ProCare® Food Safe Heavy Duty Waterproof Fabric (W-444)

Country of Origin: Made in Canada

Manufacturer: AKAS Tex

Fabric Content: A proprietary blend of vinyl & polyester fibers engineered for high performance
📚 Read about Fiber Content for Fabrics - Labeling Made Easy

Fabric Weight: 270 GSM / 8 ounces per square yard

Fabric Width: 36" wide / 91 cm wide

Fabric Thickness: 0.012 inch +/- 10%

Approx. Shrinkage (Length): Minimal
Approx. Shrinkage (Width): Minimal

Approx. Stretch (Length): Minimal
Approx. Stretch (Width): Minimal

UPF Rating: 50+

Important Note about UPF Ratings:
Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) indicates how much UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) a fabric allows to reach your skin. For example, a UPF 50 fabric blocks 98 % of the sun’s rays and allows 2% (1/50th) to penetrate, thus reducing your exposure risk significantly. A UPF 30 fabric blocks 97% of UV rays and allows roughly 3% of UV transmission. UPF 15 indicates that the fabric blocks roughly 93% of UV rays and allows about 7% of available UV radiation to pass through.

UPF 10 to 30 = Fair Protection
UPF 30 to 50 = Good Protection
UPS 50+ = Excellent Protection





Quantity Information: Quantity = number of continuous yards., Orders of more than 10 yards may ship in more than 1 piece. If you would like a continuous piece, please leave a comment & we will try to accommodate your request., Seconds quality material may not ship in completed lengths. They may be in several cut pieces not less than 18" or so.

Care Instructions: No prewash, Wash medium, Dry medium, No Bleach, No Chlorine
❗ Read about the 7 Reasons Your Fabric Could Break Down - Fabric Care Made Easy


Additional Care Instructions: Procare fabrics have been proven to withstand >200 washes if the laundry instructions are followed:

Washing
Washing can be on hot or warm cycle. Use only mild chemicals/detergents in the dilution prescribed by the manufacturer of the chemical. Do not use detergents/chemicals not recommended for use with flexible vinyl fabrics.
CAUTION: Use of wrong detergents and not following instructions could cause shrinkage, polyester fiber damage and delamination.
Do NOT use chlorine bleach. If you do use bleach make sure it is rinsed out thoroughly or add “anti-chlor” to rinse . If chlorine bleach from wash is not rinsed off completely the dryer heat can cause the vinyl to become brittle and form cracks and possibly shrink.
Do NOT use solvents to wipe/clean Procare under any circumstances even for treating stains. Use of solvents can cause brittleness and delamination.
Note: The damage will be seen as cracks, creases and distortion in the fabric.

Drying
Air dry or dry on low/medium low. Do NOT dry in hot cycle.
CAUTION: Dryer heat should not exceed 180°F /80°C. Hot spots in a dryer often exceed 284°F/140°C. At temperatures higher than 180°F the backing will soften and melt and liquefy and flow at >250°F. This could result in tiny pinholes, multiple pinholes in a linear group or larger holes. The most common problem occurs at a crease or fold in the fabric, which acts as a leading edge of contact in tumbling of the fabric in the dryer. When exposed vinyl comes in contact with a too hot portion of the dryer drum, the vinyl momentarily flows, adheres to the drum and pulls away or “picks off” from the vinyl leaving a hole the size of the interstice of the textile.
IMPORTANT: Monitor your drying cycle to prevent too high heat settings and inspect dryers for hot spots.
Note: This high heat drying of Procare is the most common reason for spoiling of Procare based on samples that have been sent back for evaluation.

Cool Down
It is important to allow the fabric to tumble through a cool down cycle in the dryer.
CAUTION: Without proper cool down the heated film may stick to itself at creased fold-overs. The weight of the load and the retained heat of the product will set fused creases. When fused creases eventually cool down they cannot be separated without tearing.