Buzz
You’ve likely come across Crypton Super Fabrics without even realizing it. This innovative material is widely used by major brands such as Marriot, Hilton, Carnival Cruise Line, Disney, and McDonald's.
Photo Courtesy of Crypton, Inc.Today, consumers are increasingly mindful of the materials used in the products they purchase. While avoiding harmful substances like lead and toxic VOCs is a given, some innovations go beyond the basics. Fabric, for instance, is integral to our everyday lives—whether it’s the furniture you’re seated on or the clothes you’re wearing. However, traditional fabrics often fall short due to their susceptibility to damage from stains, mildew, pests, and bacteria, which can affect everything from sofas to drapes.
In the past, issues like stained furniture, damp outdoor cushions, and unsanitary placemats were unavoidable. Enter Crypton Super Fabrics, a revolutionary solution to these everyday frustrations. Founded in 1993 by Craig and Randy Rubin of Michigan, this advanced fabric has since gained global recognition, with over 60 million yards installed in prestigious locations such as the White House and Buckingham Palace [source: Crypton].
Initially, Crypton Super Fabrics found their niche in hospitals, hotels, and restaurants, but their use in residential settings is now on the rise. To determine if this cutting-edge material is right for your home, let’s delve deeper into the claims made in their numerous U.S. and international patents.
- Water resistant: Crypton Super Fabric’s primary feature is its ability to repel moisture while maintaining breathability. The moisture barrier is embedded directly into the fabric fibers, ensuring long-lasting protection that won’t degrade over time, even with frequent use or cleaning.
- Stain resistant: Thanks to its impermeable surface, Crypton fabrics effectively prevent stains from setting in. Spills remain on the surface, making them easy to wipe away. A unique liquid treatment applied during manufacturing further enhances stain and microbe resistance, allowing for thorough cleaning without the risk of soapy water seeping into the fabric.
- Microbe resistant: Crypton Super Fabrics also inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. This resistance is built into the fabric during production, and Crypton offers a specialized disinfectant to further reduce the risk of microbial growth. We’ll explore this in more detail shortly.
How does this fabric achieve such impressive features? Learn more on the following page.
Crypton Fabric: The Methods
Crypton Super Fabrics are available in a diverse range of textures, styles, and colors.
Photo Courtesy of Crypton, Inc.Every inch of Crypton Super Fabrics undergoes specialized processing to achieve the remarkable properties discussed earlier. This involves coating the fabric with a unique blend of materials, developed and refined over years by the Rubins, in collaboration with experts in textile engineering and chemistry.
The manufacturing process takes place at the company’s facility in Kings Mountain, N.C. To prevent the plastic-like texture often associated with water-repellent materials such as vinyl, the fabric undergoes multiple treatments with a water-based solution. This solution includes key components like antimicrobial agents, which eliminate and inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses, mold, mildew, and algae, as well as fluorochemicals (similar to Scotchgard and Teflon but with a unique formulation) that enhance water and stain resistance. Additional ingredients in the treatment may consist of:
- thickeners to maintain the ideal consistency for even fiber coating
- UV stabilizers to ensure fade resistance for at least two years, particularly for Crypton’s outdoor fabrics
- flame retardants to reduce flammability
- resins to strengthen the molecular bonds of the treatment
- additional additives like dyes and pigments for vibrant coloration
Once the treatment thoroughly saturates the fabric, it is dried and cured at high temperatures, after which it can be printed with various patterns. The Crypton process is compatible with a range of fabrics, including cotton, linen, silk, wool, acrylic, rayon, and polyester, ensuring versatility across product lines.
After rigorous inspection and testing, Crypton Super Fabrics leave the factory ready to face real-world challenges. Whether in homes, restaurants, hotels, or hospitals, spills and stains are inevitable. On the next page, we’ll explore the specialized disinfectants, deodorizers, and stain removers Crypton has developed to maintain the cleanliness and freshness of their fabrics.
Crypton is actively pursuing initiatives to enhance the eco-friendliness of their products. Their primary focus is on creating durable, long-lasting items that reduce the need for frequent replacements. They meticulously select chemical ingredients and fibers for production, prioritizing those that are environmentally sustainable and safe for people, including a portion of recycled materials. The manufacturing process is also optimized to minimize energy consumption and pollution. For those passionate about sustainability, the Crypton Green product line is the ideal choice.
Using Crypton Super Fabrics
This residential cleaning kit, part of Crypton’s range of cleaners, disinfectants, and deodorizers, is specifically designed for their fabrics but is also effective on other materials and surfaces.
Photo courtesy of Crypton, Inc.Now that we’ve explored how this highly durable fabric is made, let’s see how it performs in real-world scenarios.
While Crypton excels at repelling water and stains, some spills may require more than a simple wipe. For such situations, Crypton offers a specialized line of cleaners tailored for their fabrics, though they also work effectively on conventional fabrics.
One of their stain removers, Gold, effectively tackles stains from substances like beer, blood, coffee, soda, mildew, milk, ketchup, or vomit. Another variant, Purple, is ideal for removing cosmetics, grease, ink, crayon, nail polish, oil, or mustard. Additionally, the company provides a disinfectant and deodorizer capable of eliminating a wide range of harmful microorganisms, making these products highly sought after in settings like hotels and hospitals. The disinfectant targets E. coli, hepatitis, salmonella, HIV, influenza, staphylococci such as MRSA and VRSA, herpes simplex 1 and 2, mold, mildew, streptococcus, parvovirus, and canine distemper, among others. As the first fabric certified by the EPA as disinfectable, it’s clear why odor resistance is just one of Crypton’s many advantages.
Creating a disinfectant for Crypton Super Fabrics was no small feat. The challenge arose from its widespread use in healthcare and hospitality industries, where many disinfectants can corrode fabrics and damage the protective liquid barrier. However, a key advantage is that Crypton fabric prevents harmful microorganisms from penetrating through to the other side. For instance, once an effective disinfectant was developed, Crypton mattress covers could ensure that contaminants remain on the surface, ready to be sanitized, without reaching the mattress itself.
What products can you purchase made with Crypton Fabrics? Beyond the fabric itself, you can find items like pet beds and accessories, children’s chairs, quilts, bags, luggage, sofas, pillows, outdoor furniture, armchairs, rocking chairs, and ottomans, among many others. Crypton offers a range of designer collections available online through their website and various retail distributors.
Proceed to the next page for links to more fascinating information on cleaning, harmful microorganisms, and kryptonite.
