I put on a protectant (303 Aerospace Protectant) that I get at a local boating store. My covers are an off white color that I sprayed last year. They have been out there all summer and also during contruction of the new patio. Little soap and a brush and they look clean. It makes them repel the water and dirt. I also use this stuff on the interior carpets of new vehicles when I purchase them.

I do take them in during the winter months. (Keeps the squirrels from using them as filling for their nests.) Heads up that if you purchase this it does take a lot of this stuff. You need to saturate the material. So much better than Scotchguard.

Jenn I went out in the garage and looked for the bottle. The actual name is 303 High Tech Fabric Guard Water Repellent. It is recommended by Sunbrella. They also make a 303 protectant for vinyl.

Thanks, housefairy. I found the product at Amazon; one of the reviews there said it can be found at Ace Hardware. I'll check our local Ace store which seems to carry everything under the sun!

I wouldn't stray far from housefairy's recommendation - not that you were going to! Most outdoor fabric can handle cleaning with a mild dishwashing liquid/soap and rinsed well before storing, anything near the detergent classification can damage the waterproof coating.

Just thought I'd second her protectant advice. Lol. When I was looking at new outdoor furniture this spring some labels indicated "spot clean only". I was aghast.

Boating stores have it too. I've used a lot of their stuff over the years. Besides 303 fabric stuff, they make some great stuff for rubber and vinyl.