Most of you now have an array of small Pilates props and equipment at home to work with and have asked about how best to look after them and ensure longevity. As we spend a lot of our time at the studio cleaning now we’ve become somewhat expert on the ins and outs of what works and what doesn’t so thought we’d pass on our knowledge. As most props are made from materials that can’t be recycled it’s also good for the planet to keep them clean and cared for.
Storage
Storing your Pilates equipment properly will delay any deterioration and help keep them functional. Exposing rubber and foam to sunlight, heat or moisture can decrease the lifespan of your props, so ideally you want to find a nice cool, dark place to store everything together.
Some might argue it’s good to have props out where you can see them- this way you’re more likely to get stuck into your homework or move your body when you most need it (long day at the desk anyone?) I personally have a woven basket for my selection of home props that’s out in the hallway- that way I get a subtle reminder when I get home to get on the floor at some point and move my body post teaching.
Cleaning
How often you clean your props is really up to you and how often you use them. I certainly recommend cleaning things down after a particularly sweaty workout but if you’re only using something like your Franklin balls to roll out your feet every few days then washing every use isn’t necessary. Prior to Covid we did a monthly dunk of all balls into the sink with warm, soapy water, foam rollers a bit more frequently, and we washed the mats after every mat class and each studio shift, so just use your common sense here…
Therabands & loops: Limit washing of bands and loops to a minimum, every wash decreases the lifespan of the elastic. If you do decide to wash at home then dunk in soapy water and gently wash with a sponge, lay to dry flat over a clothes line. Afterwards spray lightly with some dry shampoo to remove the stickiness and make them smooth again.
Mats (like those we have in the studio): Should be washed down after any full movement class. Make up a spray bottle with a few drops of tea tree oil and water spray down throughly with a microfibre cloth. Note that many yoga mats are made with a different kind of foam and come with different instructions so best to follow those if you have something different at home.
Franklin balls (red or green): Wash in warm soapy water with a sponge to get into the dimples, and store in a cool dark place to ensure longevity (these babies are pricey!) These can be inflated with a needle pump, if you don’t have one at home feel free to bring yours into the studio and we can pump them up for you.
Inflatable Pilates Ball: We find these easiest to clean when there's less air in them, just make sure the stopper is in fully and wash in some warm soapy water with a sponge.
Spiky Balls/Peanuts: These collect dust and dirt quite a bit more due to increased surface area, and because we’re usually rolling them on the floor- a dunk in some soapy water and a scrub with a longer bristle dish brush will work nicely, ensure all soap residue is washed off.
Spine Corrector: To those lucky ducks out there with a spine corrector at home you can lightly spritz and wipe down with a tea tree oil and water mixture followed by a wipe down with a dry cloth. Try not to let any water sit on the surface of the spine corrector for long.
Foam Rollers: As with the spine corrector a simple mixture of water and tea tree oil works nicely on the old faithful foam roller.
**It’s worth noting we’ve eliminated tea tree oil from our cleaning regime at the studio as it is destructive to the vinyl on the equipment and we thought one universal detergent spray would be better than a variety of different sprays for different things when cleaning up at the end of class with multiple people
