yoga mat cleaning Archives

Yoga Mat Cleaning Machine Mitigates COVID Spend

Cleanliness and sanitization is a top priority for every business. Gyms and fitness studios are no exception. Yoga mats are a magnet for germs and it’s important to clean the yoga mats in your studio. Many offered tea tree oil, sprays, or wipes to students on a minimal basis pre-COVID. But, these times have pushed owners/operators to adopt new CDC cleaning protocols and in some industries, these charges have been passed onto the consumer. It is common now for restaurants to charge customers an extra 3-5% surcharge to make up for lost revenues. When every dollar matters, one way to help improve cleanliness and add to the bottom line is with MatFresher, the yoga mat cleaning machine.

time is money

Installing a MatFresher yoga mat cleaning machine in your studio can help you sanitize yoga mats and increase revenues. The best part is that MatFresher is free. Here’s how you can influence your students to use MatFresher.

Here are four ways to keep cleaning expenses down and get your students to use MatFresher, the yoga mat cleaning machine.

Make clean mats mandatory. Many students have a relationship with their yoga mat. It’s loved and cherished but who knows where it’s been? Ask students to clean their outside mats right when they enter the studio. This will create a new check-in ritual and help keep your yoga studio germ-free. Have students who rent mats clean it at the MatFresher to show others how easy it is to use.
Make a partner pledge. Ask students to do their share in keeping the studio open and safe by asking them to pledge a clean mat after every class… or at the very least once a week. Have them sign a board that they’ve cleaned their mat and raffle off a free class or yoga mat to the person with the most cleans in a month.
Show and tell. You may not feel comfortable mandating people to clean their mats, but you can show them how to use the MatFresher. Simply designate certain desk, instructors or ambassadors to bring one student to the MatFresher machine after each class. People follow others when they see something going on Plus the first few cleans are free for everyone.
Tell them all about it. You have many ways to reach your customers. Social media, newsletters, and word of mouth are some. Make sure you are getting the message out about having a MatFresher in your studio. If they don’t know about it, how can they know to use it. You know best what works for your clients.

The MatFresher yoga mat cleaning machine, holding an automatically-rolled exercise mat in its chamber.

MatFresher is a new tool to clean and sanitize your yoga mats for free. In fact, using MatFresher in your studio helps increase your bottom line. Your studio earns money for every clean yoga mat sanitized with MatFresher,

Clean Your Yoga Mat = Heart Healthy Good Habits

Posted on by Andrea Metcalf

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 have MatFresher? 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.

Share the Love with your Clients with Complimentary Yoga Mat Cleaning

Posted on by Andrea Metcalf

February is here and Valentine’s Day is coming – the day when lovers and loved ones express affection with greetings, cards, and chocolates. Around the country, exercise enthusiasts are returning indoors to workout and enjoy fitness classes. It’s time to show your members the “love”. MatFresher is the only yoga mat cleaning machine that loves your studio and clients. Here are 3 ways to share the love with your clients.

3 Ways to Share the Love with Your Clients

Buddy Pass. A great promotion for the month of February is selling a buddy pass. For some gyms and studios, one more person taking up space with limited numbers due to COVID restrictions can be a challenge but, a buddy pass for the month can bring in additional referrals and revenue. Friends gift buddy passes for free virtual classes and then attend in-studio class together.
Clean their mat for them. A sign of affection is doing something nice for someone else. What better way to say “I love you” then sanitizing their yoga mat. Have each instructor bring out one special member (or two or three) to your MatFresher. Then clean their mat. With MatFresher every new student gets three free cleans! In addition, your instructor will be their hero and it won’t cost a thing.
Call them by their first name. It’s not easy getting to know every student’s name. It shows you care. Take photos of each student and then place them on a wall in the shape of a heart. Students can take their own picture with an inexpensive Polaroid camera and share in the love.

If your studio doesn’t have MatFresher yet, now is the time to get on board. Love your students a little more by giving them an easy-to-use, novel way to clean their yoga mats in under 30 seconds.

clean yoga mats = happy students — Friends clean their yoga mat together.

Why MatFresher?

MatFresher is the only hands-free, multi-step solution to clean and sanitize mats. Not only does MatFresher brush away dirt and debris, in addition to killing germs with powerful UVC light, all-natural, sanitizing spray penetrates the pores that light can’t reach. Mats are then neatly rolled and ready-to-go in 30 seconds!

The Truth About UV Light for Sanitizing Yoga Mats

Posted on by Andrea Metcalf

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 the IES 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.

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.

2021 New Year Goals for Gym and Studio Owners

Posted on by Andrea Metcalf

Traditionally, the new year brings a sense of rebirth. In the fitness and yoga industries, studio owners know that this is a good time for new students to walk in the door and recommit to their health goals. So what are your studio goals for 2021?

Here are 4 tips for setting 2021 new year goals for gym and studio owners.

Recommit to cleanliness. In this time of COVID-19, emphasis on cleanliness is imperative. Whether you have a fitness gym or yoga studio, equipment used by students needs to be safe and clean. Equipment like leg presses, treadmills, and dumbbells pose their own unique situation for cleaning. The good news is that yoga mats can be quickly, easily and safely sanitized with MatFresher. The machine is free for gyms and studios!
Recommit to a friendly staff. Many clients have been working out at home during the pandemic. What keeps them coming into the studio is community. Properly trained staff are key to nurturing your culture. Try the WEFISH approach for training them.

3. Recommit to marketing. Sales start with a win-win approach. Make sure to listen to your current clients about why they are coming to your studio. Use this information in your marketing campaigns. Plan out each month and commit to a full year outline. When things get busy having an outline can help keep your goals on track.

4. Recommit to knowing your people. Take the time to know your staff names and little about them personally can go a long way to creating a relationship that helps build your business. But don’t forget that you should learn a little about your students as well.

Try having a competition with instructors and staff on how many members they can get to know during the first quarter of the year. Challenge your team to know something unique about each member. Have a staff meeting to share the information. Offer a prize for whoever knows the most about your clients or the most interesting unique things about them. Making it fun and competitive can produce great results.

Why MatFresher?

MatFresher is the best way to sanitize yoga mats.

MatFresher is the only hands-free, multi-step solution to clean and sanitize mats. Not only does MatFresher brush away dirt and debris, in addition to killing germs with powerful UVC light, all-natural sanitizing spray penetrates the pores that light can’t reach. Mats are then neatly rolled and ready-to-go in 30 seconds!

What Does it Take to be the Best Yoga Teacher

Posted on by Andrea Metcalf

Yoga is growing in the United States. There are more than 6,000 studios currently offering classes. Most owners dedicate more than half of their space to the yoga practice. And, there are more than 300 million yoga practitioners worldwide with estimates that 62 million Americans participate in some type of yoga workout. Yoga teachers make an impact on every student.

Great Yoga Teachers

But what does it take to be a great yoga teacher? The same as being a great teacher generally…and more! Students are drawn to their teacher’s passion. Therefore, yoga teachers who are passionate about their practice have a lasting impact on their students’ lives. They believe in the power of yoga to heal, refresh and restore – both, physically and emotionally. The best yogis share the impact yoga has had on them personally and they are truly dedicated to educating and inspiring their students. Being prepared for classes and understanding that students are at different stages in their practice and abilities are other key attributes. It is not enough to recite the Sanskrit poses, the best teachers guide others to their full potential and physical limits.

A Yoga teacher needs to be:

Authentic
Caring
Sincere
Empathic
Empowering
Passionate

The perception of a yoga studio is a reflection of the experience they have with their instructors. In order to build a successful studio, owners should understand their teachers’ communication style, method of instruction, and encourage relationships with students.

Yoga students

Cleaning during COVID

Instructors have always helped to keep the studio clean. However during COVID times, extra steps are needed to keep students safe. It takes extra time. Mat cleaning, floor cleaning, and sanitizing equipment are among the best-practices for studios. Foggers help germs from spreading. New ventilation systems and fans keep air circulating to dissipate harmful particles in the air. Also, to make yoga mat cleaning more effective, MatFresher machines are available.

Yoga student

MatFresher Yoga mat cleaning machine

In yoga, students typically bring their own mats. This brings germs from the outside to every class. Spray bottles and wipes are pretty ineffective, expensive, and chemical-based. The best way to detox a mat is with MatFresher. MatFresher’s unique 3 step process cleans both sides by brushing away hair, dirt, and debris, applying powerful UVC germicidal light and misting all-natural cleaner 120x more effective than bleach to kill up to 99.99% of the bacteria, viruses, and fungi.

As a yoga teacher, you care about each and every student. Help them make the best of their yoga experience, stay healthy and keep their mats sanitized and clean after every class. Be the leader and contact MatFresher to create new rituals.

MatFresher brings members back to the studio

Posted on by MatFresher

As we head into the holiday season, gyms and yoga studios are still struggling with this year’s pandemic. The impact of the pandemic has been detrimental. Many have added additional safety and sanitation protocols hoping to attract new members and regain the confidence of existing students. The goal is to add a new ritual that brings members back to the studio.

Cleaning Up

Others have implemented next-level sanitation practices: including more advanced disinfecting sprays, antibacterial wipes, single-use mopping, and other paper products. These measures can be extremely costly and time-consuming to continue to purchase.

Cleaning supplies — MatFresher uses an eso-friendly cleaning option.

The team at MatFresher has developed a way for studios to take mat cleaning to the next level – while saving time and money. MatFresher guarantees a clean and sanitized exercise mat with every use. Your staff and members will feel confident coming back knowing you offer a next-level sanitation procedure.

Choose MatFresher

MatFresher is an eco-friendly cleaning machine that kills up to 99.99% of germs in seconds. It kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi, removing the guesswork out of sanitization while keeping your staff and members safe.

Our machines are also free to businesses and deliver a new revenue stream for struggling businesses. Every time a member cleans their mat with MatFresher – you profit! It’s simple to use and doesn’t create work for you to manage. Our team installs the machine for you and is on-call for any needed technical support.

MatFresher - the mat cleaning machine — MatFresher – the mat cleaning machine

How MatFresher works for gyms and studios:

Schedule an introduction: Simply schedule a call to learn more about MatFresher and to request machines for your studio today.
Get MatFresher: Once you sign up to be a MatFresher studio, we will coordinate a convenient delivery time for your studio. Roll it in, plug it in, and turn it on.
Clean with MatFresher: With the MatFresher installed in your gym or studio, your students and staff can use it for their mat sanitation before and after class.

MatFresher can help generate new income for your gym or studio while bringing peace-of-mind to your members so you can focus on increasing your bottom line. Request more information today. MatFresher brings members back to the studio.

The Cleaner the Mat, the Clearer the Mind

Posted on by MatFresher

“Saucha” According to Wikipedia, “Saucha” refers to the purity of mind, speech, and body. Yoga is associated with purifying and clearing the mind. But how often do we emphasize the impact of cleanliness on a practice? The cleaner the mat, the clearer the mind.

Saucha’s applies to the body and the environment. Our environment includes our equipment, like yoga mats. Thus, having a clean mat is essential. Staying in tune with the naturalness of yoga, cleaning your mat should be done without harsh chemicals. Cleanliness should be achieved through methods that don’t harm the environment. Many cleaning products like bleach can harm both the environment and the body. MatFresher is a one-stop solution to safely sanitize and clean yoga mats.

It is the only multi-sanitizing mat cleaning machine that seeks to promote Saucha. Yoga studios and gyms use MatFresher so that students and staff can safely clean a mat before and after class.

How does MatFresher work?

Before sanitizing, MatFresher uses a two-sided roller system with soft brushes to gently remove hair and debris from the mat.
Then, the machine applies a powerful, germicidal UV light to the mat’s surface. This application destroys up to 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Next, a 100% all-natural cleaning solution sanitizes the mat. This chemical-free solution is 120x more effective than bleach and provides a fresh, undistracting scent.
Finally, MatFresher neatly and automatically rolls the mat for you so you’re on your way in 30 seconds or less.

MatFresher’s main purpose is to promote cleanliness for the body and mind. When the concept of MatFresher was born, the premise that a clean environment is crucial to a clear mind.

MatFresher cleaning machines decrease the use of disposable wipes and spray containers. It uses a completely all-natural cleaning solution that is safe for the air and human skin. It uses germicidal light to deactivate germs. . We maintain balance when we protect our bodies against germs and chemicals. When the body is healthy, peace of mind is possible, and this is what we seek when we practice yoga.

Schedule a demo at MatFresher.com to learn more about how MatFresher can promote yoga mat Saucha at your studio. Learn what makes MatFresher different from other mat cleaning machines: MatFresher.com/mat-cleaning-machine-comparison.

Mat Cleaning Machine Comparison

Posted on by MatFresher

Mat Cleaning Comparison

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.

What Do You Mean, “Healthy, Clean and Green?”

Posted on by MatFresher

The Need For Change

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

manually cleaning yoga mat - not healthy, clean and green

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

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.