Wrestling with COVID-19

Following months of uncertainty, many school districts around the country are giving the green light to wrestling programs. It’s great news for wrestlers who are ready to go, but that green light is followed by a big, yellow “Proceed With Caution” sign.

Luckily, disinfecting has always been the norm in the sport. Mat cleaning is a common practice, as infectious diseases like ringworm and impetigo have been around forever. But this year, wrestling programs are amping up their sanitization practices more than ever in an effort to keep players and coaches safe, and keep their season alive.

Don’t forget these critical tips for wrestling with infectious diseases:

• When cleaning mats, pay particular attention to the edges of mats that join together. These joints are where most dirt and bacteria accumulate.
• Practice “backward mopping”, in which the mat is pulled behind the cleaner.
• Designate a person (manager, coach) to make sure disinfecting is done between rounds.
• Make sure cleaning equipment (mops, sponges, cloths) is reserved for mat cleaning only.
• Allow surfaces to air-dry before continuing play or storing.
• Make sure players are doing their part by always carrying and applying personal sanitizers with a high alcohol content for before and after practice.
• From NOW until December 10, buy 3 get 1 free on personal 8 oz. sprays!

This is not the year to cheap out on your cleaning products - many store-bought disinfectants are not strong enough to fight viruses. Your players deserve good quality products, and lots of them. For the mats, check out Matguard’s entire line of athletic surface cleaners. Our popular Hospital-Grade Concentrated Formula of Matguard Pro is quick drying, economical, and is the perfect disinfectant to be used with our line of cleaning equipment.

This post references The Journal of Athletic Training..