PFAS in Stain Guard Sprays, 86 of 90 Carry the Same Two Concerns

We graded ninety fabric, leather and footwear protectors. Eighty-six of them grade 40 out of 100. The four that do better, at 65, are leather waxes and mink oil pastes rather than sprays.

That is not an accident. A stain guard exists to make a surface repel water and oil, and repelling water and oil is what fluorochemicals have historically been used for. In this category the function of the product and the concern our model scores are close to the same thing.

Summary comparison table

Product	PFAS grade	Coating as recorded
Timberland Waximum Waxed Leather Protector	Good, 65/100	Wax-based leather protector
Angelus Mink Oil Paste Leather Waterproofer	Good, 65/100	Mink oil paste, natural oil-based conditioner
Sof Sole Mink Oil Leather Shoe Protectant	Good, 65/100	Mink oil leather conditioner and protectant
Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather	Good, 65/100	Wax-based waterproofing, brand claims PFAS-free
3M Scotchgard Fabric Protector	Poor, 40/100	Proprietary water and stain repellent coating
3M Fabric Protector Extra Strength	Poor, 40/100	Fabric treatment coating, composition unspecified
303 Fabric Guard 2 oz	Poor, 40/100	Silicone-based water and stain repellent coating
303 Marine Fabric Guard	Poor, 40/100	Proprietary marine fabric protectant spray
The North Face Nubuck Suede and Fabric Waterproofer	Poor, 40/100	DWR-treated nubuck, suede and fabric coating
Nikwax Nubuck and Suede Waterproofing Spray	Good, 65/100	Silicone-based waterproofing, composition undisclosed
Crep Protect Spray	Poor, 40/100	Polymer-based water-repellent coating
Jason Markk Repel Shoe and Hat Protectant	Poor, 40/100	Proprietary water-repellent spray coating
Tarrago Waterproof Leather and Suede Protector	Poor, 40/100	Proprietary waterproof and stain-resist coating

How we graded these

Every grade here is a model-based estimate built from publicly available product information and manufacturer disclosures, not a lab test performed by our team. A high score means lower concern based on reviewed sources, never PFAS-free and never safe. Across all ninety products the spread is five at 65 and 85 at 40. No product in this category carried third-party PFAS-free verification. You can check any specific product in our PFAS product finder.

One grade for 86 products

Eighty-six of the ninety products carry exactly the same two concerns in our scoring, a water or stain repellent treatment, and either no statement about PFAS or only vague safety language. They all grade 40.

An earlier version of this guide spread them across 40, 30 and 20, because our model started products from different baselines depending on how each was filed. That put Scotchgard Fabric Protector twenty points above shoe sprays like Crep Protect with identical concerns. On 16 September 2026 we gave every product in a category the same starting point. They now grade the same, which is what our data actually supports.

What actually earns the top four their 65

The four products at 65 get there two different ways, and it is worth separating them.

Timberland Waximum, Angelus Mink Oil Paste and Sof Sole Mink Oil are there because their coating is named and is not a fluorochemical. Until 16 September 2026 our model scored a named wax or oil the same as a repellent nobody would describe. We changed that, and these three moved up as a result. None of their makers says anything about PFAS, so the credit is for naming the coating, not for a claim.

Nikwax Waterproofing Wax for Leather is there for a different reason. Our record still counts a waterproofing treatment, and Nikwax states the product is PFAS-free, which our model records as a brand claim, unverified, and credits. Nikwax also appears at 40 for its Nubuck and Suede Waterproofing Spray, where our record carries no such statement.

Be clear about the size of all this. The four leather treatments at the top are in our Good band, and every spray in the table is in our Poor band.

What our data says about Scotchgard, and what it does not

Scotchgard is the product most people mean when they search this category, so it deserves a direct answer.

Our record for 3M Scotchgard Fabric Protector describes a proprietary water and stain repellent coating, with a repellent treatment and vague safety language as its two concerns. It grades 40, for the reasons explained above. That is not a finding that Scotchgard contains PFAS. We have not tested it, the formulation is not published, and we will not turn an absence of disclosure into an accusation.

What is on the public record is 3M's own position. In a press release dated 20 December 2022, 3M announced it would exit all PFAS manufacturing and work to discontinue the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025, and said it would discontinue manufacturing all fluoropolymers, fluorinated fluids and PFAS-based additive products. 3M cited factors including accelerating regulatory trends and changing stakeholder expectations. That is the company describing its own direction.

What it does not tell you is what is in a particular can, including one that has been in a cupboard for years. A corporate transition is a timeline, not a label.

The aftermarket problem

Our hiking pants, sleeping bags and backpacks guides all end with readers asking how to get water resistance without a factory finish. This category is where people turn next, and it does not grade better than the garments. Reapplying repellency at home generally means buying a product that says no more about its chemistry than the jacket did.

A spray is also an aerosol you breathe while applying it, which is a different exposure route from a finish bonded at a factory. That applies whatever the chemistry is, and it is why these products carry ventilation instructions. Follow them.

What to avoid

Choosing between sprays on this grade alone. Nearly all of them grade 40 on the same two concerns.
Applying any of these indoors or in a closed garage. Ventilation is the instruction on the can that matters most.
Assuming an outdoor brand name means disclosure. Nikwax appears at 65 and at 40, and The North Face sits at 40.
Reading a 40 as proof of fluorochemicals. It reflects a repellent treatment with no PFAS statement, which is what we can support.

For why repellent finishes draw scrutiny at all, see the PFAS hazard page. Our ski wax guide covers the one category where a governing body banned fluorinated products outright.

Our pick

Based on available materials and data, the best-graded products are the four at 65 out of 100, and all four are leather treatments. For a leather boot we would choose Angelus Mink Oil Paste or Timberland Waximum, because the coating is named and is not a fluorochemical. For a fabric sofa or a technical shell our data does not contain a product we can recommend, since every fabric protector here carries the same two concerns, and the honest alternative is a removable, washable cover rather than a treatment. These grades are estimates built from disclosed materials, not laboratory proof, and nothing here is being called PFAS-free or safe by us.

FAQ

Does Scotchgard contain PFAS?

We cannot tell you, because the formulation is not published and we have not tested it. Our record describes a proprietary water and stain repellent coating, which is why it grades 40 out of 100. What is on the record is 3M's announcement of 20 December 2022 that it would exit all PFAS manufacturing and work to discontinue the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by the end of 2025. That is the company's stated direction, not a statement about any particular can.

Does Scotchgard grade differently from shoe protector sprays?

No. Scotchgard and the shoe sprays carry the same two concerns in our scoring, a repellent treatment and no specific PFAS statement, and all grade 40. An earlier version of this guide showed a twenty point gap that came from how the products were filed, which we corrected on 16 September 2026.

Is there a PFAS-free fabric protector spray?

None of the ninety products we graded has third-party PFAS-free verification, and none scores above 65. One leather wax, from Nikwax, carries a brand PFAS-free claim that we record as unverified. For fabric specifically, our data does not contain a product we grade well.

Is it safe to spray a fabric protector indoors?

These products carry ventilation instructions from their manufacturers and those are worth following regardless of the chemistry, because spraying an aerosol means inhaling some of it. We grade product composition, not application safety, and any discussion of PFAS and health on this site describes association rather than proven causation.