Trampolines make everyone excited. This equipment lets us have fun and get some good exercise. However, trampolines sometimes release some black particles that are not dirt and make our feet dirty. If you faced the same situation, you might wonder, “why does my trampoline make me black footed?”
Worry not, since we’ll give you all the answers in this article. We’ll tell you when you can get dirty feet from a trampoline and what to do in such situations. Read more below to find out:
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Why Is My Trampoline Turn My Feet Black?
Getting your feet turned all black and dirty is a complaint many people often have after getting on a trampoline. Trampolining is a fun sport, so no one has to go through the hassle of coming back with dirty feet. Moreover, having to wash your feet afterward is another considerable hassle.
So, if we know why a trampoline turns our feet black, maybe we could solve the issue. The black particles stuck on your feet from a trampoline are either carbon or dirt. If your trampoline is more than 5-6 years old, the chances of it being carbon are higher.
Additionally, dirt and debris can also make the trampoline mat dirty, making our feet dirty. Therefore, let’s look at some of the reasons why our trampoline mats start releasing carbon or dirt:
Old Age
Trampoline mats are made with polypropylene. It is plastic made with carbon-hydrogen monomers and can withstand UV radiation for a long time. Plastic is known for not decomposing fast, no matter where you keep it. However, all materials have an expiry date.
For the mat as well, even though it is well built to withstand UV radiation, after a point of time, it reaches its limit. The polypropylene in trampoline mats generally reacts after at least 8-10 years to UV. The UV radiation makes the mattress wear out and break down, and the mat starts releasing loose black carbon.
When we jump on the trampoline, these carbon particles stick to our feet, becoming black and dirty.
Over Usage of the Trampoline
Another time when trampolines start releasing carbon is when they’ve been used too much. Although the situation is rare in the case of personal use, if you have a trampoline set up at a public park or something, it can start releasing carbon within a few years of service.
That is because many people have been using trampolines daily, and such rough use can make trampoline mats wear out much more quickly. These trampolines can give you black feet within 5-6 years. Moreover, if the product you bought was not of excellent quality, expect the mat to wear out sooner.
Hence, excessive usage can also make trampoline mats wear out and break down sooner.
Excessive Exposure to the Sun
Although the UV does break down the plastic at some point, if you continually keep your trampoline directly by the sun, you might be fastening up the process.
Many people like to keep their trampolines outdoor. However, if you live in a desert area where the climate is always scorching hot, and the sun is always shining, you’ll be keeping the trampoline constantly under UV radiation. As a result, the mat might wear out sooner than you expect, and you can expect carbon remnants.
That’s why you should always try to position the trampoline under the shade. If possible, use a cover over it. When you’re not using the trampoline, you can fold it and store it indoors. These are some safe ways to save your trampoline from excessive UV radiation.
Leaving the Set Up Outdoors
We’ve talked about situations where we might have carbon coming off our trampoline mat. But another reason that makes our feet black is dirt on the mat. You might think — why is it dirty trampoline? Well, if the trampoline is left all the time outdoors without getting cleaned regularly, dirt will accumulate on it over time.
All this dirt comes from dust particles in the air, soot and black smoke from automobiles, particles from trees, and so much more. Dirt from our feet can also make the mat dirty. Moreover, many people like to get on trampolines with shoes on. So, dirt from all those shoes also gets stuck on the mat.
Over time, if not cleaned, all these dirt particles accumulate on the trampoline mat and become extremely dirty. Afterward, whenever someone gets up on it, their feet become black due to all filth.
Ways You Can Take Care of Your Trampoline
If you’re getting carbon on your feet, there’s no solution except for changing the mat. You cannot clean it off because cleaning it will make more carbon come off. Hence, there’s no alternative to changing the trampoline mat if your previous one wore it out.
However, if your feet are turning black due to a dirty trampoline, there’s a solution. You have to give the trampoline a proper clean. The steps to that are:
- Sweep the trampoline’s compound first with a mini broom and dustpan. Take off all the debris like dust, leaves, twigs, etc. You must make sure to remove all the dry debris lying around.
- After you’ve swept the mat properly, take a water hose with medium pressure and rinse the whole mat. Ensure water reaches all the corners so the pressure can bring out all the dirt that the broom can’t.
- Next, take half a bucket of lukewarm water, put some dishwashing soap in it, and clean the whole area with a sponge. Do not use high chemical detergent as it can harm the material.
- Rub the areas with a sponge that has dirt stuck on it.
- Rinse the whole mat properly with water until all the soapy water is gone. Let it dry afterward.
Therefore, if you clean your trampoline properly in the given way every once in a while, it will not get dirty anymore. You can rinse off the worry of getting black feet due to dirt.
Final Words
Trampolines are a piece of exciting and fun equipment to play with. They let us have a good time, and both children and adults love it. But it becomes a great problem when the trampoline makes our feet dirty. You might ask in such situations, “why does my trampoline make me black footed?”
In this article, we’ve given you all the answers! You now know it’s either due to carbon or dirt that our feet get dirty and how we can prevent it. Therefore, make sure to clean your trampoline regularly now.
Last Updated on September 5, 2022
