Fitness has become a big trend right now. One of the popular trends in fitness is aerial yoga as it has multiple health benefits. To practice aerial yoga properly you need a hammock or aerial silk.
Just like any workout, the right equipment is one of the most important parts of aerial yoga. It is, therefore, necessary to make sure that your hammock/silk is in perfect condition. These hammocks are made of soft fabrics that need to be washed after a certain time to make sure that they retain their condition. No one wants to work with a dirty fabric that stinks and hasn’t been washed in a long time. If you don’t wash the hammock in a long time, it can accumulate stain, sweat, makeup, and dirt. In order to keep your hammock clean, you need to know how to wash it properly without affecting the quality, color, and strength of the material.
See Also:
- How To Pick The Right Clothing For Your Aerial Yoga Class
- Benefits Of Aerial Yoga Over Traditional Yoga
It is suggested to wash the fabric at least once a month or more if you use it rigorously.
Why Do You Need To Wash Your Hammock
Aerial yoga requires you to support your entire body on the hammock, hence all the bacteria from your hands and body gets transferred to the fabric. On top of that, the fabric is made of a silky porous material that absorbs bacteria more easily. If you are a person who sweats more than most people then you need to remember that your hammock will absorb all that sweat. The result is your hammock attracting all your sweat and odor making it unpleasant to use.
The porous material means all your bacteria is trapped in it. Now, if you keep using the same dirty hammock the bacteria will transfer back on your body the next time you use it.
After use, the fabric also becomes dusty in places where it creases. This dust will keep on accumulating until you wash the hammock and a dusty fabric can be harmful to people with respiratory problems.
If you don’t use the hammock regularly it can start to smell musty. When hammocks are used occasionally or are just attached to the ceiling at one place for a long time, they develop a musty odor. This odor will only go away once you wash it.
Washing your hammock also freshens it up. The fresh smell of a newly washed hammock will get you excited to practice new poses. This wash is necessary if your hammock has been in storage or been packed away.
Nobody likes to work-out on an old and gross hammock, hence it might be nice to wash it once to give it and you a fresh feeling.
A Guide to Wash Yoga Hammocks or Aerial Swings
Your entire body stands on the support of this fabric hence it is necessary to make sure that it is fresh, stable and reliable. Take good care of them so that they can handle your weight well. Here are some necessary tips that will help you wash your silks and hammocks properly:
- Remove any knots before washing- Make sure there are no knots in your fabric before you put it into the wash. These knots will hamper the cleaning process.
- Don’t use a top-loading machine- Top-loading machines are generally more rigorous and can damage your fabric. Aerial silks are delicate, hence they should be washed in a front-loader machine. Wash under a light wash with low spin speed and use only cold water.
- Remove any Carabiners- Just like knots, make sure that you properly remove any hardware attached to your fabric. Remove carabiners and metal rings from the fabric before putting it in the machine. If you forget this step, you can damage your washing machine as well as the material of the fabric.
- Use a gentle detergent- Use a gentle detergent that is non-biological. A detergent that is suited for wool or silk should be a great choice. Harsh detergents can degrade the material and damage the fabric.
- Use cold water- Wash your hammock only under light wash while using cold water. Warm water can shrink the fabric.
- Drying the fabric- Make sure you dry your fabric by hanging them out. Make sure you are not using the dryer for this. Avoid hanging the fabric near direct sunlight because this can shrink the material. Hang them out only if it is a breezy day.
- Cleaning the hardware- You don’t need to clean the aerial hardware as frequently as the hammock. These are made of stainless steel or aluminum and they don’t wither away that easily. Your free-standing frames might need to be cleaned more frequently. A quick way to do this is by using a microfibre cloth and a cleaning spray.
- If you have a large training space, you can even dry your hammock and silks here under a fan.
- Make sure the fabric is completely clean and dry before hanging them again.
Bonus Tips
Make sure you take off any accessory before getting on the hammock. Also, don’t let your pets hang around the hammock, this will reduce the damage to the fabric. Try to not apply a lot of moisturizers, perfumes or oils before going on the hammock. Additionally, if you don’t use the hammock frequently make sure you take it off and keep it packed so that it does not accumulate dust.
Follow these steps and you will be able to restore the actual quality of your fabric in the long term.
You need your hammock to keep doing aerial yoga. Hence long term functioning of the fabric is crucial. And you won’t be able to keep your hammock clean unless you wash it regularly. We know that the material is extremely durable, but the continuous use of the same can still lead to wear and tear. This can affect the quality and strength of the fabric which is the last thing you want.
The entire productivity of your aerial yoga depends on these hammocks, hence you need to make sure they are in the best condition. This will not only give you the best results but it will also make sure you save money in the long run.
