Last week, I picked up a NeverWet (Clear) kit from HomeDepot and used it on an old rain jacket I had and my work boots. The stuff is amazing. It works as advertized. It does have one drawback, it dries to a slight milky haze.
So fast forward one week. I picked up two kits this weekend and wanted to do a test on my car cover. I have two covers on the car. The inner cover is a NOAH cover and the outer cover is a Sunbrella cover to keep the sun from destroying the NOAH cover. The Sunbrella cover has long since lost all its ability to shed water. Water just soaks right though as you can see in the video below. Good time for a test.
Since I only had two kits, I could only treat the top and sides down to the just below the upper door. Now I will see how long its water shedding properties will last.
Certain solvents, alcohols and soap/detergents will cause the surface of the coating to lose superhydrophobicity. Once these chemicals are removed, the superhydrophobicity will generally return. NeverWet is less effective at repelling motor oils and oil based liquids.
Environmental conditions will affect the longevity of the NeverWet coating. Abrasion is the leading cause of reduction in the coating’s life, but also exposure to things such as high pressure water can reduce the life of the coating.
The breathability of a coated item is dependent on how heavy the Base Coat is applied.
The lighter the Base Coat, the more breathable the item will be. If a continuous, heavy film is applied, the surface will not be breathable.