Protective Oversprays

Almost all new carpet has some type of protective overspray applied when it is manufactured. Whether it is 3M’s Scotchgard™, Dupont’s Teflon® or the carpet manufacturer’s own product, there is usually some type of protection applied at the mill.

You might remember when your carpet was new that any type of spill beaded up on the top of the carpet. You might also notice now that in the traffic areas of your carpet, spills no longer bead up and they tend to just soak through. This is happening because the mill applied oversprays that will wear off with foot traffic. This is why most manufacturers recommend a protective overspray be applied after cleaning to replace whatever has been taken off with wear.

In addition to protective oversprays resisting spills, they also help prevent the carpet from wearing. The majority of soil found in your carpet is known as particulate soil which would have been tracked in from outside. These soils act as sandpaper on your carpet fibers, causing them to abrade and wear out.

Protective oversprays provide a coating that helps resist this type of staining. Rainbow International uses 3M Scotchgard™ which is the most recognized fabric protector available.