The Story of Fabric Stain Protection
On a similar timeline, Milliken and Company had been researching how to improve textiles from an ethical and innovative way. With the goal of achieving a textile that performs and protects at the highest grade, they had created a fabric with “stain-release” capabilities by 1970. Through time, Milliken Textiles had created stain repellent, stain releasing technology for their textiles.
In the past, spray on fabric protectors had faced a slew of controversies in terms of harmful chemicals. Additionally, unless the technology to repel stains is built in, the task to protect fabrics and upholstery from stains was a difficult task.
Since 2003, 3M has moved away from the use of perfluorooctanesulfonamide (a known organic polluant used to repel grease and water), and has adopted newer environmentally friendly technology in order to improve lifespan of upholstery, rugs, and carpet.
The year is 1952 and two scientists Patsy Sherman and Samuel Smith at The 3M Company accidentally come across a compound made of a fluorochemical polymer. They were experimenting with the development of a rubber that wouldn’t deteriorate when exposed to jet fuel.
One day while Sherman was in the lab working, she had accidentally dropped the experimental chemical mixture onto her shoe. Her assistant promptly attempts to clean the chemical off of her shoe, but to no avail, as it was impervious to water or alcohol based solutions. This happy accident lead to the discovery of a polymer that repelled water and oils from fabrics.
Four years later, 3M had patented, manufactured, and sold the popularly known Scotchgard Fabric Stain Protection product.
If any high traffic areas in your home are in need of protection against dirt and water damage, grease and water based stains give us a call. We can help with fabric stain protection for rugs, carpet, upholstery, furniture, chairs, and couches.
Some spray on fabric protectors utilize technology that only coats the outer fibres of the fabric. This often leads to a lower lifespan in fabric stain protection, requiring periodic stain protection spraying.
Our professionals utilizes a stain protection formula that works to penetrate each fibre of your upholstery, carpet, and other fabrics in order to provide you maximum stain protection – leaving no room for stains to be absorbed. We work to help protect your fabrics from pet urination and defecation, wine spills, food and grease stains, liquid spills, stains from dirty shoes, and other situations that may arise leading to staining of your fabric.
Drying time for stain protection sprays on your rug or upholstery depends on the ambient temperature and humidity. In general it can take between 6-8 hours.
Since 2003, industry standard has shifted to utilizing more eco-friendly, low carcinogenic sprays. Professionals have access to fabric stain protection sprays that are non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, and safe for humans and pets.
In general sprays will guard your furniture, rugs, and other areas covered in porous fabric against water and oil based spills. On top of repelling majority of spills, it also protects against microbes, and makes your upholstered furniture easier to clean.
Today’s stain protection is often dual action. Stain-repelling and stain releasing. This means that majority of water and oil based spills are repelled from fabric.
In the case where spills have penetrated the repellent barrier, stain releasing technology promotes water to be drawn through the fabric in order to “release” the spill from the fabric.
Other fabric stain protectors will bond with the fibres of your upholstery, rug, or carpet without changing the feel of the fabric itself – unlike built repellent technology in some fabrics that includes plastic fibres.
Hiring a professional who has access to industry standard stain protection services will extend the lifespan of your upholstery. High performance stain protection now exists on the market, where one professional treatment is all you need for your upholstered services.
We recommend that you consider getting reapplication of our stain protection services in high traffic areas every 3 years. In areas that don’t see a lot of use and high traffic, one treatment is all it will need!
