I have more than a few very tech-savvy friends. One of which actually works for a company that makes processors and microchips for a whole host of different computer and hardware manufactures.  He works in the “Clean-Room” with the actual chips themselves, doing the platting and quality control for the manufacturing. I don’t know about most of you, but I find this kind of thing very interesting and I recently asked him if I could check this place out.  He and his management were quite accommodating in that fact and I got the grand tour sort of speak.

Now if you are not familiar with processor and micro productions, the “Clean-Room” is just like what it sounds. You see any small amount of dust or dirt can severely damage small electronic equipment. So before the staff enters the processing center and the Clean-Room they have to essentially de-contaminate themselves.  They have a massive spray room that cleans them off, then they pass through a series of sticky mats that will take the dirt and partials off of the bottom of their shoes. With each pass they clean more and more.  Then and seemingly most importantly they pass over and usually stand upon an anti-static mat that are grounded with a grounding wire to remove any static charges. If anyone had even a small amount of static on them they could completely destroy a tiny little processor cell that in its self has hundreds of microscopic wires in it; and worth quite a bit of money to say the least.

I would have to say that it was definitely an interesting day.  Seeing all the technology and painstaking work that really goes into making these tiny little things that without we would not be able to use any of the comforts that we have come to enjoy. Televisions, Computers, Cellphones, all run off of similar little processors. To think, that without these non-static industrial mats and tacky mats it would be almost impossible to make them.  Food for thought indeed.

Have you ever bought one of those two-sided rolls of 4” wide masking tape designed for removing lint from your clothing, or for whatever purpose double-sided tape can be used? I LOVE those things! Well, what if you could have something like that for your shoes, or for the shoes of visitors to your home or work place that requires dirt and other contaminants not be tracked into a certain area? Sticky, or tacky mats are among the greatest of inventions in the world of commercial or industrial trade show flooring products.

These pads of sticky, two-sided mats are fantastic for capturing grime that invariably clings to the bottoms of our shoes. The pads of sticky mats come in a wide variety of dimensions, from 18” x 36” up to 36” x 46” [with several sizes in between], and peel off just like those rolls of lint tape you use on your clothes. These would be a great “post mat” to put down, just after visitors step onto your entrance mats, which will catch heavier grime and moisture.

Often used in conjunction with yoga sticky mats are yoga blankets, such as the Ashtanga rug [pictured here], made of 100% cotton fiber, made in India, sometimes referred to as Mysore rugs. Yoga can be very strenuous and practitioners are bound to perspire, raising the chances of slippery surfaces, resulting in potential injuries or at least disrupted exercises.

Yoga blankets and rugs are tightly woven and their non-slip qualities are activated upon getting wet. These are great when you don’t have a yoga towel, to manage perspiration. Yoga towels are sometimes used in lieu of yoga bolsters, rolled up, for different postures. Be sure to pick up several yoga blankets to keep on hand, as well as a few yoga towels, meditation cushions, and other yoga meditation supplies.