One of the big surprises for my clients is that your Pilates equipment manufacturer probably doesn’t recommend cleaning vinyl with essential oils. While a diluted solution of tea tree oil is the theoretical ideal choice for many studio owners, the major vinyl manufacturers (Naugahyde and Boltaflex) don’t recommend it. What the manufacturers say Shari BerkowitzRead More
After just 5 months in the deep South, the black bolts on my Reformer are rusting! Luckily, the parts shown in the image above aren’t load bearing, but it is kind of gross and is indicative of the humidity’s effect on your equipment. While I worked at Balanced Body, I heard about studios on the coastRead More
Every client I visit asks if they really need to replace their springs every two years. My short answer: Yes. Here is what the major manufacturers say: From Gratz… The average life of a Gratz Reformer spring is 18 to 24 months if you use your equipment daily or continuously. If the springs show any signRead More
I visited a Stott studio in Gainesville this week, taking much pleasure in the pristine condition of the 8-year old equipment. One of the questions the owner had was how to clean between the headrest and carriage pad. The gap was too small for a rag to fit, and the vacuum just didn’t suck anythingRead More
When I walk into a studio, one of the first indicators of how well the studio has cared for their equipment is whether or not the Reformer rails are clean. Rolling on a dirty surface will cause the wheels to start to “shed” leaving black streaks along the rails, as well as gum up theRead More
Your Reformer has Side Wheels (some people call them Guide Wheels), which control the side-to-side motion of the Reformer carriage. This means that under each carriage there are usually 8 wheels. Studio Reformers have side wheels that must be adjusted so that there is very little or no side-to-side motion of the carriage. If thereRead More