Scotchgard started with an accidental spill that acted unusually in a laboratory. In the early postwar period, scientists at 3M were experimenting with fluorochemical compounds, which were supposed to resist water and oil. In those days, many companies competed for inventing new materials to enhance various products in industry and daily life. But then something extraordinary occurred in the lab.
A chemical spill fell on a shoe and on some fabric. The fabric was not stained by the liquid, as it usually happens. It rather repelled it. This property of the compound seemed to be promising from a commercial point of view. This observation became one of the reasons why a stain-resistant fabric protector, Scotchgard, was developed. What is more interesting about the story is the combination of an accident, chemistry, and usefulness.
