Is Mod Podge Waterproof?

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The growth and popularity of Mod Podge really has exploded in the last three to four years with more and more people becoming aware of the excellent reputation that Mod Podge has been able to earn amongst the arts and crafts community. Not only does it offer all of the functionality of a standard PVA glue but it also has a sealing agent in its regular formula adding some more robust sealing properties to Mod Podge that people are able to take advantage of.

With Mod Podge spiking in popularity right now and its growth showing no signs of slowing down, we have noticed more and more people reaching out to ask if Mod Podge is waterproof or not. Due to seeing so many people reaching out about the waterproof properties of Mod Podge over the last few years, with even more people specifically asking how Mod Podge performs with water in the last few months, we have decided to publish our own dedicated article on the subject.

Our hope is that we will be able to help our readers better understand how Mod Podge performs when it comes into contact with water as well as what you can expect from anything that you have made using Mod Podge after the water has been removed. We feel that this will be able to help our readers better understand exactly what they should expect, what Mod Podge can actually do for you as well as avoid some very common mistakes that we see people making with Mod Podge time and time again.

Is Mod Podge Waterproof?

Although the base formula for Mod Podge is water-resistant, it is not fully waterproof and Mod Podge have never claimed it to be a waterproof sealer. Although many people do believe that Mod Podge is fully waterproof, this is usually due to incorrect advice that they receive from other people within the arts and crafts community and it commonly resulting in issues.

Although the standard Mod Podge that the majority of our readers will use has no native waterproof properties, there are a few tips and tricks that some people use to help make a fully waterproof formula using Mod Podge as a base. Although all of these tend to be based around one or two parts Mod Podge, the additional ingredients can vary but most add in some form of a waterproof sealant to protect the formula from water.

This homemade waterproof Mod Podge option is becoming increasingly popular with more and more people using it but we don’t actually recommend it to our readers. Not only is it a pain to find a reliable waterproof sealant that will mix well with Mod Podge without side effects but due to you heavily diluting the other sealant with your Mod Podge, it is common for its waterproof properties to fail anyway.

Is Mod Podge A Waterproof Sealer?

Mod Podge is not a fully waterproof sealer but it does offer a regular level of water resistance that you would expect from a water-based, PVA glue variant. Although many people instantly think that they will require a fully waterproof formula for their arts and crafts, a surprisingly high number of people are actually fine with the water resistance offered by Mod Podge once dry and it can often be more than enough for your needs.

Of course this will depend on exactly what you are trying to get done with your arts and crafts session as well as what you are actually using your Mod Podge for. Most people usually use Mod Podge as a glue or sealant on items that will never be fully submerged in water or have constant water falling on them. If this is the case for you then normal Mod Podge will be enough to protect whatever you are using it for and prevent the odd drop of water from damaging whatever you have used your Mod Podge to seal.

Some people have taken to layering their Mod Podge when used as a sealant to take this one step further and offer additional protection from water. This is very quick, easy, and cheap to do as you simply apply one layer of Mod Podge as required if you are using it as a sealant, leave it to dry, and then add a new layer. You can often repeat this until you have three, four or even five layers of dry Mod Podge on a surface. This can stop a surprising amount of water with ease but keep in mind, this method will not offer a fully waterproof barrier.

Will Mod Podge Come Off If It Gets Wet?

Although Mod Podge can come off if it gets wet, it actually requires a surprisingly high amount of water for Mod Podge to come off the surface that you have applied it to, especially if the Mod Podge is wet. In addition to this, the Mod Podge usually has to have prolonged or constant exposure to the water for it to end up having problems with water and for the Mod Podge to actually come off.

This is due to the standard Mod Podge being water based and the formula being able to re-hydrate and wash off or be removed with relative ease once rehydrated. This is true even if you have left your Mod Podge to dry as enough water will rehydrate the formula and take it back to a similar state to it coming right out of the tub in some conditions.

If your Mod Podge does end up getting wet enough for its state to go back to being wet then there is a high chance that you will end up having problems with the Mod Podge on the surface even if it hasn’t come off fully. There is a high chance that your Mod Podge will keep a slightly sticky state after being rehydrated and although adding a small amount of talcum powder to it can help with this, sometimes, the sticky texture will never fully go.

How Much Water Is Mod Podge Able To Take Without Peeling Off?

It is difficult to say exactly how much water Mod Podge is able to take without it peeling off due to people often using different thickness levels for their layers of Mod Podge or using multiple layers. In addition to this, the actual temperature of the water will also come into play with warm and hot water being able to peel off your Mod Podge much quicker than cold water too.

Our usual recommendation to our readers is to simply not risk it and do everything in your power to prevent your Mod Podge from being exposed to constant water. It’s usually not worth the case and a fully waterproof sealant will often be a much better option if you know the surface that you are planning to use your Mod Podge on will have constant access to water.

Another potential problem is that some people will not apply a full coat of Mod Podge to a surface when trying to use it as a sealing agent. This can leave areas of the surface exposed to the water and offer a quick and easy way for the water to start working away at the Mod Podge to remove it too.

How Do I Make Mod Podge Waterproof?

Some people add a fully waterproof sealant to their Mod Podge in a ratio of two parts Mod Podge, one part sealant to make a waterproof formula. This has its advantages and disadvantages and although it can sometimes offer some solid waterproof protection, this method of making your Mod Podge waterproof does have a high fail rate too and is often a total waste of time.

If you are working on something that you care about and need to last for as long as possible without having problems with water then a fully waterproof sealant such as a high quality waterproof gloss will be a much better option than using Mod Podge or trying to mix it in with Mod Podge. Once dry, these waterproof gloss products offer full waterproof protection where as Mod Podge only offers water resistance.

There are a wide range of suitable waterproof sealing products on the market that you are able to use instead of Mod Podge but we usually recommend the gloss formulas. They tend to offer a very similar level of performance to normal Mod Podge with the additional benefit of being fully waterproof and able to take a large amount of water exposure without having problems too.

Is Regular Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe?

Although Mod Podge is not labelled as being dishwasher safe, a large number of people have been able to use a dishwasher to clean surfaces with Mod Podge on them in a short, cold water wash. That said though, this is still risky and there is a high chance of your Mod Podge having problems when used in a dishwasher with all water temperatures, especially if a cleaning product is used too.

Even a mild cleaning product used in your dishwasher for the other items you are washing can be enough to strip the Mod Podge from the surface you have used it on. If the water is warm or hot this process happens even quicker so even a short wash in the dishwasher may be enough to ruin your Mod Podge.

If you do have to wash a surface that you have used Mod Podge on then using some cold water on a cloth or cotton bud will have to do. Gently wash the required area as needed and the water resistant nature of Mod Podge should be enough to prevent you from having any long term issues when washing it in this way.

The Best Waterproof Alternative To Mod Podge!

The best fully waterproof alternative to Mod Podge is a high quality waterproof gloss due to it having very similar performance to Mod Podge but also offering waterproof protection. Many of the other waterproof alternatives to Mod Podge will not dry clearly or may not be as flexible as Mod Podge causing a number of problems with some types of arts and crafts.

We know that a large number of people do use varnish and we have a dedicated Mod Podge vs Varnish comparison article that may offer better insight into this. Although varnish is an excellent sealant that is very popular, it is not a direct alternative to Mod Podge due to the end result having a different look and texture often ruling varnish out for many people and keeping a high quality waterproof gloss in first position.

Resin is another commonly suggested alternative and we also have a dedicated article going over our Mod Podge vs resin comparison. We would not recommend resin in place of Mod Podge in most cases as it has a totally different use case often preventing it from being a one for one swap when looking for a waterproof substance that is suitable in place of your Mod Podge.

Conclusion

That brings our article going over if Mod Podge is waterproof or not to a close. Although the native water resistant properties of Mod Podge once it has dried should be enough for many people to get everything they required out of the product when using it as a sealant, it is not fully waterproof. If you do need a sully waterproof sealer for your arts and crafts then Mod Podge is not the best option and one of the waterproof alternatives to Mod Podge will be a much better option in most cases.