We wash once per season unless it’s very muddy. Hung dry.

Anonymous wrote:You want to wash anything waterproof as little as possible. Use washable layers underneath.

This isn't correct. Look at the manufacturer's recommendations, they recommend keeping garments clean. Here's Patagonia's:

"Remember, a clean shell is a happy shell. Be sure to wash your waterproof/breathable garments and regularly replenish their water-repellent coating. Drying waterproof/breathable fabrics on a medium/warm setting will help to renew the fabric’s durable water repellent (DWR) finish."

We live in a ski town. We use nikwax tech wash on ski pants and jackets and either dry flat or put in the dryer on the synthetic setting. For mittens, we all have hestras, so the liners can be pulled out. I wash those by hand and air dry. I surface wash the shells if necessary and apply sno seal or the hestra conditioner to keep the leather waterproof. I won’t buy mitts without removable liners, otherwise they are a nightmare to clean.

We ski from November - April and for jackets and pants, I surface wash dirty sections throughout the season, but I will only do a full wash twice. Once halfway through the season, and once before putting the gear away. Washing too often will wear away the waterproofing. Everything else - gaiters, socks, long underwear - gets washed after each use.

Just dry everything.

I use tech wash on ski clothes and gloves and hang them to dry. Sometimes need to give gortex a DWR treatment or it loses its efficacy.