Sometimes one of the two terms can be understood or used in an inappropriate way to mean the property of a specific fabric that is resistant to water or liquids.

The main difference between the two can be circumscribed to the slipping factor of a liquid on the fibers (water repellence) due to some substances that will gradually disappear because of the ‘lifetime’ of the fabric or because of frequent washings.

The waterproofing, instead, consists in creating a real barrier to the water, or liquids, blocking his passage across the fiber.