Who was in there before you?

Picture a perfectly normal day at the studio: six or seven reformer classes, every reformer with two straps. During footwork someone slips their feet in, in the next exercise the next person grabs them with their hands. By the end of the day, a single strap has been in contact with many hands and feet.

Why fabric is different from metal

Smooth, hard surfaces like frames or footbars are easy to wipe down. Many surface disinfectants are made exactly for that. Padded fabric straps are the opposite: porous, absorbent, with seams and padding. Sweat soaks in, and a quick wipe between two classes barely reaches the inside. The only way to get something like that properly clean is the washing machine.

Hands in, feet in. With your own LOOOP, they're only yours.

What studies in gyms show

As far as we know, there is no dedicated study on reformer straps themselves. But research on gyms in general shows that equipment with a lot of skin contact is an issue:

• The Canadian consumer show Marketplace (CBC) had surfaces tested in nine gyms. Exercise mats had almost eight times as many bacteria as exercise balls, more than dumbbells, and a striking number of staphylococci.
• A widely cited but not peer-reviewed survey by the website FitRated found considerably more bacteria on free weights than on a public toilet seat.

Important: not every bacterium is dangerous, and a studio with a good hygiene concept is not a risky place. This isn't about panic, it's about a simple habit, as natural as bringing your own mat.

Three things you can do

1. Bring your own LOOOPS. Clipping them in takes seconds and they fit any reformer with carabiners.
2. Wear grip socks. Less direct skin contact with shared surfaces, more grip on the footbar.
3. Wash them regularly. LOOOPS can go in the machine at 30 °C, ideally in a laundry bag.

Lime Green

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And for studios?

More and more studios offer their clients their own LOOOPS, to buy at the front desk or as part of their membership. That takes cleaning off the team's plate and shows that hygiene is taken seriously. More for studios