days, while any packaging creases hang out by themselves at the same time.
When you open a brand-new PVC garment, it can have a faint plastic smell – this comes from volatile substances released from the fresh material, a bit like the smell of a brand-new car. Hang the garment freely and on its own on a hanger for a few days: this airs out the smell and lets any packaging creases hang out by themselves.
No, avoid chlorine-based bleach (sodium hypochlorite) altogether – it can bleach and break down the plastic surface, making it brittle and stiff over time. Mould growth almost always comes from the garment being packed away damp or not dried properly before storage, not from the material itself. Vinegar (undiluted, about 5% acetic acid) works against several common mould species, but not all: spray it on, let it sit for 30–60 minutes, then scrub and rinse thoroughly with clean water afterwards – otherwise acid residue can be left on the surface.
No. Dry cleaning is completely unsuitable for the garment and should never be used – the solvents used can dissolve or damage both the PVC coating and the plasticiser in the material. Always clean it as described above instead: a damp cloth and lukewarm water, or machine washing at 40°C if needed.
Hang the garment freely on a hanger – that’s the best way to store it, and something we at Farmerrain strongly recommend. Hanging keeps the garment unfolded and airy, which prevents creases and keeps the material in the best condition between uses. Don’t store light-coloured, glossy garments against dark colours, leather or faux leather, as they may transfer colour.
Yes, but carefully: at a low temperature, from the inside, with a cloth in between.
No, never. The waterproofness lies in the vinyl material itself, not in a surface treatment that wears off.
It does no good on coated fabric and only unnecessarily burdens the aquatic environment.
No. Waders are always hand-washed, never machine-washed.
Yes, when needed: wash at 40°C without fabric softener, preferably inside out. Never tumble dry – let the garment air-dry hanging.
Tallsåpa is a traditional, unscented soap made from plant oil (in Sweden often called ‘yellow soap’, not to be confused with the green, scented variant, which is the same base soap with colour and fragrance added). The international term for this category is soft soap, made from tall oil or other plant oils. If you can’t find tall oil soap where you live, any uncoloured, unscented soft soap of the same type works just as well – just avoid heavily fragranced or dyed cleaning products.
Don’t wash more than necessary – vinyl garments are easy to keep clean. Clean primarily with a damp cloth and lukewarm water, without detergent. For more stubborn dirt, you can use an uncoloured, unscented soft soap.