A few months back, Scotchgard Brand invited me to Chicago’s Randolph Street Market to hang out at their booth, chat with visitors, and take part in a video about things we love and how to protect them. There are always amazing vintage and antique pieces at the show — you might find your new favorite chair or rug, suitcases to stand in as storage, or maybe an old textile that has been (or can be) made into pillows.
The antidote to the all-white interiors trend, eh?
OK, but then you get your finds back home — these things that have already had a long life — and you don’t want to be the one to ruin them. And that goes for our new things too, of course. You know the pair of armchairs in our living room? Someone once spilled orange soda all over them when we were having a party. The person felt awful about it, and luckily the spill came right up, but if it hadn’t… yikes. Either we would have had to reupholster (two chairs, in this case, because they should match), live with a very strategically placed blanket, or ignore the stain. I use Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector on them now so nothing like that will happen again, because I don’t think we would have been so lucky had it been a drink like red wine. Once you see how it works, which is what we showed people at the Randolph Street Market, you realize what a good idea it is to protect the things you love with it. It repels liquids and blocks stains and can be used to protect your linens, furniture, rugs, clothes, car interiors and more.
Here are a couple of behind the scenes shots from our shoot.
And here’s the video.
I’ve used Scotchgard Protectors for a bunch of our things now. A purse, a couple of chairs, and yes, the crazy floral floor model chair I’m talking about above. I’ll show you how easy it is in an upcoming post. What are some things you love and want to protect?
Whitney @ Sweet Cayenne
January 21, 2016 at 10:41 amI’m a huge Scotch Guard fan as well – I’ve always used to protect my couch, throw pillows, and fabric/suede shoes!
Jill
January 21, 2016 at 11:39 amI love the idea but worry about the toxicity, especially living with young kids.
Heather
January 21, 2016 at 12:27 pmI agree… I love the idea of protecting my things, but worry about toxins.
Mairi
January 21, 2016 at 7:17 pmI also love the idea but worry about toxicity. We recently renovated our house and bought new furniture and I have already had one incident with a young child. I am really interested to see your upcoming post about it.
Thanks!
Sandi
January 21, 2016 at 8:26 pmYes, totally agree about the toxins. These are just so bad no matter what the chemical company says – a chemical is a chemical. Wish more people would take the time to understand what we are doing to our health, especially to the young children of today.
yo
January 22, 2016 at 7:46 amTotally agree. When I hear “Scotchgard,” I think “toxic.” Even people who don’t have kids or chemical allergies can choose to prioritize the planet and the future.
Susie
January 22, 2016 at 8:28 amI have to admit, that was my knee-jerk reaction too. Chemicals = bad! But I looked into it, and it looks like they reformulated in 2002 to get rid of the PFOA and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) (thanks, Google).
Amy
January 21, 2016 at 7:47 pmThis flea market looks amazing!! Reminds me of your craft fair post I loved so much a couple of years ago!
http://www.lifewithleroy.blogspot.com
yo
January 22, 2016 at 11:48 amI would be very cautious about the reformulation, and I’m not basing this on a knee-jerk reaction. PFOAs were part of a recent article in the New York Times
(http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/10/magazine/the-lawyer-who-became-duponts-worst-nightmare.html).
The article is long, but raises interesting points about the chemicals in widely available products, the companies that manufacture them, and the VERY limited role of the EPA in protecting us.
I think if you read it, you will not have much confidence in the reformulated Scotchgard.
yo
January 22, 2016 at 11:50 amI’m sorry, this was supposed to be in reply to Susie’s comment above. Forgive me!
Making it Lovely
January 22, 2016 at 12:35 pmThank you for the thoughtful comments, everyone. When I signed on to take part, I researched the product and came to the conclusion that I was comfortable promoting it and using it in my own home. I look at it from the point of view of keeping goods in circulation longer vs. needing to reupholster or replace, and I’m trusting that the formulation is safe.
raeleneb
January 22, 2016 at 10:05 pmLOVE these photos. Those suitcases! And the video totally made me realize how much Eleanor looks just like you (teehee!).
Faye
January 24, 2016 at 2:41 pmI ordered a quilt of one of those fabrics from Etsy. Now I have a feeling I was ripped off….Bummer.
Protecting Our Upholstery | Making it Lovely
January 27, 2016 at 9:00 am[…] Remember the pair of chairs in our living room? The ones that I mentioned were the recipient once of a nice dousing with orange soda? […]