HYDERABAD: With the onset of Covid-19, and the focus on health on one hand and the increased use of home furnishing with more time spent at home, on the other, has positioned us on another pivotal juncture. As it is, today health experiences will be in demand, and conversely all experiences will be viewed through a health lens. Home fabrics will be no different. One may ponder the relation between textiles and health. Textiles provide a large hosting surface for bacteria and viruses that allow them to remain active from days to months. This makes them not only an unsafe surface, but also a source of contagion.
Nikita Desai, Vice President - Strategy and Business Excellence, D’Decor, writes, “But what if the fabric you wear, or the fabric you sleep on has the capability to combat viruses such as the coronavirus, influenza and swine flu? Technology has been constantly terraforming the textile landscaping allowing D’Decor to bring flame retardant, water repellent, and stain resistant and spill proof fabrics to Indian consumers, without compromising on the promise of aesthetic beauty. And in the current environment, we find it incumbent on us, to see that our fabrics provide our customers with as complete a solution for a safe home environment as possible.
The textile industry across the globe is witnessing rapid advancement to cater to this demand. Scientists and technologists are working together to develop ‘smart fabrics’ that will not just create beautiful spaces at home but have the functional properties of being antiviral, antibacterial and even air purifying.
Such ground-breaking technologies are nurturing new commercial partnerships that will enhance the common fabric to provide a solution that is not just visually appealing but comes with a scientific assurance of a healthier world.
One such partnership can be seen between D’Decor Home Fabrics and HieQ, a Swiss textile innovation company. Recently, HeiQ has launched HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03. It is an antiviral and antibacterial textile treatment – a unique combination of silver and vesicle technologies designed to significantly reduce viral and bacterial infectivity on treated surfaces. The Viroblock is suitable for all fiber types, from medical nonwovens to fabrics for clothing and home textiles and can last at least 30 gentle washes. Homes, like any other high contact environment, can be fraught with unhygienic and disease spreading agents like microbes, viruses and volatile organic compounds of all kinds.
However, if it is not visible to the naked eye, then it is non-existing in the minds of the consumers. Drawing parallels from the water purifier industry, the category has shifted from being a luxury to a necessity in the upper middle class houses at least. Clean water meant pure water, however with rise in diseases, water purifiers could find a place in Indian kitchens. For home textiles, the current pandemic has provided the context in an already increasingly health conscious world, that will shorten the cycle and see acceptance from consumers.