How to Care for Your Hoops

There is a special kind of fulfillment that comes from taking care of a prized possession.

Putting hard work into keeping the things you love in great shape feels great and allows them to keep their value.

Auto lovers spend hours upon hours detailing and waxing their cars to keep them in perfect condition.

Artists clean their brushes and keep their bristles in working order.

Flow artists have the same responsibility to their props as these other hobby enthusiasts.

Bare polypro hoops are particularly prone to damage. Our duty to our hoops includes keeping them clean and in good condition.

Giving your hoops the best life possible is easy. Read on for some tips so you can start protecting your sacred circles.

1. Be careful when hooping over concrete or harsh surfaces

One of the main ways that you can damage a bare polypro is by scratching it. Hooping over rough ground like concrete or the street can be a risky game. If you drop your hoop, which everyone does, there’s a good chance of scratching the hoop surface. A few scrapes here and there won’t be the end of the world, but over time this will have an apparent effect. The surface will be rougher and the color may fade. Keep in mind – a little texture on your hoops isn’t a bad thing. Sanding the inner ring of your hoop can help your hoop stick to your clothes and skin easier.

2. Buy a hoop bag

Hoops can become damaged during travel very easily. Buying a bag for your hoops can protect them before any problems can happen. This tip keeps your hoops out of harm’s way. It’s also a super convenient way to transport your hoops. It sure beats being at festival or event and having to lug around a bunch of colliding hoops through a crowd. You can buy the prop bag pictured above from our collection of Hoop Travel Bags.

If you’re looking for other travel solutions, you can hack your car to allow for the safest transport of your hoops by attaching your hoops to the roof of your car. By attaching bungee cords across the top of the inside of your car, you create a net to hold your hoops in place!

3. Clean your polypro hoops regularly

Think hard. When is the last time you sat down and cleaned your hoops? Just like anything else we own, the upkeep is extremely important. Dirt, mud, sand, dust, and grass are just some of the elements that can discolor or stain your hoops. Filthy hoops can dirty up your clothes pretty quickly, turning all the hard you put into festival outfits and costumes into a grungy mess. Not to mention, your hoops will start to smell bad, so make sure you wipe them down every once and a wipe. A little soap and water will do the trick. Add essential oils to your cleaning solution to elevate your mood during your next flow sesh! So, seriously – clean your hoops.

4. Keep the hoop in a temperate environment

“Polypro” is short for Polypropelyne, a type of thermoplastic that is popular in the hoop construction world. This is because the material is easily moldable and reactive. Polypro hoops are characterized as bouncy, stiffer, and way lighter than its competition. This becomes helpful if a hoop arrives in the mail warped. Read more about the FAQs The flip side of this is that we need to keep our hoops in places where we can control the temperature. If possible, keep hoops in air conditioning. Climates that are too cold or too hot will have a negative reaction to your hoop. The cold can literally freeze the hoop, making it susceptible to cracking. If it’s too hot, the hoop can bend and warp out of a circle.

5. Tread lightly when trying extreme tricks

Wedgies and fast breaks are just two of the moves that can prove fatal to your hoop babies. Like mentioned earlier, cold weather can lead to brittle tubing that can shatter when exposed to high impact. During breaks and paddles, your arms slap the hoop to redirect momentum in the opposite direction. One swift motion can damage your hoop beyond repair. Tricks like wedgies bend the tubing in a non-natural way, and this pressure can prove to be too much in cooler weather. Be careful in times like this. Using good discretion can be the difference between your hoop staying in one piece or breaking apart.

6. Proper storage is key to preventing accidents

How do you store hula hoops? There are many ways to store your hoops while they aren’t being used. Throwing them into the corner of a room is not one of them. People can step on them accidentally. Something heavy can fall on them. It’s important to keep them out of the way. Hang hooks off the walls to turn your flow toys into a creative decoration piece. Buy a hoop stand to display your hoops and keep them off the ground. You can even keep them tucked in between a bookshelf and the wall. Anything is better than the floor.

We have an unstated connection to our hoops that is hard to put into words. The way we treat our hoops can affect our relationship with our props. If we treat them with love, they will love us back.

Do you know of any other tips? 

We'd ❤️ to hear your thoughts, leave a comment below on the best ways YOU keep your hoops-happy.