Quaker Fabric launches safer Scotchgard fabric

By Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 9/14/2006 2:15:00 PM

Fall River, Mass. – The venerable Scotchgard fabric protector will be relaunched by 3M, its producer, teaming up with Quaker Fabric for residential, contract, and outdoor fabrics.

Scotchgard was taken off the market some years ago in response to concerns about the effect of two chemical ingredients, PFOA (perfluorooctanic acid), and PFOS (perfluorooctone sulfonate), that are pollutants with risks to human health.

“The chemistry is completely different, eliminating all PFOA and PFOS chemistry,” said Larry Liebenow, Quaker president and ceo. Mitch Culbreath, business development manager for 3M’s Protective Materials & Consumer Health division, said, “3M’s reformulated Scotchgard Protector provides all the performance benefits consumers expect from the brand – stain resistance, stain repellency, and stain release – with products that are not based on PFOA or PFOS chemistry.”

Fabrics using the new Scotchgard will be at “price points and constructions across the board,” said Liebenow. In the mix will be suede-like fabrics that can be made in this country “without the environmental problems and PFOA/PFOS issues of the import programs,” he added.

The marketing program will be offered to both decorative jobbers and furniture manufacturers.