A new spray producthas hit the market that claims to protect just about any surface from just about any kind of liquid. But does it really work?
The promotional video for NeverWet shows chocolate sauce, ketchup and a soft drink sliding off a treated T-shirt.
Consumer reporter Lynda Steele decided to put the Rust-Oleum product to the test. She wore a treated white T-shirt and then asked people walking down Robson Street to spray messy condiments on the shirt.
While mustard and ketchup did stick to the shirt, most of it fell off and when the shirt was sprayed with grape juice it beaded off and did not stain the shirt.
Rust-Oleum claims NeverWet causes water to form nearly perfect spheres which roll off the surface, keeping items dry and clean.
Steele sprayed two identical toilet brushes with the product and found the untreated brush was dripping with water, but the treated brush was completely dry.
In the promotional video for NeverWet, the inside of an empty cardboard box is sprayed, which is then filled with ice. The ice melted, but the container did not get soggy or wet.
The creators of the product have also tested NeverWet on an iPhone 4 dunked in six inches of water. Despite the video which showed the device still worked, the fine print on the NeverWet can says “not intended to be applied to electronic devices”.
Rust-Oleum claims items treated with NeverWet can stay submerged in seawater for over a year and emerge completely dry.
But online consumer critics claim NeverWet rubs off easily and when Steele sprayed it on a pair of black shoes, it left an opaque, white residue.
Steele on Your Side gives the product three stars out of five.
Home Depot in Canada sells the product in store and online.
