How to Care for & Wash Your Changing Robe

So you’ve scored a changing robe and perhaps you’ve already enjoyed its warmth and protection in the great outdoors. Changing robes are an incredible kit essential that work hard to keep your dry, warm, and protected, so you can simply enjoy the outdoors. The Vivida Lifestyle All-Weather Changing Robes are technologically advanced, eco-friendly, insulated & waterproof, designed to shelter you in every weather condition, elevating the ease and comfort of changing for waterside adventures, all year round.

Whether you're stepping out of cold water, chasing sunsets in the city, or wrapping up fireside under the stars, your Vivida robe is more than a coat—it’s your sanctuary on the move. Purpose-built to adapt, it’s your changing room, weather shield, and wearable cocoon all in one. Light to carry, luxuriously warm, and mindfully made, it delivers exceptional performance with a soul.

Investing in a high-quality changing robe like Vivida’s makes all the difference. While lower-cost alternatives may wear out quickly or lose their effectiveness over time, your Vivida robe is crafted to go the distance—technically advanced, consciously made, and built to last.

Now that you’ve welcomed a Vivida robe into your life, it’s time to learn how to take care of it—so it can keep taking care of you. With the right care, it will continue performing at its best for years to come.

This guide will help you care for your robe properly—preserving its technical performance, extending its lifespan, and staying true to Vivida’s ethos of sustainability and mindful ownership.

We have outlined below two simple ways to wash your changing robe—so you can preserve its technical performance and extend its life, without the guesswork. 

 

 

Between Uses: Keep it Simple 

Just like any premium outerwear or waterproof technical gear, your changing robe does not need to be washed after every use, and only very occasionally needs a thorough clean. 

As with any waterproof garment, the more you wash it, the more the robe will age,  as washing too often affects the waterproof treatment of the garment. If covered in mud or sand we recommend waiting for it to dry and gently brushing it off or spot-cleaning with a damp sponge or cloth. But remember, a little dirt never hurt anyone. 😉

Care of your Changing Robe isn’t limited to cleaning, as storing the garment in the best way is equally important. If your robe has been exposed to salt water then give it a rinse (particularly the zips) before storing it away. .. Do not store wet/damp for a long time and air dry at room temperature between uses to prevent mould from forming. Exposing your garment to heat sources such as fires, radiators, heaters etc. can also affect the waterproofness of the garment as well as the the efficacy of the fleece linings.

We recommend hand-washing your changing robe as the ideal method to extend the life of your changing robe. If hand washing your garment is not possible, you can use a washing machine, just know this risks wearing down the water repellency. To prevent compromising the efficacy of the waterproof outer shell fabric & waterproof membrane, washing should be limited. Never hot wash, dry clean, tumble dry or use a hot iron on this garment, as it can compromise its efficacy in keeping you warm and dry.

Directions for both hand washing and machine washing your changing robe are as follows:

Method 1: Hand Wash Your Changing Robe (Recommended)

1. Turn your robe inside out, with the zips closed, to protect the shell and the membrane during the wash. Ideally place inside a Guppyfriend Washing Bag to reduce the flow of microfibres into our water systems.

2. Select a mild non-biological laundry detergent (without softener) suitable for hand-washing. There are specific performance wash solutions that are gentler on your garment. Eg. Grangers Performance Wash

3. Fill a water basin with tepid water and add the directed amount of detergent to the water. Be careful not to overdo the amount of detergent, you often need less than you think! Swirl the detergent into the water to create a soapy solution, and then add your changing robe. 

4. Submerge your robe in the water. If there is not enough water to fully submerge the changing robe, simply push the robe into the water as deeply as possible. 

5. Let the changing robe soak in the soapy solution for 10-15 minutes.

6. A few times during the soak, give the changing robe a jostle and gently scrub any portions of the robe that require more attention with a clean cloth. 

7. Drain the basin of soapy water and rinse your changing robe with clean water. Make sure that the water runs clean and soap free before finishing your rinsing process. Do not wring fabric, but push gently to release water from the garment. 

8. Lay a clean towel out and place your robe on top of this,  roll the towel with the robe inside to create a firm tube. This will allow the remaining excess water to be wrung out and absorbed into the towel.

9. Place on a hanger or line dry, out of direct sunlight. It is recommended to turn the garment inside-out during the drying process to allow the inner lining to dry more quickly. 

10. Drying your garment in sunlight or with heat sources such as fires, radiators, heaters etc can compromise the waterproofness of the garment.
    
    

Method 2: Machine Wash Your Changing Robe (Use Sparingly)

Use machine washing only when hand washing isn’t practical.

1. Turn your robe inside out, with the zips closed, to protect the shell and the waterproof membrane during the wash. Ideally place inside a Guppyfriend Washing Bad to reduce the flow of microfibres into our water systems.

2. Select a mild non-biological laundry detergent (without softener). There are specific performance wash solutions that are gentler on your garment. Eg. Grangers Performance Wash

3. Select your machine’s most gentle setting, at a cool temperature (maximum of 30 degrees Celsius is recommended).

4. Wash separately, other items may bleed colour if washed together.

5. After the wash cycle is complete, remove and line dry. It is recommended to turn the garment inside-out during the drying process to allow the inner lining to dry more quickly. 

6. Never tumble dry your changing robe or expose it to direct sunlight or heat sources like radiators or fires, as this can compromise its waterproofness and shorten its lifespan. Always air dry on a hanger or washing line in a shaded, well-ventilated area.
   
   

Replenishing Water-Repellency:

Over time, and especially after several washes, the robe’s PFC-free DWR (Durable Water Repellent) treatment may begin to wear off. If water no longer beads on the surface, it’s time to reapply.

We recommend using:

• Nikwax Tech Wash (to clean while maintaining DWR)

• Nikwax TX.Direct or Grangers Reproofing Spray (to restore water-repellency)

---

A Final Word

By caring for your robe thoughtfully, you’re not only extending its life—you’re deepening your relationship with your adventure companion that’s been crafted with purpose, innovation and the planet in mind. Take good care of it, and it’ll keep taking care of you.

 

---

Jackie Tyburski dives deep into the stories and true essence of the Vivida Lifestyle brand, ethos, and mission. She believes the right words illuminate our purpose and capture life's moments in pure, imperfect, and poetic form. Travelling, cooking, yoga, and paddle-boarding are a few of Jackie's other favourite things, alongside being a mom and wife to a few awesome humans.