Soil-resistant, stain-resistant coatings and methods of applying on textile or other flexible materials

A method for treating a substrate for improved soil-resistance or stain-resistance, the method comprising:

• selecting a substrate to be coated, wherein the substrate is selected from a flexible material;
• preparing a composite solution, wherein the composite solution is prepared by mixing at least water, acid, first solvent, base chemical reagent, plasticizer and bonding agent, wherein the composite solution is prepared under acidic condition where pH is equal to or less than 5, and the composite solution is free of microparticles or nanoparticle additives,
• wherein further the base chemical reagent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M(OR)4, where M=Si, Al, Ti, In, Sn or Zr, and R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl,
• the plasticizer is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M(OR)4−xR′x (M=Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti;
• x is the integer 1, 2 or 3), where R comprise hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R′ comprise a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl or derivatives thereof, and
• the bonding agent is selected from an alkoxysilane, metal oxide precursor, or a combination thereof having a general formula of M(OR)xR′yR″z (M=Si, Al, In, Sn or Ti;
• x is the integer 1, 2 or 3;
• y is the integer 0, 1 or 2;
• z is the integer 1, 2 or 3, provided that the sum of x, y and z equals 4), where R comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof;
• R′ comprises hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl or derivatives thereof and R″ comprises a substituted or unsubstituted epoxy or glycidoxy;
• utilizing the composite solution to coat the substrate;
• drying or curing the substrate to allow a composite coating to form on the substrate providing the improved soil-resistance or stain-resistance, wherein a degree of polymerization of the composite solution is equal to or less than 100;
• and
• coating the substrate with a hydrophobic solution, wherein the hydrophobic solution comprises a hydrophobic chemical agent that contains flourine dissolved in a third solvent.