Our vacation rental property has the Ikea Ektorp white slipcover sectional in the sunroom directly off the pool area. Even though we have 2 covers to interchange it still meant CONSTANT washing from the normal issues caused by kids, spills, and vacation fun. This is life, and we are so happy people are enjoying our home but it gets exhausting trying to pre-treat and remove stains every 4-7 days. Since IKEA has changed their fiber for the slipcovers (no longer 100% cotton) and bleaching isn't possible on the new fibers, I wanted to try and protect our old version as long as possible.
There are often wet bathing suits and food stains so I tried this out to see if it would help prevent the color transfer and help guests have time to clean up spills before they soak in. *We also use Dash & Albert indoor/outdoor rugs on top of the larger jute rugs so spills can be cleaned off the rugs as well.
So far this has done an AMAZING job at prolonging the time between washings!!
I purchased a gallon to save money, transferred some to a new spray bottle (you can get these at Home Depot or Big Lots) and prepared the slipcovers.
TIP: Be sure to use as little laundry detergent as possible (and use non-scented) & then rinse at least twice. The online product info is very specific about the product only working when NO residual product remains on the fabric so I usually do a normal wash (with minimal baby detergent), a second wash with only vinegar and borax, and then 2 rinse cycles. Yes...it's exhausting but I've noticed it makes a HUGE difference in how well this works compared to when I'm rushed and just apply it after a normal wash/dry cycle.
After careful cleaning, multiple rinses, and being laid out on clean towels in the driveway I just spray this over all the pieces being sure to get the piping and edges extremely well since these collect the most dirt and color. They then lay out to dry in the sun for the rest of the day, are put in a sterile bag in the garage overnight (we have them from our business) and the steps are repeated the next day on the opposite side.
There is a very strong chemical smell that will last for at least 8+ hours (odorless mineral spirits is used as the carrier to help it penetrate the fabric, but as anyone who works with this product knows...it's not actually oderless) so be sure to allow plenty of sunny weather time for it to dry and air out. Only use it outdoors in a well venerated area, away from all animals, and start in the morning (going through the wash steps the day before) so they have plenty of time to air out.
I’ve made drop cloth cabana-style curtains for the attached pergola's. Even though we live in San Diego and don't see a lot of rainfall the nighttime due and random rain showers meant they would only last 4-5 months before growing mold & mildew stains that couldn't be bleached out and I had to make new curtains. I just replaced 4 of them last week and sprayed each one (front & back) down with this to help slow any mildew issues caused by moisture...so far it's working great.
I haven't noticed any change to the fabrics color, feel, or durability after using this religiously for the past 6 months, although a few of our sofa cushions did develop yellow areas that cannot be bleached out but I don't know if that's a result of this or a guest...
After 3 seasons, my very expensive 6 pocket snowboard pants were losing their water resistance so I thought I would try this stuff. Washed the pants and then sprayed the stuff on with an old (windex) spray bottle. Applied 2 coats thinking that it might not be that good, so did overkill. Let dry on a hanger for 1 day.
The snowboard pants are now totally water resistant. I can sit in the rain, on a rain soaked chairlift, and not get wet; just like new (pehaps they are better than new?).
The product has a smell, kind of like latex paint, but not as nearly as bad as scotchgard, which has a very strong gasoline (like) odor.
Update: The water proofing lasted about 90 days and was so-so at best. Yeah, the water would bead up... But if the bead sat on the fabric it just soaked right in after a minute or two. Once the product wore off completely it was noticeable- the top started to drink water like crazy. It's been 12 months now and the top absorbs so much water that it smells musty the following day after a rain or wash. I will say that I am simply blown away by the rich black color of the top in my review picture because it certainly isn't that black after it wears off! Even though I recently used a dye product to try and restore some color! So I'll definitely be ordering again today. And this time I will brush it on instead of using the spray.
(Rating reduced from 5 stars to 4)
Exceptional product! Restored the ten year old top on my Pontiac Solstice back to looking like new. Will update with product video after it dries.
FYI, I sprayed wildly with the product with absolutely no regard for over spray on paint or glass. I had zero issues. I had a microfiber towel handy, and I made sure I let it sit for no more than fifteen seconds before wiping it off, and most importantly, I moved to a clean portion of the towel without residue between wipes. I got this stuff EVERYWHERE. And the back window was literally saturated with it after spraying the trim. Cleaned right up, no hazing or anything.
If you DO miss some spots during wipe up, meguiars ultimate compound will remove it in seconds with no hard scrubbing or damage to paint or glass.
It took roughly 5/6 of the bottle to do a deep saturation on my two seater. But the top had clearly lost its water repelling effects years ago - so your milage may vary.
This is the very best fabric guard that we have found over decades of searching. Excellent for fabric auto roofs, boat canopies, and garden umbrellas. If you have many of these fabric items, made from Sunbrella fabric, this is the protectant that the manufacturer of Sunbrella fabric recommends. We have used it for years now with the best results. We now have the need for this gallon wihich we place in a gallon garden pump sprayer. This applies the 303 Fabric Guard the most uniform and quicker than we could ever do otherwise.
We have very hot summers and high rainfall. Application of this 303 Fabric Guard is essential if you want to prolong the life of your outdoor fabrics, which of course, we do. We highly recommend this product.
Feature Product
- Restores lost water and stain repellency to factory new levels
- Provides strong resistance against soiling
- Protects against water-based and oil-based stains
- Does not alter fabric color, feel, flammability or breathability
- Safe for the synthetic or natural fibers
Description
303 Fabric Guard is the only product recommended by and for Sunbrella, as well as other fabric manufacturers to restore lost water repellency to fabrics. Resist water, even when you’re on the water. 303 Fabric Guard creates a powerful shield to greatly increase repellency and protect against oil and water- based stains. Spray it on outdoor leather seats, boat covers, awnings, Dacron sails and more!
I have tried all the other brands and this really is the best stuff to waterproof your canvas or Sunbrella! Not only does it waterproof better, it does not leave black lines running down the sides after a rain like many other products I have used over the years. Cheaper to buy by the gallon!!
We just bought a used 2001 Newmar Dutchstar motorhome and the fabric awning leaked like a sieve! Whenever it rained everything under the awning, including us, got wet. I researched numerous products and through an RV forum found a recommendation for 303 Fabric Guard. We also bought the 303 cleaner. Cleaned the awning one day and let it dry overnight. The next day we sprayed this on the awning. (we bought the 128 Fl oz bottle and used a pump sprayer like you use for weed killer and put it on the lowest setting so it came out like a heavy mist). We covered the areas of the motorhome that were close to the awning to prevent overspray from getting on the paint and windows and then sprayed the awning. It probably took longer to cover the areas of the MH that we didn't want to get sprayed then it did to spray the awning. Spraying the awning probably took about 30 minutes. This is the only product I have ever used that tells you to do it in direct sunlight! Lucky for us it's been hot and sunny! We had to wait over a week to see if it worked though because it hasn't rained for several weeks. Last night it rained so we stood under the awning and not a drop of rain came through!! Yay!!! 303 Fabric Guard works great! We will have to wait and see how long it will last. I am hoping to get a few years out of it before we need to do it again. This is an honest review from a motorhome owner and I am not being paid to give this review. I would definitely recommend this product. The price is very good especially comparing it to buying several cans of Scotchguard or something similar and the product works as well as they claim it does!
This is absolutely the best product for fabric convertible tops or awnings. You can spray, brush or roll it on. I have sprayed it on but you have to mask off the rest of you surfaces very well to avoid overspray. I just did out VW Beetle Top and used a small foam roller and that worked very well. It took almost the entire 32 oz. bottle for the top. You can apply in direct sunlight for best results but works great in the shade as well but it has to be above 70 degrees. Wipe drips off of any other surfaces immediately with a damp rag, especially rubber as it will start to soften rubber quickly. Let it cure in a dry environment for 6-12 hours before putting the top down. Stuff has an odor so best to use ventilation or outside. Once cure water will run off the fabric like a ducks back. Typically you would reapply annually or when you start to notice the fabric absorbing water again. Amazing product and have been using for years. Use the Marine Protector variant for rubber and vinyl. Good luck!
This fabric guard is the most amazing stuff I've ever used. I've been battling a leaky Sunbrella cockpit cover on my boat. After reading the reviews, I figured it was a shot, eventhough it's priced like liquid gold.
My cover is approx 12'x20' and it easily used the entire gallon. I used a garden sprayer from Wally.
I did some test spots after it dried with water. The water beading and shedding is crazy. See pic. Shake the water off and the tarp isn't even damp. I can't wait to see how it holds up this season.
Wow! This is winner! I sprayed all my outdoor furniture cushions with 303 Spray before putting them outdoors this year. This is a routine effort usually accomplished with ScotchGuard spray. I have hosed them down quickly a couple of times since and the water just pills and rolls away. Water does the pill and roll dance much more dramatically than it has EVER done using the aforementioned name-brand product. I was quite surprised at its effectiveness. Seems to me that if moisture is going to roll off my cushions than dirt isn't going to stick to them either. With California being in drought conditions I will have to brush clean my furniture more often than hose cleaning this year. After seeing how well this product repels water I am pretty confident I can manage to keep my outdoor furniture clean and avoid ruin from dust, dirt and all the falling organic debris my dense garden is prone to create. I am already planning to buy more in a larger quantity container to keep on hand for upholstered indoor furniture, lower portions of drapery my maltese rubs against, throw rugs and auto upholstery/carpets. This stuff works!
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