What You Need to Know About Outdoor Fabrics

What Are Outdoor Fabrics?

 "Outdoor Fabrics" refer to woven textiles made from a wide variety of synthetic fibers, acrylic, polyester, olefin and various blends, including cotton.  These breathable fabrics are made "water repellent" by a chemical treatment process during manufacturing.  The treated fabric repels (beads) water, resists soiling, both water & oil based stains and impedes mildew formation.

With time and use the original repellency treatment is diminished, making periodic cleaning and re-treatment necessary.  The key to keeping your outdoor fabric looking great and extending its life is periodic cleaning followed by repellency re-treatment.

Common Outdoor Fabric Uses:

• Outdoor Living: Cushions, umbrellas, awnings, canopies.
• Boating: Enclosures, biminis, dodgers, boat covers, sail covers.
• Automotive/RV: Fabric convertible topping, RV fabric awnings, upholstery, carpeting.

Save Money and Add Years To The Life Of Your Outdoor Fabric

Though the cleaning and re-treatment procedures in this pamphlet specifically apply to Sunbrella® and fabric  "canvas" convertible topping, they also apply to most outdoor fabrics.

Waiting until your outdoor fabric is dirty, stained and/or leaking requires the use of harsh chemicals and physical cleaning methods which can diminish service life.

Simple Cleaning - It's Easy!

1. While dry, brush, shake or vacuum off loose dirt.
2. Hose down to remove remaining loose dirt.
3. For best results: Use manufacturer-recommended 303 Fabric/Vinyl Cleaner™ or 303 Fabric Cleaner™ in lukewarm water (100º F max). To loosen soiling & stains, use soft bristle brush, sponge or cloth to apply and work in the cleaning solution. Rinse DOUBLE-THOROUGHLY to remove both loosened
   soils and all cleaning agent residue. Repeat if necessary.
   
4. Allow to air dry.

It’s now time to re-treat using 303 High Tech Fabric Guard™, recommended by and for Sunbrella®/Glen Raven Custom Fabrics LLC and Dickson Constant.

Re-treating
303 High Tech Fabric Guard restores lost water repellency and stain repellency to factory new levels. It stops leaks, resists soiling, protects against both water-based and oil-based stains and impedes mildew formation.

Click Here - for manufacturers who recommend 303 Products

With 303 High Tech Fabric Guard re-treating is easy, quick, inexpensive and lasts a long time.

It's Easy With 303 High Tech Fabric Guard

• Use only on new or newly cleaned, dry fabric.
• Spray on 303 High Tech Fabric Guard until wetly damp, overlapping sprayed areas.Do Not Saturate.
• Allow fabric to dry thoroughly before usingor storing.
  

Be sure to re-treat in warm weather. At least 70º F (the hotter the better), always with the fabric heated up from the sun.

Coverage: For Sunbrella®, “canvas” convertible topping and similar weight fabrics, apply at a rate of 50-75 sq. ft. per 16oz. trigger sprayer, 500-800 sq. ft. per gallon. Expect greater coverage on lighter weight fabric, less on heavier fabric & carpeting.

Maintenance Tip: About once a month, use a water hose to gently spray off any dirt that has settled. This keeps the dirt from settling in and extends the time between soap and water cleaning and re-treating.For stubborn stains: Soak stained fabric approximately 15 minutes in solution of ½ cup bleach & ½ cup 303 Fabric Cleaner per gallon of warm water (100º F). Rinse thoroughly before fabric dries. Repeat if necessary. A non-chlorine bleach is recommended for Sunbrella “Plus” because of its urethane coating. Caution: Excessive soaking in bleach can deteriorate sewing threads. For special cleaning problems, contact the fabric manufacturer.

Tip For New Fabrics: During the fabrication process the factory finish can be worn causing the new fabric to “wet”, most commonly at the seams. To prevent or correct seam leaks, treat the seam with 303 High Tech Fabric Guard.

Warnings: Silicone “water repellent” products are not recommended. These products are not compatible with the outdoor fabric’s factory finish and actually promote staining. Water “sealants” for wood and masonry also are not recommended.

Before using 303 High Tech Fabric Guard, read the label directions and warnings.

Sunbrella®, made from 100% solution dyed acrylic fiber, is the world's largest selling outdoor fabric.

303 High Tech Fabric Guard™ is powerful enough to protect fabrics in the harshest environment...outdoors. Yet 303 High Tech Fabric Guard is safe for the finest fabrics, wool, silk and fine leathers including suede.