This bad weather has us reaching for Otter Wax...

What is this weather doing?! We hardly know if we are in the height of Summer, or fast approaching Autumn! The torrential downpours have got us thinking about prepping for Winter and pulling out our coats and shoes for the colder and wetter months (or just next week!). We normally wouldn’t be thinking about this until later on in September – but we reckon the weather’s giving us a heads’ up that we should sort it all out now.

So, what would we recommend? We’ve been using and stocking Otter Wax since we first began Tinker and Fix – we highly rate it and bring it in from Portland in Oregon (where they know all about wet weather) where it’s all made by hand in small batches. All their products are made from the highest quality ingredients - their Fabric Bars are the first and only water repellent wax that doesn’t utilise paraffin, silicone, or other petroleum-based synthetic ingredients. They are made of beeswax and a proprietary blend of plant-based waxes and oils. 

And what would we use it on? 

1. Treat your waxed jackets to a bit of attention – they need re-waxing regularly (we’d suggest annually – but it depends on how much you use them obviously). You can use the Fabric Bar to apply to certain areas that need some treatment, or chose a tin of Heat Activated Fabric Wax to re-waterproof your jacket back to its original ‘factory waxed’ form.
   
   
2. Sort your shoes and boots – clean and care for your footwear to protect them against the elements too. Leather is a skin (sorry to any vegetarians or vegans reading this) and so it needs to be cleaned and nourished via leather oil to stop it from cracking and to keep it supple and conditioned.  The Otter Wax Leather Oil is a base of oleic-rich safflower oil and fortified with vitamin-e, which provides a deep shine while nourishing, protecting, and revitalising all types of leather.
   
   
3. Protect your bags – same thing applies – if you’re carrying leather bags, you want to keep them in good nick – not only to look good, but to keep them in good shape for the future. Again, they can be cleaned and given some leather oil.
   
   
4. Think about what else you could waterproof – cotton hats or caps are really popular (definitely for when you are dog-walking and don’t have a hand free for an umbrella!). They are also a great ‘starter project’ for Otter Wax – you can see how you apply it, what coverage you need for different levels of waterproofing, and how the wax affects the look and feel of the cotton fabric. Or you can apply it to your jeans (great for if you’re on your bike or motorbike), or – like we do – to the knees of our overalls to avoid wet patches when we are kneeling in the garden.

If you've got any questions about using Otter Wax (how much you need, how to go about waterproofing) just drop us an email - we're happy to help... and Edd will be doing some videos over on Instagram, so you can see him using Otter Wax in readiness for Winter (or just next week!).