Easy Clean Seating (Inside)

As the hospitality industry emerges from lockdown, increased food hygiene levels and cleanliness are imperative to ensure the safety of everybody. In addition to strict measures already set by the Food Standards Agency and online reviews there will be extensive safety checklists for hospitality business owners as they open their doors again on the 4^th July. The checklist criteria will range from limiting numbers of customers and spacing out tables, to swapping laminated menus to single use paper menus.

Hygiene experts Food Alert have been advising operators to concentrate on cleaning constant touch points such as door handles, outdoor benches, tables, chairs and bar surfaces. Other less obvious areas, that in the past were overlooked, such as the underneath of seats where you place your hands to pull a chair in should also be regularly cleaned. Client Services Director, John Haswell of Food Alert advised:

“Operators also need to consider swapping soft furnishings for easy to clean furniture, which will remove an element of comfort but make cleaning more effective and quicker”

In this article we look at Café Reality’s top 10 easy clean seating solutions for the interior of eateries.

1. The Rosie Leather Dining Chair

One of our most popular indoor chairs is the Rosie leather dining chair which is available in brown, black, red, grey and cream faux leather vinyls with solid beech leg construction in either dark wood (wenge) or natural oak.

The Rosie chairs are great for bars and restaurants and are extremely easy to clean and maintain. 

We put the Rosie chair to the test and made our own ‘Rosie Chair vs Ketchup’ video showing how easy it is to clean after being covered in ketchup and being wiped down with an anti-bacterial wet spray. 

2. The Melo Industrial Look Side Chair

The Melo chair is a no nonsense, easy clean contender and will fit in to any industrial style café or bar.

It has a ply seat and back riveted on to a fully welded steel frame with visible weld marks, enhancing its unapologetic hardy characteristics.

The steel frame can be powder coated and the wooden seat can be finished in any standard stain so you can tailor this café chair to your surroundings.

3. Foxtrot Designer Poly Chairs (Polypropylene Chairs)

Its easy to see why Polypropylene chairs are popular within the food and drink industry as at first glance these types of chairs are interestingly shaped and ‘pop’ with bright colours. As you take a second look or sit on the multipurpose chair you’ll know that it’s ergonomically shaped, comfortable and lightweight.

The other positive factors you may or may not be aware of is that that Polypropylene chairs (or put simply Poly Chairs) are easily washable and are anti-bacterial. Another one of our favorite things about Polypropylene is that it can be recycled several times. Recycling polypropylene helps keep this ‘good guy’ out of landfill to live another life as storage containers, cutting boards, car parts and floating ropes.

So, if you are looking for easy clean chairs why not consider one of the most versatile multi-tasking materials on the planet!

4. Tritium faux leather tub chairs and sofas

The Tritium faux leather tub chair and sofa is one of our most popular anti-bacterial indoor soft seating solutions. They are very well made and are exceptional value when comparing them to similar tub chairs and sofas on the market.

Their popularity may be down to the choice of nine vibrant colours such as lime green, navy blue, orange and yellow.

We have supplied many organistaions (case study) who have matched the Tritium tub chairs and sofas to their branding and logo and have mixed them up for a more playful effect. 

The matching Tritium coffee table is also available with an easy clean beech laminate top, making these a strong contender for the antibacterial soft seating category.

5. Low stools, cubes and placers 

With a new focus on flexibility and reconfiguration of furniture we could see a rise in the number of cube stools as they can easily be moved and cleaned. One of the most popular cubes is the Mojo round stool or Mojo Cubes. They can be upholstered in fabric, anti-bacterial vinyl or leather – ideal materials for easy cleaning.

We have recently updated our Band 2 colour option to feature Vita Antibacterial Vinyl which is a ‘leather look’ vinyl with a subtle surface grain effect. It is used for heavy-duty end-use areas such as bars, nightclubs, universities, healthcare and public transport. It also benefits from a modified durable topcoat, which offers improved resistance to alcohol cleaners and disinfectants.  

Another popular easy clean material is Just Colour (Crib 5) vinyl by Chieftain fabrics a suitable fabric for all seating applications from schools to speed boats, and operating theatres to opera houses. It has been independently tested at reducing the spread of MRSA, E.coli and other similar bacteria and fungi. It also has a Tropical Test / Jungle test certificate meaning it is a suitable upholstery in extreme weather conditions, making it a great choice for outdoor seating as well as frequently used indoor settings.

6. Dining Sets

We know that many of our Café Reality customers are increasingly busy making vital preparations to make their workplace Covid – 19 secure before they reopen. In order to simplify things for our customers we offer bistro sets combining tables and chairs which often reach a better price point than buying café tables and café chairs individually.

Our Marland Dining and Rebecca Dining sets are extremely good choices for those wanting an all in one seating solution without having to mix and match separate dining tables and chairs. These dining sets have proven popular with our customers who often comment how aesthetically pleasing they are whilst providing the high levels of comfort.

The Conversa High Table and stool bundle has an appealing minimalistic look and feel whilst retaining a highly practical and functional electrical socket strip for charging electronic tablets and mobile phones. The stool seats are sculpted with a low backrest and a footing. The Conversa High Table and stool bundle is easy to clean and assists in creating a welcoming area for customers or staff.

7. Copper style chairs

Did you know that the Coronavirus can survive on glass and stainless steel but dies within a few hours on copper? Copper has a free electron which takes part in oxidation-reduction reactions which becomes a molecular oxygen grenade, successfully destroying Pathogens on its surface. Copper’s use within health care facilities, equipment and public spaces is therefore anticipated to be on the rise. We may over time see more copper surfaces or fixtures and fittings such as door handles and coat hooks in pubs and restaurants.

The Tolix range of chairs, stools and low stools have always been popular as they add a vintage charm to any space. Please note that these chairs are made of steel and are given a copper effect look, so they would not be as effective in fighting bacteria and other harmful Pathogens as copper itself. They would however compliment any interior scheme which is utilizing copper as a safeguard against transmission and infection

8. Bench Dining Sets

Bench Dining Sets have been popular in commercial settings since being pioneered by the popular Japanese food chain Wagamama. Bench sets are popular not only because of the social aspect which may be slightly challenged now, but also because of how easy they are to clean and maintain.  The linear lines and smooth surfaces of the one-piece bench seat make cleaning a breeze compared to individual chairs and tables. Our Benny Bench dining set is available in a number of sizes with chunky 40mm tops and attractive ply edging supported on a simplistic frame structure in a number of carefully chosen RAL colours.