Worth knowing · Repellent finish

Repellent finish (chemistry not named)

Also appears on labels as: dwr, dwr finish, durable water repellent, water-repellent finish, water-resistant finish, water-resistant coating

A water-, stain- or oil-repellent finish whose chemistry the maker doesn't name: "DWR" (durable water repellent), a "water-resistant coating" or a "stain-resistant finish". Where the maker names the finish only by what it does, we write "(finish not named)" after the line.

Watched ingredients get highlighted on every product panel you open.

Where it comes from: Not stated. Repellent finishes are made from fluorinated chemistry (PFAS) or from non-fluorinated chemistry such as silicones and waxes, and these words don't say which.
Why it's in the product: Makes water, mud and stains bead up and roll off instead of soaking in.
Safety and toxicity: This flag is about the missing name, not a finding. Finishes like this are often fluorinated. In a study of 93 furnishings, clothing and bedding items used by children and teens, the PFAS the researchers tested for turned up only in products labeled water- or stain-resistant, and "green" or "nontoxic" claims on those products made no difference (Rodgers and colleagues, 2022). A study of stain-resistant children's clothing, mostly school uniforms, found PFAS in every product it analyzed (Xia and colleagues, 2022). A fluorinated finish releases PFAS as the fabric ages and is washed.
Interactions and who should be careful: If the maker says the finish is nonfluorinated, fluorine-free, fluorocarbon-free, PFAS-free or PFC-free, on the product page or in a dated statement for all its products, it reads as Nonfluorinated repellent finish and carries no flag. A layer the maker calls waterproof is a film, not a finish: a named polyurethane or TPU film is neutral, and an unnamed one reads as Undisclosed material.

General reference, not veterinary advice. Dose, breed, and existing conditions change the answer, so talk to your vet before changing what your pet eats. Think we got this wrong? Tell us and we log it publicly.