Yoga mats have revolutionised the way that people practice yoga and exercise. But did you know that bacteria have been shown to thrive on yoga mats with some types of bacteria, yeast and fungi, being able to survive on yoga mats for several days? Ringworm, staph, E-coli, Athlete’s foot- are all types of germs that have been found on yoga mats.
What’s more, if you’re wondering why your yoga mat, or your gym’s yoga mat, smells bad – it’s because bacteria is present and multiplying on that mat. Your nose knows!
If you use a yoga mat supplied by your studio or gym, it’s likely that, at best, the business cleans their mats once a week – this mean a lot of people have stepped onto that same mat throughout the week before it’s cleaned.
It’s genuinely hard, near impossible, for studios and gyms to keep their yoga mats hygienic – many use natural tea-tree oil based cleaners which don’t eliminate some of the scarier bacteria like staph or MRSA. Some gyms use a single cleansing wipe to wipe down each mat, which makes only a tiny dent in the big job that is effectively sanitising a yoga mat.
If you bring your own mat to class, think of all the bare feet that have walked and sweat that’s been shed on those studio’s floors. You’re going to roll your mat out onto those floors and then roll it back up to take home.
If you’re practicing hot or Bikram yoga, then the hygiene problem is worse as the moist environment creates an even more fertile ground for microbes to grow.
So what’s the solution to this stinky, worrying, unhygienic problem?
The Pure Mat™ is an Australian designed yoga mat with an in-built antibacterial function. Using advanced methods, this next generation yoga mat is infused with antimicrobial silver, which inhibits the growth of germs and bad odours. The Pure Mat™ is certified to reduce bacteria, mould and fungi by 99% (Certification ISO 22196:2011, testing performed February 2022).
So even if you roll this mat out on a yoga studio’s floors, it will put a microbe shield between itself and the studio – meaning any germs that come into contact with the mat will be eliminated. Meaning those germs aren’t ending up on your skin and clothes, reducing the risk of catching skin infections and other illnesses.
If you’re the owner of a studio or gym, using this mat will mean that you’re offering your clients a hygienic mat that always smells fresh. Your clients will view your studio/gym as being cleaner and healthier… because it is!
The Pure Mat™ keeps everyone in the room healthy… after all, no one wants their practice interrupted by illness!