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^ that sounds like a good idea for rail grease. be careful with detergents b/c most things strong enough to be effective will penetrate and damage the waterproofing.
for tears flip your pants inside out and make a small cut on the inside liner. apply seam tape or patch then sew the inside cut back up. you can buy small amounts of seam tape or patches you can apply your self at most outdoor stores. make sure you buy compatible tape/patch depending if your fabric is 2 layer or 3 layer lamination.
if you cant find tape.patch use duct tape on the inside backing the same way and iron it on warm (not hot)