Home COVID-19 Two Large Mattress Makers Incorporate Anti-viral, Anti-microbial, Anti-bacterial Properties

Two Large Mattress Makers Incorporate Anti-viral, Anti-microbial, Anti-bacterial Properties

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Corsicana Mattress Co.

NATIONAL REPORT—As concern about COVID-19 has skyrocketed, so too has interest in wellness and one of the places that interest has been focused is the guestroom—specifically the mattress. Any company today must be careful about its anti-viral/anti-bacterial/anti-microbial claims but at least two mattress companies are offering options that include at least one or more of the above “anti” properties.

The first company, Corsicana Mattress Co., is offering its Copper ProTech collection to the hospitality market. Corsicana, one of the top few mattress makers in the United States, has nine mattresses and a topper engineered with copper-infused foam. The copper included in the foam is regarded as having anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and cooling properties for a comfortable night sleep.

Rebecca Hewitt, VP of Business Development of Hospitality, Corsicana, says the company launched its Copper ProTech line in late 2018/early 2019. “It is a reactive type of memory foam,” Hewitt says. “We like the health benefits. It draws the heat from the body and is odor resistant.” She adds that unlike some mattresses that promise similar benefits, the positive impact of the copper does not wear off.

“Corsicana offers every mattress height anyone would want in a hotel,” Hewitt says. “We are also doing toppers with two inches of copper foam. All wood is from renewable forests. Everything is recyclable and the line carries the CertiPUR-US seal.” That seal guarantees the foams are made without ozone depleters, PBDEs, TDCPP or TCEP (“Tris”) flame retardants, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, formaldehyde, phthalates, and have low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions for indoor air quality (less than 0.5 parts per million).

To ensure the carbon footprint of each mattress is as small as possible, Corsicana has 10 company-owned factories across the United States. “We make every product in every factory,” Hewitt says.

Hewitt says her company’s customer base in hospitality is continually growing. “Every brand is amazed at our pricing,” she says. “They can buy something with copper that will still save them money. Independent hotels love it. Even budget hotels are buying these.”

For those hotels looking for a way to market their new Copper ProTech mattresses, Corsicana offers marketing collateral such as bed cards, elevator signage, and lobby signage.

Serta Simmons Offers Anti-Viral Option

Last July, Serta Simmons Bedding (SSB) announced that it had partnered with Switzerland-based HeiQ Group, a leader in textile innovation, to create the U.S. market’s first antiviral mattress. SSB has recently been promoting the mattress in national trade publications.

The agreement gives SSB exclusive access within the U.S. bedding category to HeiQ Viroblock technology, which has previously been approved by the European Medical Device Directive for antiviral use in medical personal protective equipment such as N95 equivalent masks, and registered as an antiviral active by the German EPA. HeiQ Viroblock has been independently tested as 99.99 percent effective in 30 minutes against SARS-CoV-2 by a leading Australian infection and immunity research institute.

“We know that our partners in the hospitality and healthcare industries are doing everything they can to help provide the cleanest environment and reassure their guests,” said David Swift, Chairman and CEO of Serta Simmons Bedding, in the July press release announcement. “Antiviral and antibacterial mattresses will be an enormous asset in that effort.”

Last summer, SSB said it had already received early interest to acquire HeiQ Viroblock-treated mattresses from several of the world’s largest hotel brands to bolster cleanliness and safety initiatives. Elie Khoury, EVP operations resources at Aimbridge Hospitality, a global leader in hotel management services said, “As the largest third-party manager we are proactively searching for the best opportunities to add value for our owners and enhance the experience for our guests.”

Here’s why HeiQ Viroblock represents such a breakthrough for the mattress industry: Virus particles and bacteria are invisible to the human eye (SARS-CoV-2 is only 90 nanometers large) and they easily pass through sheets. They can persist and stay infectious for days on textiles, such as traditional mattresses. HeiQ’s Viroblock technology solves that problem by using microsilver technology that attracts virus particles, combined with vesicle technology that breaks down the viral membrane within seconds. Tests conducted at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity showed that COVID-19-causing virus samples concentrated on fabric treated with HeiQ Viroblock were 99.99 percent reduced.

In accelerated aging tests, textiles infused with HeiQ Viroblock demonstrated the ability to retain their antiviral qualities for three years, and antibacterial qualities for 20 years.

SSB has been active in the fight against COVID-19 in other ways as well. Last March, it announced it was donating 10,000 mattresses to hospitals in areas hard hit by the pandemic. A few weeks later it launched a platform in conjunction with Relief Bed International to facilitate further donations.

Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

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