clean yoga mat Archives

Yoga Mat Cleaning Machine Mitigates Post-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.

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,

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 to kill up to 99.99% of the bacteria, viruses, and fungi, and applying an essential oil spritz to make the mat smell great.

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.

Three Things to Learn from COVID for Studios Owners

Posted on by Andrea Metcalf

There is endless talk about COVID-19 and how it’s been affecting fitness and small boutique fitness studios. Although many face mandatory closings, limited class sizes and other restrictions, there is a little sunshine from the tragedy. This is a great time to re-evaluate how you’re doing business. Taking a hard look at expenses is never easy, but is always a good step to increasing overall profits. With a little extra time on your hands, consider these three things to learn from COVID for studio owners.

Improvements to learn from COVID for studio owners

1. Staff. The most valuable part of any business is the people that come in contact with customers. Now is a good time to evaluate who’s working for you and how they handle your most precious asset: your customers. During the pandemic, many people were let go…Who will you bring back may take some evaluation. You may rethink your front desk staffing in total. Many front desk workers are paid minimum wage to keep expenses down. Minimum wage may bring minimum excitement to the job. Think about other creative ways for staffing from trading membership for staff help to discounting memberships for those who help volunteer in sales and staffing.
Students with clean mats

2. POS Systems. Having your customers easily book services and pay for them is key to a successful business. There are many booking platforms on the market. Now is a good time to start looking if there is a better solution for your studio. Ask your customers which platforms they have used in the past and which they prefer. Have your staff contribute to the conversation. Since many instructors work at multiple studios, they may have experience with the new platform you are considering. Also, talk to other studio owners about which systems they use to help better determine which one is best for you.
Studio systems

3. Adding Revenue Streams. As much as you need to examine expenses to improve financial performance, look for where you can add profitable new revenue. Online streaming and on-demand classes have blown up due to stay-at-home restrictions. So, adding live stream and on-demand classes for your following is a must. Other revenue streams include items you can sell when you fully reopen. MatFresher cleaning machines help generate new revenue without any upfront or on-going cost. MatFresher keeps your customers’ mats sanitized while you make money with every clean. A MatFresher clean takes only 30 seconds, bringing peace of mind to staff and members while helping to stop the spread of germs. And don’t forget logo apparel, water, power snacks and other grab-n-go items.. Every dollar adds to the bottom line and your studio’s overall success.
Revenue and profits

Take respite and make long-term lemonade out of the short-term lemons COVID has brought to small businesses like yours. Start by contacting MatFresher and begin implementing the things to learn from COVID for studio owners.

Can your yoga mat make you sick?

Posted on by MatFresher

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.

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:

MatFresher starts with a two-sided roller system with soft brushes to gently remove hair and debris from the mat.
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.
Then, an essential oil spritz is applied to the mat, making your mat smell great.
Finally, MatFresher neatly rolls the mat for you and pops out the bottom. You’re on your way in 30 seconds or less.

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

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.

What Makes MatFresher Different

Posted on by MatFresher

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.

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

An essential oil spritz is applied, leaving your mat smelling great.

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

Step 4

After completing these three 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?

Posted on by MatFresher

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?

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.

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.

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 multi-fold approach. MatFresher 1) removes hair and debris from the mat, 2) uses UV light over difficult-to-reach surfaces, and 3) applies an essential oil spritz. 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.

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.

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.