🧼 Clean by Design: Soft-Seating that Works Hard in Public Spaces

It’s no secret that the world looks a little different since 2020—and so do our public spaces. From airports to campus lounges, to museum lobbies and student centers, people are a lot more tuned in to cleanliness these days. And that’s not a bad thing.

In high-traffic spaces, soft seating needs to look great but also be designed for easy maintenance and hygiene. That means thinking about materials, construction, and even product design in new ways. Here’s how Flexxform furniture helps keep public spaces both beautiful and clean:

✨ Coated Fabrics: The MVP of Cleanable Upholstery

If easy cleaning is a top priority, coated fabrics are your best friend. Options like:

• Vinyl

• Silicone

• Polyurethane

  
  

are naturally moisture-resistant and can withstand frequent cleaning with disinfectants—perfect for healthcare, airports, schools, and more. These materials create a barrier that prevents spills and germs from soaking in, making wipe-downs quick and effective.

At Flexxform, we offer various vinyl, silicones, and polyurethanes across all our lounge seating, ottomans, and benches. This allows designers and facility managers to choose the right look while ensuring the seating stays cleanable.

🪑 Woven Fabrics That Work, Too

But what if you want the cozy texture of a woven fabric? You’re not out of luck. Many modern woven textiles are engineered for cleanability. Crypton® upholstery is a great example—it offers the soft feel of a woven fabric, but with built-in stain resistance, moisture barrier, and antimicrobial properties.

Crypton fabrics are ideal for spaces where designers want a warmer, residential vibe but still need the performance of contract-grade materials. Flexxform offers many products that work beautifully with Crypton and similar performance fabrics.

🛠️ Built for Cleanability

It’s not just about fabric choice. The way soft-seating is constructed also matters:

• Tight upholstery (no loose cushions) minimizes spots where crumbs and debris can collect.

• Seam placement and sewing techniques reduce crevices that are hard to reach.

• Raised legs make it easy to clean floors beneath the furniture, especially important for janitorial teams.

  
  

Collections like our Box Modular, Ivy Modular, Ace Tables, and many others are built with these principles in mind.

🚿 Design for Today’s Expectations

In a post-pandemic world, patrons expect visible cues that their environment is clean and hygienic. Choosing soft-seating that looks fresh, sleek, and easy to maintain builds confidence and helps people feel comfortable lingering in public spaces again.

Whether it’s a bustling airport terminal or a quiet library corner, Flexxform’s soft-seating collections are designed to be clean and designed to be used, loved, and enjoyed every day.