Now that hydrophobic materials have finally made their way out of the laboratory and into consumer-oriented products, it seems like a new piece of water-repelling gear pops up every other day. In the past two years alone, we’ve seen hydrophobic coatings applied to all kinds of different things –clothes, electronics, dinner plates, fabric softeners, even the paint on your car— and the trend is showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.
The latest edition to this rapidly-growing category comes from an Australian company by the name of Fabricor. As a group of enterprising restaurant workers who had grown tired of spending time and energy washing/replacing stained uniforms, the company set out a few years ago to develop a line of stain-resistant workwear designed specifically for people in the hospitality industry. Now, they’ve taken to Kickstarter to help jumpstart production.
Related: Make your clothes stain-repellant with Sofft hydrophobic fabric softener
The company’s workwear line (which includes shirts, aprons, and chef jackets) is made from a special blend of cotton imbued with hydrophobic nanoparticles — effectively rendering the garments impervious to anything water- or oil-based. Most stains either run off by themselves or (in the case of more viscous substances) can easily be rinsed off with a little water. In a nutshell, this means they don’t need to be washed nearly as often, which ultimately saves you time, money, and sanity.
To raise the funds needed for its first production run, the company has turned to the crowdfunding community, and in just a few short days, raised nearly half of its modest $5K goal. Back the project now and you can get your hands on the gear for anywhere from $30 to $90 bucks, depending on your backer level. If all goes well and the campaign is a success, Fabricor hopes to ship the first units to backers as early as February of next year.
