Medical Clinic Upholstery: Germ, Stain, Blood Proof, And Bleachable

Medical clinics are not your typical professional environment. They have to be capable of serving so many potentially conflicting needs. They need to offer welcome and comfort when you walk in the door. That same sense of comfort needs to find its way to the exam rooms where it also requires exuding a particular sense of professionalism and “we got you covered” confidence. 

All while managing the potential hazards along the way that need to be cleaned up and addressed quickly and unexpectedly.

With all of the unique demands placed on medical clinics, it’s important to choose the right upholstery. Happily, we live in an age when there are options capable of rising to all those unique demands. Today we’ll look at upholstery that will bring the germ-proof, stain-proof, blood-proof, and bleachability you need. And the style and comfort you want.

What To Keep In Mind When Choosing Your Medical Clinic Upholstery

There are a few things that make good upholstery material for a medical clinic. First and foremost, you need something that cleans easily and is able to handle repeated disinfecting with bleach or other harsh cleaners. 

Second, the upholstery material should be durable. Medical clinics are high-traffic areas, and your upholstery fabric needs to be able to stand up to wear and tear without showing the wear and tear over time.

Third, comfort — for both patients and staff. Patients will likely spend a lot of time sitting in waiting and exam rooms, and you want that to be as pleasant an experience as possible. Staff will also spend a lot of time sitting or standing in the clinic, and you want them to be comfortable.

Finally, the upholstery should be stylish — your kind of stylish. Yes, medical clinics are often busy and chaotic places. But you’re more than clean, sterile efficiency. You’ve got a vibe, and you want the upholstery to help create an environment that matches that vibe. 

Your Best Upholstery Bets Up To The Challenges Of Medical Clinics

Time to get to know upholstery choices that check all the medical clinic needs boxes: vinyl, faux leather (including recycled leather), and Crypton fabrics. 

Vinyl

Long the go-to for demanding environments like restaurants, marine upholstery, and the medical industry, vinyl’s indisputable strength lives in its impermeability. Dirt, germs, mildew, liquids — blood or otherwise — and other substances simply can’t make their way into the fabric. So cleanup is as easy as vacuuming and wiping. Done and done. 

Plus, vinyl consists of a layer of synthetic material on a fabric backing. Translation: it’s super resistant to punctures and tears. And, yes, it can be wiped down with harsh cleaners without damaging the material. 

Faux Leather

But wait, there’s more. There’s the fun of faux leather. Vinyl faux leather is essentially vinyl textured for a leather look and vibe, so it’s easy to clean, disinfect, and highly resistant to wear and tear. 

And there’s recycled leather. Literally made from discarded bits from the leather manufacturing process crushed into powder, mixed with latex, and pressed into leather sheets. The result is a softer leather feel with low maintenance and high performance strongly akin to vinyl. 

Crypton Fabrics

You’re not limited to vinyl or leather feels. Remember how so much of the magic of vinyl lies in its impermeability. The folks behind Crypton fabrics seem to have asked themselves, “Why should they have all the fun?” The individual fabric fibers are themselves constructed with Crypton built-in — bye-bye limitations of old-school external protection treatments. 

The result is fabrics that breathe with fibers that are locked up tight. So when messes occur and appear to get into a woven fabric, they’re easily cleaned because bacteria, stains, and more simply can’t get into the fibers or otherwise damage the upholstery.

Choosing The Right Fabrics For Your Clinic’s Style, Vibe, And Needs

Now it’s time to choose the right upholstery for you. Let’s take a stroll through a typical clinic and talk about which of the options might be useful in which places.

Your patients walk through the door and to the reception desk. How are they feeling? The spectrum ranges from mildly nervous to totally freaked out. So this is a place for softness. And softness is where Crypton shines.

Try outfitting your chairs in bacteria, mildew, and fade-resistant tweed. Go with a color like a calming lilac to lighten the space and truly welcome folks in. Mix it up with a few sofas sporting a soft and inviting eco-friendly, performance-grade velvet in an uplifting sea glass color. 

Colors and textures will go a long way to helping lower the stress of your patients as they scroll their phones or thumb through magazines. And the durability and easy maintenance of the Crypton fabrics go a long way to saving your staff time and stress when it’s time to clean up at the day’s end.

Oh good. They’re calling our name. Let’s head to the back. First, we’ll pass by a clinical staff member’s desk or two. Build on the calming theme with a bit of a vibrant and uplifting style shift in your desk chair upholstery. Maybe an energizing spa blue chenille fabric that’s — you guessed it — performance grade. 

And onto the main event: the exam or treatment rooms. Here the needs diversify a bit. While the exam itself might not always be 100% comfortable, the exam table can be. Time to let vinyl or vinyl faux leather really shine. Try a leather-grained vinyl in a confidence-inspiring deep indigo blue. It’s a win for the patient and — with its easy-to-clean and sanitize durability — a win for you and your staff.

Continue some more of the waiting room comforts with chairs dressed in a playfully patterned grey and cream-colored jacquard Crypton fabric. Again, all the stain and germ resistance you need plus a little added soothing for your patient’s friend or family won’t hurt the healing.

As for your stool or chair, treat yourself to some recycled leather. Durable enough for the moderate risks it might encounter, but still bringing the elegance, softness, and reassuring confidence that leather exudes. Try a stately and elevated burgundy-colored recycled leather, and sit in style.

Key Takeaways On Your Way To The Perfect Medical Office Upholstery

Yes, medical clinics have unique and challenging needs. But today’s upholstery options are up to the task. The key things to remember are:

For maximum stain protection and full-on bleachability, vinyl and/or vinyl faux leather will absolutely get the job done. 

For an elevated sense of style and gravitas, recycled leather offers the lushness of leather with much of the durability of vinyl. 

And finally, to calm, welcome, and reassure, Crypton fabrics have you covered with enough textures and colors to suit the vibe you want your patients to feel when they step inside. 

There’s no need to choose between delivering warmth and calm or cleanliness and sterility. And we’re here to help prescribe the perfect fabric solution to whatever design dilemma ails you (see what we did there?). Give us a call today.