Chemistry & Selection
Practical guides on durable water repellents for textiles, footwear, leather and non-wovens.
Water Repellent Certifications: OEKO-TEX, ZDHC & bluesign
Water repellent certifications — OEKO-TEX, ZDHC and bluesign chief among them — tell a buyer that a finish is tested, safe and compliant with…
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Water Repellent vs Waterproof vs Oil Repellent: What’s the Difference?
Water repellent vs waterproof is the most common mix-up in fabric finishing, and the two are not the same. Water repellent means the surface…
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Wash Durable Water Repellent: Crosslinkers, Curing & How Many Washes
A wash durable water repellent keeps beading water after repeated laundering, instead of rinsing out after a few cycles. Durability comes down to three…
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Water Repellency Ratings Explained: AATCC 22, ISO 4920 & Oil
Water repellency ratings tell you how well a finish repels water: the higher the number, the better the fabric beads up and sheds it.…
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How to Apply a Durable Water Repellent: Pad-Dry-Cure, Exhaust & Spray-On
There are three main ways to apply a durable water repellent: pad-dry-cure on a stenter (the industrial standard for mills), exhaust application in a…
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PFAS-Free Water Repellents
A PFAS-free water repellent is a durable water-repellent finish that contains no per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — no fluorine at all. As PFAS bans…
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C6 vs C0 Water Repellent: How to Choose (and Where C8 Fits)
Choosing a C6 vs C0 water repellent comes down to one thing: fluorine. C0 repellents are completely fluorine-free (PFAS-free) and repel water only; C6…
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Durable Water Repellent (DWR) Agents: Complete Guide
Everything textile finishers, formulators, and sourcing teams need to know about C0, C6 and C8 water repellents: how they work, how they differ, and…
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