Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield Vs Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield – What’s the Better Option?

There are a lot of companies who make separate fabric protectors for home use and cars.

But what’s the difference at the end of the day? Couldn’t you use either of these products interchangeably? Do you really need them both?

These are the answers that we wanted to get to the bottom of and what better product line to go with than Scotchgard? – a longstanding company with a variety of fabric protector products. So join us as we take a close look at these spray-on fabric protectors.

Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield Overview

One of the most important things to note about this product is that it protects only against water-based stains.

This includes of course water stains, water based beverages and interestingly enough to us, mud.

Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield is intended mostly for indoor applications like carpet, couches, drapes, linens, bedding and clothing. This is a spray-on water protector that you can apply in coats to a variety of fabric surfaces.

Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield Overview

This is also a spray-on water repellent that can be applied in coats for added protection.

After testing both of these products out, we found that they more or less protect against the same kinds of stains: water, beverages, mud etc.

Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield however is specifically made for the carpeted surfaces of your vehicles. You can use it on any vehicle with carpet surfaces like cars, trucks, vans, SUV’s, RV’s and even boats.

What’s the Difference Between Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield and Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield?

There is actually very little difference between these two products based on our testing and testimonials from other customers.

Scotchgard themselves have in so many words said that these two products have almost identical features and uses.

The only difference that we could decipher is that Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield is not intended to be used on indoor carpets while the Fabric Water Shield can be used effectively on rugs and carpets.

Quick Facts

	Auto Carpet Water Shield	Fabric Water Shield
Made By	Scotchgard	Scotchgard
Uses	Auto upholstery	Indoor upholstery
Availability	Online and in stores	Online and in stores
Odorless?	Yes	Yes

Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield Review

Selling Points:

• Made for vehicles
• Repels water-based stains
• Dries clear

Overall we have to say that we were pretty impressed with Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield. We tested it on truck mats, upholstered back seats and even a baby’s car seat. In each instance, it helped bead up water as opposed to letting it soak into the fabric.

That all being said, the protection was finite. We noticed that after about an hour, if you let the beaded water just sit on the fabric, it will start to soak into the material. We only applied 3 coats so perhaps more coats would mean more protection. In any case, the protection seems to be limited to time.

However, we were very impressed with the results we got when we moved onto beverages. We got the same beading action we did with water; but even after the liquid set in, it was very easy to clean up with a rag and warm water.

So it would seem that the Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield would work well for anyone who wants to prevent stains in their vehicle’s interiors – just be aware that cleaning the stains after they have set in will take a bit of elbow grease.

We also really liked the fact that Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield didn’t produce any odors or affected the feel or appearance of the upholstered surfaces.

Overall Score: 95/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield Review

Selling Points:

• 5 ounce can
• Dries odorless
• Works for a variety of fabrics

What we really liked about the Fabric Water Shield was that it performed the same on every fabric surface we tested it on which included a couch, pillow, backpack and even a silk tie.

It did the same thing for all of these fabrics: it made water bead up on them as opposed to soaking into the fabric itself. The Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield would be a great choice for anyone who is looking for a versatile water protection spray.

And just like the Auto version, the Fabric Water Shield provided moderate protection against stains as well. It makes cleaning up stains a lot easier; but you have to make sure you get to cleaning the stains soon after they occur.

Something you should be aware of though is that Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield does not protect against UVA or UVB rays. So if you have couches, chairs or other fabric products that get direct sunlight in your house, this product will not protect against discoloration.

It’s worth noting that Scotchgard Auto Carpet Water Shield also does not protect against UVA/UVB rays.

Overall Score: 97/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Which is Safer?

They are made by the same company with an almost identical formula so they are equally safe for auto and indoor use.

Did Scotchgard Get Discontinued?

The company was forced to change their formula a few years ago because of the presence of CFCs in their products. But since then, they have removed these harmful compounds from their product line.

Which is the Best Product?

In terms of versatility, we have to say that Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield is the better product. It does the same thing as the auto version; but can apparently be used on more products.

Final Assessment 

So what’s the better option? Based on our testing we would have to say there is almost no difference.

You can use these products almost interchangeably. We say almost because it appeared that Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield can be used on more surfaces.

So do you need both? Probably not. If you had to choose just one, we would recommend Scotchgard Fabric Water Shield because you can use it on your car’s carpet and upholstery too.