Does Scotch Guard Work – Should You Apply It?

Scotch Guard is a household name that often brings to mind images of heavily abused furniture and carpets that remain pristine despite the rough treatment. Of course, those who have never used it often wonder: does Scotch Guard really work?

Scotch Guard would naturally like you to believe their product works on just about everything. When you receive those little flyers in the mail offering ridiculously low prices for carpet cleaning (the last one we received proudly claimed they would clean your carpets for just $2.99 per room), take a moment to check their professional Scotch Guard prices. This is the reason they hope their promotion gets them into your home. After all, that fresh, clean look needs protection, right? Your $15 bill quickly turns into a $300 bill when they convince you to Scotch Guard not only your carpets, but your main couch as well.

While it’s hard to fault a company for crafty marketing and free enterprise, let’s look at the product itself: Scotch Guard. It’s designed to eliminate odors while preventing stains and dirt from penetrating its protective shield. It even promises not to leave behind harmful chemical residues that could affect pets or small children.

Does Scotch Guard Really Work?

I remain a little skeptical about any chemically-based product being labeled “safe” for animals and children. After all, we claim soda is safe to drink, yet it can peel varnish off surfaces. “Safe” is a relative term. According to the best publicly available research, when Scotch Guard is applied and allowed to dry thoroughly, there have been no reported cases of ill effects.

That’s great, but does Scotch Guard work? From the consumer’s perspective, the majority of people who have tried it on their furnishings report that it at least helps resist staining, even if it doesn’t create the “bulletproof” shield it claims. This is assuming proper application procedures were followed. However, the reviews for its use on carpets are mixed.

Out of 20 positive reviews, I discarded three because people often don’t like to admit they wasted money. Perhaps that seems a bit unscientific, but we’ll chalk it up to the author’s discretion. From the negative reviews, I discarded two that seemed to expect a miracle. Scotch Guard has never promised that you can pour a gallon of grape juice on your carpet and expect it to remain stain-free. This left us with an even number of written reviews, so I decided to conduct some field research.

I started with my own home. We needed our carpets cleaned anyway. We have two dogs and had recently hosted another canine guest, who, unfortunately, left a stain on our carpet while left unsupervised. I also spoke with four families in the neighborhood who had Scotch Guard applied to their carpets within the past year.

We paid the bill and then resisted the urge to make a mud puddle outside and come charging through the house. Instead, we simply went on with our daily lives. Two days later, it rained. Our big dog came in from outside, dragging a bit of muddy mess on his paws. Despite my efforts to wipe it off, large muddy footprints appeared on the carpet, and I didn’t find it any easier to clean up than before.

My personal assessment was simple: I felt that Scotch Guarding our furniture was worth the money, but the carpet application seemed like a waste of time and money.

However, my neighbors disagreed. “What do you mean, does Scotch Guard work?” one of them asked, “Of course it does. Without it, I’d have had to replace my carpeting by now.” Feeling a little scolded, I realized she was the mother of four boys, aged two to eleven.

For the best results with Scotch Guard, have it professionally applied. There’s a noticeable difference between the way professionals apply it and how you might do it yourself. Many people may disagree with this, but the satisfied customers I spoke with had it applied professionally. Those who were unhappy had applied it themselves.

One elderly neighbor kindly pointed out that even if you can’t always see the difference immediately, you also can’t see the damage that dirt does to your carpet deep in the fibers. Offering your furniture and carpets protection is similar to having car insurance. You may not see the immediate benefits, but twenty years down the road, when you don’t have to replace your car out of pocket, you’ll definitely appreciate the value of the investment.