February is heart health month. One in three women will die of heart diseases and one in four men. Yoga can be the answer to a healthier heart but don’t forget to clean your yoga mat.
Stress increases your risk factors for heart disease. Yoga is the perfect exercise to reduce stress.
So what can you do to take better care of your heart?
Reduce your risk factors. Eat more fruits and vegetables, stop smoking, know your risk, reduce stress and be physically active. Yoga is a perfect activity to reduce stress and keep your body active.
Going regularly to yoga classes means you’ll be using your yoga mat often. Yoga mats are a magnet for germs. Research shows that yoga mats can harbor more germs than smartphones, toilets and airplane seats combined.
But how can you keep your yoga mat clean?
Wipes and sprays are expensive and don’t really work. Clean your yoga mat effectively.
Wipes and sprays are a good start but they can miss areas. UVC light can be an option but not when it can’t penetrate the pores where pathogens love to multiply.
Peace of mind is important. A clear mind starts with a clean mat. MatFresher brushes away dirt and debris, kills germs with powerful UVC light, and sprays mats with an all-natural sanitizing spray that penetrates the pores that light can’t reach. Isn’t it time to clean your yoga mat?
Does your gym or studio haveMatFresher? MatFresher is free to studios. It doesn’t add an expense and provides a new service to your clients. MatFresher costs customers less than the price of a cup of coffee and studios share in the revenue.
UV light can be effective for sanitizing yoga mats.
Sanitizing yoga mats with UV light is new. Consumers have become interested in ultraviolet light for sanitizing surfaces and objects.Research shows that UVC radiation can be highly effective at disinfecting air, water and nonporous surfaces. The effectiveness of UV light depends on the amount of light, distance from the surface, and time of exposure.
Not So Simple
It’s not so simple. The surface has to be smooth and clean of debris for UVC light to work.Dirt and hair on top of harmful bacteria can make UVC useless. Porous surfaces can block UVC from penetrating where viruses like to hide. This means that yoga mats need more than just UV light for sanitizing them.
The UV light has to be in contact with the surface for a specific amount of time to be effective. Plus, the dosage of the bulbs matters too. According to theIES Committee on Germicidal Ultraviolet light, the ultraviolet spectral band known as the “UV-C,” from 200 to 280 nanometers (nm), have been shown to be the most effective for disinfection, although longer, less energetic UV can also disinfect if applied in much greater doses.” This means that if the dose of the UV light isn’t strong enough, the duration would need to be longer.
Alternatives
There is a lot of misinformation about how to clean a yoga mat. Some have tried spraying, vacuuming, scrubbing with soap and water, soaking in the bathtub, and even using the washing machine. This can be inconvenient. Plus, they can damage the mat and they don’t really work.
MatFresher uses UV light to sanitize yoga mats.
Why MatFresher?
MatFresher is the only hands-free, multi-step solution to clean and sanitize mats. MatFresher brushes away dirt and debris, in addition to using UVC light. It completes cleaning with an all-natural sanitizing spray. Better than that, mats are automatically rolled and ready to go in 30 seconds. Contact us to learn more.
New CDC cleaning protocols ensure the safety of staff and customers and have resulted in a proliferation of vendors selling cleaning technologies with efficacy claims that are not always easy to understand.
UVC light, to eradicate pathogens on exercise and yoga mats, is one such example. Despite some companies’ claims, a couple of bulbs in their machine, no matter how expensive, does little to make studio-owned mats safe for staff to handle or for customer-owned mats to use.
MatFresher, the patent-pending mat cleaning machine, offers a number of advantages in safety, convenience and cost. Here’s a comparison of MatFresher to Matsana.
UVC Can Be Effective
First, it’s important to understand that UVC light is proven to be highly effective in sanitizing surfaces. Unfortunately, it’s not so simple as just turning on a switch. Two critical requirements are that 1) the proper amount or dosage is applied and 2) the surface is flat.
Dosage
According to international public safety and health organizations, the UVC “gold standard” to provide protection from disease-causing microorganisms is at least 40,000 microwatts per centimeter squared. Cleaning machines that output less don’t meet that standard. And they can’t be relied on to effectively remove 99.99% of bacteria and viruses — as specified by the National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF).
Not By Itself
The Center for Disease Control makes clear that UVC light is only effective where the light can penetrate. UCV light is less effective on irregular surfaces like yoga and exercise mats, where a secondary disinfectant is prudent. This is especially important with textured and open cell exercise mats – the kind designed to stop slipping and sliding when sweaty. Yoga mat cleaning machines need to provide this second modality in the form of a cleaning solution — one that is completely organic, safe for face down, costs you nothing and makes the mat smell fresh and clean. It’s the only way to penetrate below the surface, where germs like to hide and proliferate.
What About Hair and Dirt?
UV light and cleaning liquids can’t remove hair, dust and dirt. Recommendations by vendors to towel clean a mat before you use their machine seems senseless – and totally unhygienic. And what about the added expense of the wipes and towels? When selecting your cleaning machine, look for one that starts with bristle brushes, the third cleaning modality, to effectively eliminate these problems.
Sweaty, Smelly Mats
Hot yoga is popular. And mats become soaked with sweat. No wonder they emit that awful smell know as “yogaroma”! Why is it then that some vendors advise that “mat health” requires drying a mat before using their machine? Following a vendor’s instructions and manually drying a mat means that the health of the user has been forgotten.
How Much Does This Cost?
While it’s true there are vendors selling machines that don’t actually do what they advertise, it’s NOT true that well-engineered machines need to cost you money. During times like these, owner/operators can least afford to invest in cleaning products. It’s important to identify products that MAKE you money instead of cost you money while keeping staff and students safe. Contact us to learn more about MatFresher, the true mat cleaning solution.
As studios and gyms reopen their doors to students and staff, all eyes are on the cleaning measures required to bring peace of mind for all involved. With new levels of cleanliness comes heightened cost for owners/operators. Purchasing cases of wipes and disinfectant sprays is not cheap, particularly now that demand is higher than ever. Added to this, studios incur the cost of disposable masks for staff and infrared thermometers to comply with regulations. No one knows when these measures will be relaxed. Your studio needs to explore ways to boost your revenue.
Not only are there higher cost implications for your gym or studio, safety measures cost your employees more time. As you clean more diligently prior to classes and spend additional time between classes sanitizing, those additional hours clocked are adding to the cost of more cleaning supplies. A hidden cost is the staff time lost on other important activities that don’t get done because of the additional time needed for cleaning, checking temperatures, and following guidelines properly.
The good news (and yes, there is good news) is that it doesn’t have to be this way. What if new cleaning protocols could boost your revenue rather than add to expenses? That’s what we’ve done with MatFresher, the only multi-sanitizing mat cleaning machine.
New expectations
A recent survey by ClassPass indicates that some gym members expect rates to be reduced. They want lower pricing because demand decreased and their safety concerns increased.
As you know, when prices decline in one area, revenue must increase in other areas to balance your ROI impact. Studios and exercise centers should determine a course of action that makes up the deficit for pricing decreases.
Time is Money
Social distancing means fewer students in each class and fewer classes on the schedule. Some studios may opt to continue offering virtual classes for expanding capacity, but how do you ensure that your revenue increases at a time of reduced capacity? While time between classes is increased for cleaning and to reduce contact between those arriving and leaving, fewer classes means lost profits. Your exercise center deserves an opportunity to increase profitability at a time when many members hope for lower fees.
Staff will spend more time disinfecting the studio and equipment between classes, and students will spend less time in the gym before and after class. Now needed is a method of cleaning yoga mats that is quick and effective in order to maintain the flow. More than fast, mat cleaning needs to be thorough and meet safety guidelines.
The MatFresher mat cleaning machine cleans an exercise mat in about 30 seconds, destroying up to 99.99% of harmful pathogens. While using a safe, 100% all-natural solution, MatFresher enables your staff and members to practice and clean efficiently – all resulting in a more safely sanitized mat than personal disinfecting would. On top of being the most effective machine of its kind, MatFresher generates new revenue for studios and gyms. MatFresher costs your facility nothing, and your students pay individual for each mat wash. Comparable to a vending machine, you benefit monetarily from those who benefit from a safe and convenient mat cleaning solution inside your walls.
Providing Value
Becoming a MatFresher studio shows students and staff that you take sanitization seriously. It’s a smart way to stand out among other studios and gyms. Some members may look for a location with lower membership fees. However, knowing that you provide peace of mind through strong disinfectant measures may prevent them from doing so.
While saving money on cleaning supplies and machines, you’ll also save your team and students time and energy. If a machine could alleviate some of the revenue and expense challenges currently at play and boost your revenue, at no cost to your studio or exercise center, why not jump at the opportunity? Learn how MatFresher can help you increase revenue today by contacting us.
Properly disinfecting studios has always been vital, but the spotlight on cleaning measures has dramatically amplified in light of COVID-19. While many studio owners and students spend countless dollars on standard products like yoga mat wipes, spray cleaners, and even mat cleaning machines, it’s important to analyze the efficacy of these methods. As technology improves and more studies are conducted, information on various methods should be carefully evaluated before making an investment or trusting that a machine provides a true clean for your mat. MatFresher is the only multi-sanitizing mat cleaning machine. In addition to being completely free for studios, let’s examine why MatFresher’s safety measures are superior to other options.
UVC Light
A mat cleaning technique that has recently increased in conversation is using UVC light. UVC light sanitizes surfaces it contacts. But how does this technique actually disinfect? The light must reach the pathogen directly to eradicate it; if the conditions are not completely met, harmful particles remain. Because yoga and exercise mats have uncontrollable characteristics like crevices and unique materials, the effectiveness of UVC light is conditional.
Eco-friendly mats are a prime example of how UVC light affects materials differently. These mats are created with an open-cell material, providing more traction in a hot yoga environment and increased absorption for sweat particles. Unlike closed-cell mats, the overall-positive absorption capabilities of open-cell mats create a trap for bacteria, rendering UVC light insufficient. Because the light cannot reach all areas of the open-cell mat, the process of sanitization does not happen in the way that users anticipate. Unfortunately, many are unaware of this and believe that their mat is safe after a clean, while germs unknowingly linger.
Understand Your Machinery
Many machines built to clean yoga and exercise mats claim a UV dosage centered around 99% cleaning efficacy. While this number sounds harmless, a discrepancy exists. Mats that make contact with the face or hands require a level of sanitization comparable to the Environmental Protection Agency’s requirement for clean drinking water, which is 99.99% pathogen-free. The gap between 99% and 99.99% is equal to 10,000 pathogen parts per million and 100 parts per million — a significant difference as it relates to health and safety.
Mildly resistant viruses, including COVID require a UVC dose of more than 40,000 micro watts per square centimeter for eradication. Mats used in certain environments, like hot yoga studios, may require additional dosage to inactive the pathogen. Machines that use a lower UV light dosage do not meet the basic requirements for killing viruses. Similar to how flossing teeth further aids the effect of brushing in teeth-cleaning, sanitization of a mat is not complete if the light is not reaching all of the sneaky spaces in which germs reside. Owners of studios and exercise centers need this information so that students and staff are not blindly trusting in a machine that does not sanitize comprehensively.
Consider the Cost
With the cost of additional cleaning measures top of mind for every studio, boosting revenue is more important than ever. Rather than relying on mat cleaning machines that are not effective and over-spending to maintain the equipment annually, there is an option available that provides peace of mind at no cost to the facility. MatFresher, unlike hard-to-find wipes and machines with false claims, is up to 99.99% effective in killing bacteria found on mats. Additionally, the mat washing machine uses a 100% all-natural solution that is gentle on yoga mats and on human skin. Eliminating the need for numerous cleaning spray bottles, MatFresher ensures that your facility reduces waste and your carbon footprint significantly. With all of these integral benefits in mind, adding a complimentary MatFresher machine to your studio is a no-brainer.
While yoga studios prepare to re-open their doors, the MatFresher team has consulted with many on their post-Covid action plan. From these surveys, we learned that one of the highest priorities after cleanliness is ensuring the happiness of their staff. This is, of course, paired with maintaining safety for students.
We compiled a list of best practices that cultivate comfort and motivate clientele to attend a live classes. Following are four considerations that are top-of-mind within the fitness industry. Read along to ensure your studio understands how to properly clean mats and disinfect communal spaces.
1. Class capacity
Participants value the sense of community that in-class sessions provide. That’s been difficult to replicate through virtual classes. However, for most group exercise classes, the CDC guidelines mean that studios won’t immediately return to their previous capacity. Also, gyms plan to schedule fewer classes to ensure adequate time for sanitization between each session.
Studio owners plan to manage the flow of traffic in/out of the facility so that attendees are not coming into direct contact with others when arriving and leaving their in-person classes. Gone are the days of showing up for class without pre-registering. Owners anticipate that more time will be spent online by staff to ensure a smooth student registration process.
When students arrive for class, gyms say that their plan is to assign each class member a number. Corresponding with this, spaces will be mapped on the class floor with the designated numbers. Owners anticipate that this will help teachers and students remain safely distanced while practicing. Having a dedicated number and space should avoid any confusion upon entering the classroom and unnecessary contact between members.
Most studios are considering keeping virtual classes on their schedules in addition to the limited in-studio sessions. This helps accommodate members who may try to register after a class is at capacity and those who are not ready to practice with others in person. Studio and gym owners say they are taking additional steps now, like posting reopening videos, to encourage students to attend an in-person class and safely reconnect with the community.
2. Gym time
While many practitioners previously utilized a locker-room or shower after class, studios and gyms report that they will discourage or prohibit use of these shared spaces for the foreseeable future. Measures to re-open showers are unknown. Developing a plan is helpful so students can expect gradual reintroduction of your amenities.
Most studios have stated that students should leave within 15 minutes after their class. This is yet again a policy that ensures limited contact between members leaving and arriving.
Some operators anticipate that there will continue to be students who arrive early to their scheduled class. It is important to know in advance how to limit this activity. Some gyms plan to ask students to remain in their vehicles until the time of their session. At that point, students can begin to file in, while safely distanced and wearing a mask, and receive a number for their assigned station.
3. Additional Precautions – Even Post-Covid
Many studio and gym owners will require employees to wear gloves and masks for the entirety of their time on premises.
To monitor the health of your staff members, you should also take the temperature of each employee at least once daily upon their arrival. If employees begin to show any symptoms or express feeling unwell, owners anticipate sending these staff members home immediately.
For a contactless check-in experience, some studios say that no property will be rented out from the front desk, and online registration will be the sole method of class enrollment.
4. Mats or no mats – that is the question
A number of studios and gyms have stated that exercise and yoga mats will not be provided upon re-opening. Others, by contrast, say that students will no longer bring their own mats. In either case, it will be necessary to ensure a comprehensive and easy-to-use cleaning plan is in place for your property — one that doesn’t rely on expensive, hard-to-find sprays and chemical wipes alone.
MatFresher offers a convenient, safe, efficient way to sanitize mats between classes. Killing up to 99.999% of harmful bacteria viruses and fungi, using MatFresher to clean yoga mats checks all of the boxes when it comes to new cleaning protocols.
Whether your students sanitize their mats before or after class or employees are tasked with disinfecting, MatFresher removes harmful germs quickly from mats so the flow between classes remains uninterrupted. With MatFresher’s patent-pending cleaning technology you can promote happiness and peace of mind for staff and students.
And, best of all, there’s no cost for studios and gyms. MatFresher machines are provided free of charge for studios and gyms.
New normal in post-Covid yoga studios
As we adjust to a new way of exercising together, the in-person workout routine will likely look different. However, by implementing these best practices as a community, you can ensure that everyone is comfortably practicing and staying well together.
If your studio or gym is interested in learning more about how MatFresher can help your community stay healthy, contact us.
To learn more about the full survey ClassPass conducted, click here.
Now more than ever, sanitization is the top priority for gyms and studios. Hygiene is at the forefront of every employee’s and member’s mind. You are not alone in considering extensive measures to ensure safety and peace of mind for your clientele. Recent surveys indicate that students are not sure when they will feel secure returning to a live studio class. With this in mind, there is no room for returning to the previous methods of studio or yoga mat sanitization. Proactively promoting innovative, healthy, clean, and green cleaning practices is vital to retaining customers and growing check-ins.
The Old Way
Not long ago, mat cleaning was little more than a quick wipe down of a yoga mat after class – often not much more effective than shifting sweat from one place to another. As students made small talk or discussed plans for the upcoming week with a class instructor, one side of a mat typically received a haphazard cleaning, while the other side remained dirty. Even with the best intentions, any clean areas of the mat could inadvertently touch those that were still germ-ridden, and any hope of a completely sanitized mat was lost.
Whether your studio has tasked staff members with cleaning studio-owned mats or previously allowed members to bring and clean their own, the sanitization of equipment is only as effective as the effort made in doing so, and even then, effectively leaves safety up to chance.
The Problems
Along with providing sanitizer and masks to staff or students, your studio will undoubtedly stock mat cleaning sprays and wipes. While these measures may sound reassuring to members, there are three key problems at hand.
The most powerful mat cleaning products only fulfill their purpose if utilized thoroughly, and, even then, mat bacteria may linger. After precious time spent cleaning, it’s unfortunate that germs are still clinging to your yoga and exercise mats.
With wipes, sprays and mat cleaning equipment in high demand, these products will become more difficult to find and, as a result, create higher expenses for your studio. Also, with the expectation for memberships to drop due to current events, additional overhead costs are not ideal. Relying on the unpredictable availability of these supplies does not secure peace of mind among staff and studio members.
Along with the precarious supply chain, exercise mat cleaners present a significant green problem. As more yoga mat wipes and sprays are utilized, the wipes and plastic containers find their way to landfills. One way to solve this challenge is to create a DIY yoga mat cleaner and recycle your bottles. While this may seemingly slow the issue of waste, many advertised methods of DIY cleaning solutions can still contain chemicals that are harsh on an exercise mat. Store-bought cleaning solutions contain chemicals that are unhealthy for close contact by humans and can damage a mat over time.
A Comprehensive Solution
Understanding the negative effects of current yoga mat washing products and methods helps identify a healthy, clean and green solution for your studio. What if there was a system that ensures less waste, more convenience, high efficacy in killing bacteria, more health benefits, and provides a revenue-boost? What may sound too good to be true can be found in MatFresher technology.
While a plethora of products aimed at capitalizing on recent events are now available, MatFresher has been under development for nearly two years, proactively aiming to solve the sanitization problems that few previously noticed. From day one, MatFresher’s objective has been to transform the way studios and their members clean their mats. No longer must safety rely on students or staff understanding how to clean a mat properly. MatFresher provides peace of mind by cleaning mats quickly with an 99.99% effective germ killing all-natural solution. Also, MatFresher generates meaningful new revenue for your studio.
What’s Next For Your Studio
MatFresher – the mat cleaning machine
This is a turning point within the exercise industry and society as a whole. Why should your studio rely on cleaning chemicals that are not healthy for the environment, your staff and students, your yoga mats, your time, or your cleaning budget? With MatFresher, your studio community can feel confident practicing together safely with sanitized mats. Studios will enact new safety measures that limit a member’s time within the studio between classes. MatFresher provides an effective, fast and convenient way for mat washing that doesn’t disturb the flow of classes.
Never has there been as much pressure or responsibility on studio owners to get sanitization right. Let MatFresher lift the cleanliness burden cleanliness by creating a healthy, clean and green studio environment. Learn more about the revolutionary yoga mat cleaning machine.
