Health and wellness have come to the forefront of everyone's mind. After spending weeks in quarantine, we cautiously emerge with a greater appreciation of our personal health. We have heightened concern about the wellness of our overall community. As a result, we return to work with new safety protocols in place and maintain a safe, social distance.

As we design new spaces, we are paying closer attention to the materials we choose. Leather has been used for centuries and is known for its durability and longevity. With the new challenges we face today, leather continues to be a viable option that contributes to health and wellness.

Pearlessence leather at Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida

Defend Your Health with Anti-Bacterial Protection

Many of our leather collections, including all of those with the LeatherShield designation, inherently inhibit the growth of bacteria. An independent, third party laboratory tested 19 of our leather collections using two separate methods to measure bacterial growth. All 19 collections showed no zone of inhibition after 24 hours, thus meeting the requirements of these stringent tests. Most importantly, the products passed without requiring any additional treatment. What does that mean for you and your client? It means by choosing leather, your client will have added protection against bacterial growth with no added chemicals or additional costs.

Safe and Easy Maintenance

You may be wondering, anti-bacterial protection is good, but what about protection from potentially dangerous viruses? That is a great question. According to the CDC, the best way to protect yourself against viruses, including COVID-19, is by regularly washing your hands with soap and water. What is the best way to clean our semi-aniline leathers? A simple solution of clean, lukewarm water and mild Ivory soap.

Bleach or alcohol are typically used to sanitize surfaces and kill potential viruses. However, these two products are not friendly to many textiles, including leather. If the person cleaning does not neutralize the surfaces by wiping them down with water after using bleach or alcohol solutions, these harsh chemicals will eventually degrade even vinyl surfaces. In addition, using bleach has been known to cause skin irritation as well as other health concerns. It is time we move away from harsh chemicals and get back-to-basics with safe cleaning methods.

Torino Claret on a private yacht

Worry-Free Waterproof Finish

Our LeatherShield products have water and stain resistance. In addition, our Torino collection has a full waterproof finish. You may keep your leather surfaces clean, worry-free, with regular cleaning, without harming the integrity of the leather.

Peace of Mind with UV Protection

Another popular method for killing viruses on surfaces is using UV light. Hospitals and healthcare facilities often use UV lighting to disinfect their equipment. Your clients may consider using this effective approach for leather surfaces as well. Our LeatherShield products have UV protection, which means the color will not fade under UV light. Like anti-bacterial protection, UV protection is inherent to the leather and does not require any additional treatment or costs. Your clients will be able to disinfect their leather surfaces with peace of mind, knowing that the leather will not fade or discolor.

Shagarrett Mineral at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Chicago, Illinois.

Designed by White Space Interiors

Extra Security with Seamless, Sleek Surfaces

Our extra large hide sizes provide superior cutting yields with fewer imperfections. What does this have to do with health and wellness? Higher cutting yields allows you to get larger single cut pieces for sleek, seamless furniture. No seams means no stitching holes where germs can enter. Good for the Environment Too Leather contributes to our health and wellness in our immediate surroundings. In addition, it is beneficial to the larger environment. Learn more about how using our leather is good for the environment, which in turn, benefits the health and wellness of all of us and future generations as well.