Before you read the rest of this post, take a minute to go take the maintenance quiz. It’s quick, free and I need some more data to make any sort of statistical analysis!
Go ahead, I’ll wait.
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Thanks!! Now that you have done that, we can talk about some of the answers I’ve see submitted.
Before we start, I want to note that at the time of this post I had only 9 surveys submitted, so let’s consider these preliminary results.
The first question on the quiz asks, “How often do you clean your Reformer rails?” And it’s first for a reason: I find that the condition and cleanliness of my client’s Reformer rails are the best indication of the overall health of their studio equipment. When the rails are dry and dust free, it is apparent that the owner and his/her staff spend some time regularly getting up close and personal with some cleaning supplies and their equipment.
Not only is the condition of the rails an indicator for the overall state of the apparatus, but it also helps keep your Reformer running smoothly much longer. You’ve heard me harp on this before: all that dirt and debris gets into the wheels and makes them grindy and go “bump bump bump” as the carriage rolls. UGH!
Total number of people who answered this correctly: 22%.
I find it even more interesting, though, that 33% answered that they NEVER clean their rails. I hope that will change after seeing the results of their quiz.
The rest of the quiz revealed even more data:
- Hardly anyone keeps a maintenance log, regularly tightens nuts and bolts, or knows what to use to eliminate noises in moving parts
- Most people know where their original tools are that came with their equipment (put them to use, guys!)
- An equally high percentage of people use an appropriate cleaner… basically anything except for heavily concentrated essential oil and water mixtures, or Lysol wipes. Good job guys!
- And, to my great pleasure, everyone except for one person indicated they wanted to learn more about maintenance! Yippee!
To help those of you who aren’t sure how to take care of your equipment and keep a log, I’m debuting a new product at POT Phoenix: Studio Equipment Maintenance Log. This bound book will be a beautiful and super handy addition to your studio.
It features:
- Four pages of maintenance how-to guides
- Weekly and quarterly checklists
- Over 30 individual apparatus log sheets to track observations, repairs and upgrades
You can Pre-order it here. I’ll have some for sale POT Phoenix and shipping them to everyone else on April 16, 2016!
While you wait, go wipe down your Reformer rails!