Can your yoga mat make you sick?

Between flu season and COVID-19, everyone should take measures to stay healthy. Yoga can help boost the immune system.  However, beware of yoga mats. A clean yoga mat is a must for a  healthy practice. Believe it or not, exercise mats harbor many germs. In fact, they can have more germs than an airplane seat or a toilet. Can your yoga mat make you sick?

A Professor at Rutgers School of Medicine, Robert Lahitia, claimed, “A yoga mat is basically an inanimate object used to spread an infection.” We often wipe mats to visibly remove sweat or dirt, but most contain deep grooves that are home to hard-to-remove bacteria. A quick wipe of the mat’s surface leaves these crevices unreached. The germs that can make you sick are not removed.

Can yoga mats make you sick?

Along with various types of fungi and viruses, Lahitia also stated, “A yoga mat is a perfect incubator for many of our skin infections.” If a mat is not cleaned properly after use at a studio, the next person using it will be in contact with those germs. This can be dangerous and create a liability issue for the studio.

Studies show that the germs on yoga mats are more than the common cold germs. Without disinfecting shared mats properly, these infections can infect other members. If a student has a staph infection, those germs could be clinging to your mats.  Bacteria live longer in warm temperatures. Hot yoga practices can present even greater risks. A yoga mat can make you sick.

Members of a hot yoga class could unknowingly be practicing on a hotbed of germs making them sick.

Are your yoga mats clean?

You may think you’re safe by scrubbing the surface of a mat with bleach. Although bleach is a good disinfecting product, studies show that bleach can be harmful to your lungs. Bleach may clean the mat, but it may not get into the crevices. You could be leaving bacteria on the mat.

To avoid spreading germs, some studios advise members to bring their own mats to class. However, the same problem of spreading germs remains. There are no proven home remedies that are 100% effective for sanitizing a student’s mat.  Though the mat isn’t shared, the student can leave germs on their mat on the floor. Germs are everywhere. Household disinfectants and standard methods of cleaning aren’t truly effective.

A student’s exercise mat could still spread germs at your facility.

How can studios avoid spreading germs?

MatFresher was developed to solve the challenges of keeping mats clean. It is the only multi-sanitizing mat cleaning machine that eliminates germs. MatFresher increases studio revenue and requires no investment. It’s a machine that brings peace of mind to your facility’s sanitization process.

Here’s how the MatFresher cleaning machine works:

  1. MatFresher starts with a two-sided roller system with soft brushes to gently remove hair and debris from the mat.
  2. Next, the machine applies a powerful, germicidal UV light to the mat’s surface. This application destroys up to 99.99% of the most common bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
  3. Then, a 100% all-natural cleaning solution is applied to the mat. This spray is 120x more effective than bleach and will never cause mold or mildew.
  4. Finally, MatFresher neatly rolls the mat for you and pops out the bottom. You’re on your way in 30 seconds or less.
MatFresher - the mat cleaning machine
MatFresher sanitizes yoga mats and helps studio owners increase revenue.

It’s faster than cleaning a mat at home and guarantees results. Exercise is meant to cleanse the mind and body.  Why let your yoga mat make you sick? Visit MatFresher.com today to learn more about how your studio can increase revenue and customer satisfaction.

The Cleaner the Mat, the Clearer the Mind

“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?

  1. Before sanitizing, MatFresher uses a two-sided roller system with soft brushes to gently remove hair and debris from the mat.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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

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 Makes MatFresher Different

What is MatFresher? 

Today, health and sanitization are the highest priorities for gyms and exercise studios to retain staff and bring back members. Every facility needs to to invest in new cleaning protocols and alter schedules to ensure their safety.

But, it didn’t take a worldwide pandemic for MatFresher to be born. There’s always been an underlying need for more efficient and cost-effective methods for cleaning exercise and yoga mats. MatFresher began in 2018 as a proactive solution for ensuring the safety of your staff and members. This revolutionary mat cleaning machine, in development for nearly two years, is the only mat cleaning technology to eliminate microscopic threats while boosting revenue.

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

Cleaning should be simple – so members can focus on cleansing the mind and body, not their yoga mats. Better yet, providing staff and students with a safe way to clean should also be beneficial for your bottom line. Rather than padding the pockets of companies who produce UV bulbs, chemical wipes and sprays, providing a MatFresher at your facility can increase profits with every use.

MatFresher is Different

You may be aware of other mat cleaning machines and wonder what makes MatFresher different. Unlike machines that simply illuminate UV light, MatFresher utilizes a comprehensive, three-fold approach for effective sanitization. Here’s how we do it:

Step 1

First, MatFresher utilizes an advanced, two-sided roller system with soft brushes to gently remove the hair and topical debris that stick to sweaty mats. After all, what is sanitization without first removing unwanted particles and dirt? Other vendors recommend that users wipe down their mats before using their machines, exposing customers and staff to harmful viruses, bacteria and fungi.

MatFresher’s advanced, two-sided roller system, which gently removes hair and debris from exercise mats.

Step 2

Next, powerful, germicidal ultraviolet light is then applied to the entire mat. This step destroys up to 99.99% of the most common bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Systems that don’t meet National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF) guidelines for proper UVC light dosing, can’t come close to this level of cleaning effectiveness.

Four bulbs signifying MatFresher’s powerful germicidal ultraviolet light, which is applied to the surface of mats.

Step 3

Because UV light is not completely effective on irregular surfaces like yoga mats, MatFresher is unique in applying a third cleaning modality –  a 100% all-natural, chemical-free cleaning solution. The sanitizer is 120 times more effective than bleach and leaves mats smelling fresh. Machines relying on UV light alone simply don’t conform with guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control. Those guidelines specify that UV light on irregular surfaces should be treated with a secondary method of disinfection.  This is especially important on materials like open cell exercise mats, where germs thrive.

MatFresher’s 100% all-natural, chemical-free solution, applied as a third sanitizing step on exercise mats.

Step 4

After completing these three sanitizing steps, MatFresher automatically rolls your mat, all in ~30 seconds! Yet again, MatFresher differs from competitors, who require users to roll their own mats to insert in the machine and again after exiting the machine, creating opportunity for reintroducing germs and rendering your cleaning efforts almost null.

A neatly-rolled and freshly sanitized exercise mat after exiting the MatFresher mat cleaning machine.

And, when it comes to the environment, there’s no comparing chemical wipes and sprays to MatFresher. Along with its sanitization measures being safer on the skin, MatFresher is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

Create additional Profit

Just how much can your exercise center increase profits with MatFresher? With no machine acquisition cost, a studio averaging 200 check-ins per day can earn more than $50,000 per year. On top of improving hygiene for students and staff, removing the need for manually cleaning mats, and growing confidence that safety is your top priority, a revenue boost like this is a game-changer for gyms and studios everywhere.

The MatFresher mat cleaning machine beside a chart displaying increased revenue.

Why not improve the ease and effectiveness of mat cleaning AND increase profits by bringing MatFresher to your facility? There’s no investment and no commitment, and we guarantee results. If you’re interested in learning more or to register for MatFresher, contact us today.

How Safe Are Your Mat Cleaning Methods?

Health and sanitization are at the forefront of everyone’s minds these days, and we’re all wisely thinking more about the surfaces we’re contacting. Going even further, many are considering the ingredients and chemicals found within everyday products, like cleaning solutions. For yogis, it’s a question of how safe the mat sanitizing products are that we often use mindlessly. Are your mat cleaning methods actually effective against harmful bacteria and viruses?

yoga mats

With the increase in demand for cleaning solutions, costs have risen, and you may consider DIY cleaning methods or alternatives to sprays and wipes. Since these methods provide more control and result in fewer harsh chemicals, these attempts at saving money could be appealing. Has your studio or gym considered the pros and cons of standard cleaning methods? Let’s take a look at how your traditional products, and even DIY solutions, may be costing you more than dollars and how MatFresher saves money while cleaning mats safely.

Solutions That Do More Harm Than Good

Just last year, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit advocacy organization, completed an audit of over 2,000 general cleaning products. Sadly, they discovered that over half of those reviewed contained ingredients that are harmful to lungs. Even worse, these pollutants can be up to five times more potent when used indoors versus outdoors. The mission of yoga and other exercise is to cleanse our bodies and minds and become healthier versions of ourselves. If we contact dangerous chemicals when cleaning mats, this defeats the overall purpose of our yoga training.

mat cleaning methods

Don’t assume that a mat cleaning wipe or spray labeled with buzz words like “green” is a fix-all. Unlike many other industries, companies are not required to disclose ingredients for cleaning products. Many solutions are mislabeled as “all-natural” despite containing non-organic, unsafe ingredients.

DIY Solutions

As stated previously, some people have resorted to DIY solutions for cleaning their mats. Perhaps a mixture of known ingredients could be healthier and greener than chemicals inside a bottle of bleach. However, can you be sure that your exercise mat is getting properly disinfected? The point of spraying or wiping down a mat is to rid your equipment of dangerous germs, so a “safer” cleaning solution may not be an effective one. Though a home-made product may lack a distracting scent that other chemical-filled solutions carry, there must be a way to clean a mat safely and with desirable results.

mat cleaning methods

Along with the potential bodily harm, the ingredients of many cleaning products break down the surfaces of mats over time. This wear from cleaning results in purchasing equipment more often, leading to additional expenses. With so many negatives and question marks regarding the effectiveness of cleaning products, there is a gap. An opportunity exists to save your facility money on cleaning solutions – one that doesn’t cost your studio at all. MatFresher exists for that very reason: to promote a healthy and highly-effective clean for yoga mats while increasing studio revenue.

What is MatFresher?

MatFresher is the only multi-sanitizing mat cleaning machine. While there are machines that clean mats with UV-C light, most do not utilize a three-fold approach in removing bacteria. MatFresher 1) removes hair and debris from the mat, 2) uses UV light over difficult-to-reach surfaces, and 3) cleans with a 100% all-natural solution. With this thorough approach, the machine is up to 99.99% effective in destroying harmful bacteria. Without harsh chemicals or odors, MatFresher cleans in under 30 seconds and neatly rolls the mat so it’s ready for class or home. Having a MatFresher machine inside your facility allows members and employees to quickly and effectively sanitize equipment while saving everyone time. On top of these benefits, your studio shares in the profits as members pay a low fee for each wash.

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

So, why risk the problems associated with household cleaning products and DIY mat cleaning methods? Why not provide your members the best mat cleaning methods? Learn more about the machine built to solve the cons in cleaning.

Boost Your Revenue or Bust

The cost of cleaning

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.

cleaning products

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.

post-coved yoga studio

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.

time is money

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.

How Clean is Clean for Your Mat?

UV Light Sanitization: Facts and Snake Oil

What’s Actually Working

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.

cleaning items - MatFresher is clean for your mat

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.

UVC light - clean for your mat

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.

cleaning materials

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.

MatFresher - the mat cleaning machine
MatFresher – The Mat Cleaning Machine

If you’d like to learn more about MatFresher visit matfresher.com and schedule a demo call today. MatFresher provides a true clean for your mat.

The Post-Covid-19 Guide For Yoga Studios

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 

post-covid yoga class

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 

post-covid yoga studio

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

post-covid masks

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

rolling yoga mat after practice

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.

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

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 
Cleaning wipes

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.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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

rolled yoga mats

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
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.