Nikwax manufactures high quality cleaning and waterproofing products. Nikwax extends the life and improves the performance of clothing, footwear and equipment. Using Nikwax you can stay DRYER outdoors and more comfortable.

Nikwax products are EASY to use. You can treat your equipment with Nikwax in the washing machine, by hand or using our spray products.

Using Nikwax products is SAFE. The products do not contain propellant gases, are non-toxic, free of fluorocarbons and safe for the environment. Nikwax products are water-based and do not contain any components that persist in the environment or have known harmful effects on health.

Born in 1954, Nick Brown learned about mountain trekking thanks to his father at the age of ten. Nick soon discovered that the aftercare products for footwear available then did not keep feet dry in wet conditions. As a teenager Nick was already fond of chemistry and experimented with a formula of his own design to protect his boots. From the age of 15, making waterproofing wax in his mother's kitchen became a regular ritual before Nick's annual summer trip to the Scottish mountains.

Nick's wax (hence the name Nikwax) was first produced for commercialization in an apartment in north London in 1977. At 22, Nick arranged his first order with a discarded teapot, camping stove, carafe and materials purchased at a local hardware store. Nick sold his products to the UK outdoor sector, and subsequently began presenting his product in Europe. Within 2 years he was selling "Nikwax" to eight countries. The product was so effective that it set the standard for a new family of Nikwax-branded aftercare products.

In the early 1980s, Nick was determined to find a simple, eco-friendly way to waterproof clothing that replaced aerosols based on ozone-depleting solvents. Nick developed a completely new approach: harmful and flammable solvents were replaced with water. Nikwax Waterproofing has become the first company in the world to make a range of water-based products to restore waterproofing in the home, even in the washing machine. Nikwax products avoided emitting harmful solvents into the atmosphere, and were also safer for the consumer since they did not involve the inhalation of solvents or the risk of fire.