What is the Best Way to Apply 303 Fabric Guard?
Outdoor fabrics are specially designed materials that are often used on patio furniture, boats, and RVs. Outdoor fabrics help make it comfortable to enjoy the great outdoors.
These outdoor fabrics are treated during the manufacturing process to make the material water repellent. The water repellency makes the fabric more comfortable to use (it’s not still wet several days after a summer rain), but also helps to protect the fabric from unsightly water stains, oil stains, and mildew formation.Water repellency also extends the life of fabrics by protecting it from degradation caused by water.
Treating outdoor fabric the easy way
Unfortunately,water repellency doesn’t last forever. The water repellent coating on outdoor furniture becomes less effective over time. Outdoor fabrics need regular maintenance to keep them in good condition. Regular cleaning as well as periodic re-treatment is essential.
A quick and easy way to protect your outdoor fabrics and restore its water repellency is to use 303® Fabric Guard™. This simple maintenance can add years to the life of your favorite outdoor fabrics.
How to apply 303® Fabric Guard™
Start by cleaning the fabric thoroughly before applying 303® Fabric Guard™. Make sure the fabric is not soiled, and also does not have any residue from cleaning agents. It is important to allow the fabric to dry completely before using 303® Fabric Guard or the product may not adhere to the fabric.
Apply 303® Fabric Guard™ when the temperature is above 70 F. For best results, retreat your outdoor fabric on a hot day with full sun.
Test the fabric for colorfastness before treating visible areas. Spray an area of the fabric that is not noticeable first, then wipe the fabric with a white cloth to see if any color wipes away. Do not treat the fabric is color comes off during this test.
Spray 303® Fabric Guard™ onto the fabric until it is evenly wet, overlapping the sprayed areas. Allow the fabric to completely dry before use.Be sure to immediately clean any surfaces that were accidentally sprayed.
The fabric needs to be protected from rain or dew until it has completely cured. Curing typically takes from 6-12 hours, depending on the temperature.
When to reapply 30 ® Fabric Guard™
Cleaning your treated outdoor fabrics with plain water once each month will help to keep the fabric clean and will reduce the frequency with which you need to retreat the fabric. Friction will cause the water repellency to diminish faster, which is why it is important to keep fabric clean and free of dirt. Fabric that is used more frequently will also need to be retreated more frequently.
Fabrics that are kept clean and receive low wear will last the longest between treatments. In this case, a treatment with 303® Fabric Guard™ can last as long as three years.
An easy way to test whether your outdoor fabric needs to be retreated is to lightly mist the fabric with clean water every few months. If the water beads up and runs off then the fabric is still protected.
Treat many outdoor fabrics with 303® Fabric Guard™
303® Fabric Guard™ is designed to be safe for use on all natural and synthetic textiles and blends. It should be safe for solution dyed acrylic, polyester, nylon, cotton, wool, silk, and fine leathers like suede.
Do not use 303® Fabric Guard™ on vinyl, clear vinyl, plastics, rubber, fiberglass, or imitation suede. Consider 303® Aerospace Protectant™ instead to protect and beautify these materials.
coated one side of cushion would like to flip and coat other side do I need to wait 10 to 12 hours
Hi, Fred. No, it’s OK to treat both sides of the cushion at the same time!
When applying 303 Fabric Guard to a boat cover should the cover be removed from the boat, in other words would there be problems with the Fabric guard going through the material onto fiberglass, glass, vinyl or metal surfaces? Would the Fabric Guard cause the cover to stick to other surfaces after it is dry?
Hi, Brian! Yes, we recommend to remove the covers when applying. This will avoid over-spray and will allow them to cure properly. After they are cured it is OK to put them on other surfaces. If you have any other questions please contact consumer support at producttechsupport@goldeagle.com
Can it be used on ropes? Will it work? Dois it work repeiling dust as well? Thanks on advance!
Hello! We do not recommend to apply on ropes and it will not repel dust but rather help to prevent staining. If you have any other questions please contact consumer support at producttechsupport@goldeagle.com
Can I use Fabric Guard on more delicate items, for instance a fancy hat?
Hi, John. Depending on the hats material you may be able to apply 303 Fabric Guard.
Do you apply to both sides of the boat tarp ?
Hi, Mike. No, we recommend to only apply on the top side of the tarp!
Why does the fabric guard keep clogging up the sprayer? We have gone through 3 sprayers so far and we have not finished our cushions, If we can’t spray it, what good is it? Tried applying with a brush but stained material.
Hi, Lynn. If you could please contact our Consumer Support Team at producttechsupport@goldeagle.com then we can assist you further!
Can this product be applied using a brush to cover a fabric convertible top.
No. For best results, 303 Fabric Guard is best applied by spraying the product unto the material. Using brushes or rollers may produce uneven coverage and oversaturate the fabric, which undermines the curing process. If you are looking to avoid overspray, we recommend taping off the sides or use cardboard underneath the sprayer big enough to catch the overspray. If there is overspray on the body or windows, clean with a damp, soapy cloth as soon as possible to avoid spots. Hope this helps. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact us at producttechsupport@goldeagle.com. Thanks for the question!
I plan on applying 303 fabric guard to a sailboat cabin cover using an electric Wagner stain sprayer powered by a small turbine. I cannot find any information on the product bottle about equipment cleanup. I note the product bottle indicates that the fabric guard contains petroleum distillates. What should one use for application equipment cleanup – paint thinner, soapy warm water, or some other solvent? Thanks in advance for your prompt consideration of this request and reply, Chris Was
Hi. Actually, the use of any pump sprayer, other than a hand sprayer is not recommended for use with this product. However, because every situation is different, we encourage you to get in contact with our Consumer Support Team at producttechsupport@goldeagle.com for more information, assistance and tips. Hope to hear from you soon!
Bought a 32 oz bottle to do a Mercedes cloth top. Half way through, the trigger on the sprayer wouldn’t go back up so I could barely get any product out. Spent an hour masking off the car and now I’ll have to find another brand and do it all over again. Waste of time.
Hi. We appreciate you taking the time to write about your experience and are disappointed to hear that our product did not fully meet your expectations. Because your satisfaction is of the utmost importance to us, we would love to have the opportunity to make this right and ensure you have a much more satisfying experience with our products next time. If possible, please contact us at producttechsupport@goldeagle.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Fall has come here in south central KY. We will likely not have temps above 70 until spring. Is it ok to apply 303 on my boat upholstery now-even if the temps are in the 50-60 range?
Hi Kenneth. Based on our testing, it is best that the product be applied at 70°F (21°C) or higher. This will ensure that the product cures properly and fast enough to provide the expected results. If there are any questions, please feel free to reach out to us by clicking the “Help” button or go to the bottom of our website and click on “Consumer Support”. Thanks for the question!
I have four patio conversational chairs. Each has a cushion 4′ thick and is 36 x 36. How much 303 will I need
You will need very little. In fact, one 16oz bottle can cover about 40-70 square feet, depending on the material, weather conditions and mode of application. Hope this helps. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact us!
Is it best to take the cushions out of the covers or can you spray with the inserts in place?
If possible, it is recommended to take the covers off the cushions. This will allow for an easier application and for faster curing in many cases. If you are applying 303 Fabric Guard to a cover without taking it off, it is even more important to apply a light coating, as this will prevent the product from accumulating on the stuffing or foam, which can become visible in rare cases. Also, a light coating will cure faster, product will cover more, and provide consistent results. Hope this helps. Please contact us if there are any questions!
It was recommended to me to spray my white dining room cushions with 303. The fabric is a cotton/poly blend.
1. Does the 303 product change the feel of the fabric?
2. If I have to wash the covers, do I simply reapply 303 after drying?
Thank you!
We cannot actually directly recommend our Fabric Guard for indoor use unfortunately.