Does anyone have a recipe to make a solution to waterproof fabric? I am recovering chairs for a Sunday school and would like to put a protective solution on them. The Scotch Guard Brand is good but a bit expensive.
I have used a waterproofing spray product that is used for tents. I bought this in Wal-mart in the camping/sport section.
It was cheaper than Scotchguard and worked on many different things. I can't remember the name or the exact price but I had used it for a cloth shower curtain and it worked very well. I remember that you only had to spray on one coat.
I used very little of it but I gave it the remaining away and do not have the can.
They have lots of waterproofing recipes from long ago (like WWII), but most of these are made with wax that's been dissolved in kerosene which means they are VERY flammable. This is how tents & tarps were waterproofed before plastic was invented when they were made from thick cotton or canvas.
MY TECHNIQUE: My recommendation would be to buy a large bottle of Dimethicone, Cylomethicone or Silicone based anti-frizz hair product. (There are called: Frizz-eze, Citra-shine & other names. I have a 4 ounce bottle called "Straight & Shiny that I got on sale for only $1.69) It's sold in drug stores. Buy the biggest bottle you can get for your money. It's totally clear & feels very slippery to the touch. Be sure to look for a brand without a bunch of extra additives. I use it to lubricate my spinning wheel & my banding wheel (for pottery). You would then need to add the dimethicone hair product to a bottle of 99% rubbing alcohol & shake, then add a bit more at a time until it's the dimethicone product is dissolved in the alcohol. Lastly pour the product into a well marked spray bottle & spray onto the fabric you'd like to protect. The alcohol will quickly evaporate leaving the silicone/dimethacone..Do this on a small piece of sample fabric first. Maybe you could buy a bottle of plain Silicone for less money on the internet than the store-bought hair serums then mix it with the alcohol? You'll want about 1 part silicone/dimethacone with at least 10 - 20 parts of 99% rubbing alcohol. This will not leave the fabric feeling greasy or sticky.
Look in Liquidation stores: I've found a scotch guard type product in large cans at dollar or liquidation stores. I bought 8 cans because the price was only $1 for a huge can. Look around in liquidation stores & some dollar stores for knock-off brands. The brand I bought was "Bissell" & it worked wonderfully!
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