How to Rewax Waxed Canvas and Oilskin

How to rewax waxed canvas or oilskin: brush off the dirt, sponge with cold water if it needs it (never soap), stand the tin in hot water until the wax softens, then rub the wax into the fabric with a cloth, working it into seams, folds and worn patches. Go over it with a hairdryer on low to melt it into the weave, and leave it somewhere warm for 24 hours to set.

That is the short version. The longer one explains why each step matters, and what goes wrong when you skip it.

What rewaxing actually does

Waxed canvas is cotton with wax driven into the weave. The wax coats the fibres and fills the gaps between them, so rain beads and runs off instead of soaking in.

Use wears it away. Abrasion at the corners and straps, flexing along the fold lines, sun, heat, and the grit that works in between the threads. The cotton underneath is fine. It has just lost its dressing, and rewaxing puts it back.

That is the whole appeal of the material. A coated synthetic bag is finished when the coating peels. A waxed one gets reproofed and keeps going for decades.

How to tell it needs rewaxing

• The colour has gone lighter or patchy, especially at corners, fold lines, handles and anywhere it rubs.
• Water soaks in as a dark patch instead of beading on the surface.
• The fabric feels dry and papery rather than faintly tacky.

Something used hard, like a tote that goes everywhere or a tarp that lives on the roof racks, wants it about once a year. Pieces that see less weather can go a couple of years. You do not have to do the whole thing every time. Rewax the worn areas when they need it.

Creases, scuffs and a darkening patina are not a sign. That is waxed canvas doing what it is meant to do.

What you need

• A tin of Kohutt Re-waxing Oil
• A soft brush
• A lint free cotton cloth or sponge. An old t-shirt is ideal.
• A bowl of hot water from the kettle
• A hairdryer. Optional, but it is the difference between a patchy finish and a factory one.
• A warm room, or a warm day

How to rewax, step by step

1. Clean it. Brush off dried mud, dirt and grit with a soft brush. If it needs more than that, sponge it down with cold water. No soap and no detergent. Both strip the wax that is still there and leave a residue the new wax will not bond to. Let it dry completely. Wax over dirt just seals the dirt in.
2. Warm the tin. Take the lid off and stand the tin in a bowl of just boiled water for five to ten minutes, until the dressing is the consistency of soft butter. Never put the tin on a stove or near a flame. Overheated wax will burn.
3. Warm the fabric. Wax goes into warm canvas and sits on top of cold canvas as a white, streaky film. Work in a warm room or outside on a warm day. In a Tasmanian winter that means inside, near the heater but not on it.
4. Rub it in. Take a small amount on the cloth and work it into the fabric with firm, circular strokes, a section at a time. Rub, do not paint. Start with the seams, folds, corners, pocket edges, straps and base, because those wear first. Thin coats. Excess wax stays tacky and collects dirt.
5. Even it out with heat. Go over the waxed areas with a hairdryer on low, held a hand's width away and kept moving. The wax melts into the weave and the streaks disappear. Keep the heat and the dressing off leather trims unless you are happy for them to darken.
6. Let it set. Hang it somewhere warm overnight. Give it a full 24 hours before it goes back into use or into the rain. Wipe off any surplus with a clean cloth.

Common mistakes

• Too much wax. More is not more waterproof. It is just stickier.
• Cold wax on cold fabric. Leaves white streaks. The fix is the hairdryer.
• Washing it. No washing machine, no dry cleaning, no tumble dryer, no iron, no detergent. Cold water and a brush is all waxed canvas ever needs.
• Waxing it dirty. Clean first, every time.
• Putting it away damp. Wax keeps water out, but cotton that stays wet in a cupboard will still grow mould. Dry it fully first. We cover this in more detail in how to season your swag.

Can you wax plain canvas?

You can, and this dressing will do it. But it is a one way change. Wax darkens the colour, stiffens the cloth and makes it breathe less.

Storing waxed canvas

Clean and completely dry. Hung up or loosely rolled, somewhere cool and out of the sun. Not in plastic, which traps moisture. Keep it away from real heat, like a car dashboard in summer, where the wax softens and migrates. A freshly waxed piece can mark pale upholstery for the first few weeks, so keep it off the good couch.

Rewaxing FAQ

How often should I rewax waxed canvas?

Roughly once a year for gear used hard, less for pieces that live indoors. Go by the fabric, not the calendar. When water stops beading, it is time.

How long does rewaxing take to dry?

Overnight to handle, 24 hours for full performance. Longer in a cold room.

Will rewaxing change the colour?

Freshly waxed canvas looks a shade darker and a little glossier. It settles back over the first few weeks of use.

Can I use it on a waxed jacket from another brand?

Yes. It is a traditional wax dressing for any waxed cotton: jackets, hats, bags, gaiters, tarps. If your jacket maker specifies their own proofing, follow them.

Can I put waxed canvas in the washing machine?

No. Hot water and detergent strip the wax and can crack the finish. Brush it, sponge it with cold water, and rewax if it needs it.

How much wax do I need?

Less than you think. Thin coats, rubbed in and warmed through, beat one thick one. A tin will see a bag through several years of touch ups.

What is in the wax, and is it toxic?

No, it is not toxic. The dressing is not classified as hazardous under Australian, UK, EU or US chemical rules, and it needs no hazard symbols or warnings on the tin. Its safety data sheet rates it as low in toxicity and not irritating, sensitising, carcinogenic or harmful to fertility. It contains nothing flagged as an endocrine disruptor or a persistent pollutant.

The data sheet describes it only as a blend of refined waxes and oils. That is normal for a product with no hazardous ingredients, because there is nothing that legally has to be listed. What the sheet does give is the physical properties, and those match a traditional wax dressing: a white, faintly waxy smelling solid that melts at around 56°C and does not mix with water. That is consistent with a refined paraffin type wax softened with oil. The exact recipe belongs to the mill, so we cannot confirm it beyond that.

The practical points from the data sheet:

• Heat is the real hazard, not the wax. Softened wax is fine to handle. Molten wax can burn. If hot wax lands on skin, cool it under cold running water straight away and leave the set wax where it is.
• Warm it, do not cook it. It melts at about 56°C and will not catch fire below about 150°C. A bowl of boiled water cannot get it anywhere near that. A stovetop or an open flame can.
• Ventilate. Warm wax gives off a light fume. Work with a window open or outside, especially when you are going over it with the hairdryer.
• Mind eyes and skin. Avoid getting it in your eyes, and rinse with water for a few minutes if you do. Wash your hands with soap and water when you finish. Keep the tin away from children, and use it on fabric only.
• Store the tin between 5 and 35°C. Somewhere cool and dry, out of the sun. Not in the car in summer.
• Keep it out of drains. It is expected to biodegrade, has low toxicity to aquatic life and does not build up in the environment, but it still does not belong in waterways. Let spills set, scrape them up and put them in the bin. The empty tin goes in metal recycling.

If you would like the full safety data sheet, get in touch and we will send it through.

Our rewaxing tin

The oilskin in our Oilskin Field Tarp Shelter, Oilskin Carry All Field Tote, Oilskin & Wool Adventure Blanket and the rest of our waxed range comes fully waxed from the mill, so it arrives ready for weather. Years of use wear that wax thin, and this is what puts it back. We decant it by hand into 100g tins in our workshop in Tasmania. It will do the same for the old waxed jacket in the back of your cupboard.

Get a tin of Kohutt Re-waxing Oil

Where it comes from: the dressing is made by Halley Stevensons in Dundee, Scotland, who have been waxing cotton since 1864. We buy it in bulk drums and tin it ourselves. The tutorial video above is theirs.