A fabric treatment composition that includes at least one zeta potential modifier and a hydrophobic agent with a melting point or glass transition temperature below 100° C. that imparts fabric protection benefits, including improved stain and soil resistance, oil repellency, water repellency, softness, wrinkle and damage resistance, and better handfeel to treated fabrics. Treatment compositions can be used as a pretreatment prior to washing, through soaking, or added to the treatment liquor, that is either the wash or rinse cycle of an automatic washing machine, to first provide and then maintain and restore the beneficial fabric protection benefits imparted to the fabrics during a first treatment operation. The fabric treatment is complete when the fabric is cured by drying and/or heating. Following use of a first treatment composition, protective benefits are maintained and restored by means of a second treatment operation employing a second treatment composition with lower active levels of the protective agents to provide for economical and continual maintenance of the imparted fabric protection benefits through a delivered second fabric treatment benefit with each subsequent treatment operation employing the fabric treatment compositions.