Bouncing on trampolines is fun, and you never expect it to become a problem. However, there are issues that you have to deal with from time to time. One of those issues is the blackening of your body after bouncing mindlessly.
If you have noticed your feet, hands, and any other body part that comes into contact with the trampoline is turning.
Why does my trampoline make me black? Where is the pigmentation coming from? It’s from the mat surface.
There could be many reasons why a trampoline mat would give off black pigments. In most cases, it’s because the mat has gotten old and lost all its durability. So, now all the color from its surface is coming off and sticking to anything that touches it.
Why Is My Trampoline Turn My Feet Black
Now we know that an old and expired trampoline mat is to blame for making your hands and feet black. But if you are more interested to know about the source of the pigment, let’s go back to the structural components of a trampoline mat.
It’s made of a polypropylene mesh that has carbon in it from the manufacturing process. So, when the mat starts to wear out, and parts of it start to disintegrate, the carbon inside is exposed.
And when your sweaty hands and feet constantly touch and rub against the exposed carbon, it turns your body parts black.
But carbon is only a part of it. A dirty trampoline is another reason for blackening your body. But why is it a dirty trampoline?
When you use a trampoline for years, the mat accumulates dirt and grime. It’s impossible to keep it 100% clean. So even if you clean regularly, there is a huge chance that the dirt and grime are also responsible partly for your black arms and feet.
Crucial Points About Trampoline Mats
Wouldn’t be it great if everything we made lasted for eternity? But we live in the real world. Things will break down eventually. So you have to be ready to take care of it when it does. Trampoline mats are strong and sturdy as long as their structural condition is intact.
Many factors can hurt the durability of a trampoline mat. It can be helpful to keep those in mind. It’ll help to minimize the effect of these factors and also keep an eye on the condition so that you can replace it before a torn trampoline mat causes any accidents.
What Causes the Trampoline Mat To Deteriorate?
Most of us keep our trampoline outside due to its sheer size of it. Even if you keep it inside, it will fall prey to its enemies, which will eventually wear out the mat fabric.
If you want to lengthen your mat life, here are some of the factors to keep in mind.
Aging
Time is the biggest enemy of any object. Even components of the best quality will fall victim to aging. Depending on the material and usage, you’ll be getting 5-10 years of usage out of it.
Sun Exposure
If you keep your trampoline outside, you’re intentionally exposing it to the UV rays from the sun. And UV rays not only damage your skin, but it also causes damage to everything.
The damage done to your trampoline is extremely subtle, and you won’t notice it. But it starts with discoloration. For black mats, it becomes greyish.
Weather
Extreme weather is a huge threat to a trampoline mat. Apart from the risk of getting punctured by sharp projectiles from heavy wind, phenomena such as heavy snow and rain will also damage the condition of the fabric.
Body Oils
Body oils are mostly harmless unless it’s made of something that reacts badly with the components of the mat fabric. Using such body oils could result in exposure to carbon in the fabric leading to the blackening of the feet and arms.
Cleaning Solutions
If you’re someone who cleans their trampolines regularly, you might be causing them to lose durability by using harmful cleaning solutions. While it doesn’t hurt the mat fabric like the above factors, it can’t hurt to use a harmless solution.
How to Prevent Your Body from Turning Black on a Trampoline
Your arms and feet might be turning black, but it’s no excuse to stop the kids from playing and jumping on the trampoline. Now that you know what causes the trampoline mat to give off black pigments, you can prevent it.
As we know, there are mainly two causes for your feet and arms to turn black. The prevention will be according to the problem. Here’s what you can do.
1. Carbon from the Mat Fabric
If the source of the blackening is the exposed carbon of the mat, it means the mat has lost quality and durability.
The structural components have broken down due to environmental causes such as extreme weather and UV ray exposure.
What’s the solution? You need to replace the mat with a brand-new one. Unfortunately, there is no way around it.
2. Dirt and Grime Build Up On The Mat Surface
This is a pretty common occurrence where dirt and grime build up slowly over time. All the dirt comes from atmospheric pollution. It’s a fairly simple issue and can be cleaned by using only soap and water. If you clean the mat surface regularly, you can easily prevent any grime build-up.
Final Words
Why does my trampoline make me black, especially the arms and feet? It has to do with the carbon inside the mat fabric and the dirt building up on the fabric. When you’re bouncing with a sweaty body, it’s very normal for your body to pick up pigments from the trampoline mat. Even if the mat is a brand new one, the dirt from the atmosphere can also make your body dirty.
Last Updated on March 10, 2023
