SleepAngel’s bedding products have hygiene top of the list. Sven Jürisoo tells Richard Humphreys how the company’s solutions can be used in the cruise and hospitality industries.

SleepAngel is a company based in Estonia that manufactures and supplies bedding products for the healthcare sectors in 40 countries.

The company is now turning its attention to the hospitality and cruise industries.

“The core of SleepAngel’s product line is clinically tested and patent protected medical barrier bedding innovation,” says Sven Jürisoo, CEO and founder of SleepAngel. “It is a combination of innovations originally created to stop cross-infection in medical industry,
now adapted with comfort features to fit the needs of hospitality and cruise ship industries.

“The problem we want to solve is that pillows, bedding and outdoor soft surfaces are the often overlooked source of contamination, not just for allergens and bed bugs, but also for superbugs, viruses, mould and pathogens. These can enter regular bedding products through stitching holes and zips and multiply due to moist and warm conditions.”

In addition, Jürisoo adds that they also act as spreaders because approximately two litres of humid air, contaminated with microorganisms carried in droplet suspension, are aerosolised into the environment every time a person’s head is placed on the pillow.

“Traditional bedding therefore acts both as a reservoir, but also exposes each new bedding user to whatever previous users have left behind. Just changing the covers is not enough, very often even washing the bedding is not enough,” says Jürisoo.

The solution from SleepAngel is a CE- marked PneumaPure barrier bedding, which is effective against viruses, pathogens, bedbugs and dust mites, as well as humidity and bodily fluids. As the cruise and hospitality sectors step into the post-Covid-19 world, or the ‘new normal’, they will be looking to prioritise and showcase their cleanliness.

“Achieving an as-new sleeping environment in multi-use beds can be difficult, as bedding breathes the same as we do and would require thorough washing and vacuuming, that is neither sustainable nor 100 per cent achievable,” says Jürisoo. SleepAngel’s barrier bedding comes with a ‘built-in mask’ – the PneumaPure filter – that ensures that bedding products stay clean.

“The cover material, welded seams and ventilating PneumaPure filter are all an effective barrier to allergens, pathogens, viruses and liquids, and it assures that allergens, pathogens, viruses and dust mites stay on the cover of the product, where they can be removed with standard cleaning procedures,” says Jürisoo. “For a cruise ship, this means that the cost for additional bedding laundry cost is eliminated – just wipe down the surface before changing the cover and it’s ready for the next customer. It is also equally important for crew to be protected as they are the most likely to be exposed to the risk of infection by contaminated bedding.

“In addition to added sustainability – no machine wash, transport, or longer utilisation time – SleepAngel filtered bedding is also safe for people with dust mite allergies and asthma.”

SleepAngel’s product technology is unique, and patent protected. Jürisoo says it can take the cruise ship hygiene standards to a higher level as well as acting as an additional value for passengers,
who are demanding more information on measures taken to improve their safety.

“Cruise lines operate in a very demanding area with utmost demands for hygiene,” says Jürisoo. “SleepAngel barrier bedding changes the cleaning procedures fundamentally – providing passengers with comfort and a healthy and clean environment, while also adding another controllable variable to the equation to secure overall hygiene standards on the vessel. In addition to in-room bedding – such as pillows, mattresses and duvets – we can also offer medical bedding products for healthcare rooms.

“As an additional feature, our R&D department, headed by Lyane Lind, has started cooperation with Tallinn Technical University to test PneumaPure filtered bedding for outdoor purposes to enable cruise lines to provide safe, comfortable and clean relaxation spaces on outer decks.”

Read the full Cruise & Ferry Review Autumn/Winter publication: LINK