Hygienic case for protecting a mat from contaminants and method of using same

Abstract

A hygienic case for protecting a mat. The hygienic case includes a flat material and a cover. The flat material includes a liner portion and a cover portion. The liner portion has a hygienic surface and an outer surface. The hygienic surface is positionable against a user side of the mat and shaped to receive the user side of the mat thereon. The liner portion has flexibility to rollingly fold with the mat into a tubular roll. The cover portion is connected at an end of the liner portion and is shaped to protectively encircle the tubular roll. The cover fastener is positionable about the cover portion to closingly secure the cover portion about the tubular roll whereby the user side of the mat is isolated from contaminants.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of protecting an exercise mat after use on a surface containing contaminants, the method comprising:
 obtaining a hygienic case comprising a liner portion and a cover portion, the hygienic case independent of and isolated from the exercise mat while the exercise mat is in use, the liner portion including a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and one or more layers, the one or more layers having a hygienic surface on a first side and a contamination surface on a second side, the liner portion sized to at least the dimensions of the exercise mat and the cover portion attached to the first end of the liner portion;   positioning the hygienic surface of a first layer of the one or more layers of the liner portion to overlay a user side of the exercise mat while a bottom side of the mat opposite the user side is in contact with a surface containing at least one contaminant, the cover portion extending beyond the user side;   isolating the user side of the mat from the at least one contaminant associated with the bottom side of the exercise mat by:
 rolling the liner portion from the second end with the exercise mat therein to form a tubular roll, wherein the bottom side of the exercise mat is prevented from contacting the user side of the mat, at least in part, because the first layer remains between the user side and the bottom side within the tubular roll and the contamination surface contacts the bottom side. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers includes a plurality of layers; and further comprising:
 removing one layer of the plurality of layers of the liner portion prior to performing the positioning, wherein the one layer that is removed has a contaminated contamination surface caused by a prior rolling.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each of the one or more layers of the liner portion sequentially provide, upon removal of a used layer, protection via exposure of a new contamination layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 encircling the formed tubular roll with the cover portion by continuing rolling the formed tubular roll onto the cover portion.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 fastening the cover portion about the tubular roll using a fastener integrated with the cover portion.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein fastening the cover portion comprises securing the cover portion using one of a zipper, adjacent hook and loop fabrics, straps, snaps, ties, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the cover portion is wider than the liner portion and in addition to encircling the formed tubular roll, the fastening of the cover portion includes encasing the ends of the tubular roll within the cover portion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein encasing the ends of the tubular roll includes utilizing draw strings to pull together edges of the cover portion. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 attaching the cover portion to the liner portion using a liner fastener prior to positioning the hygienic surface of a first layer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the liner fastener comprises a zipper. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more layers of the liner portion include a plurality of disposable sheets. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the cover portion has lateral edges to cover ends of the tubular roll after forming of the tubular roll via the rolling. 
     
     
         13 . A method of protecting an exercise mat after outdoor use, the method comprising:
 completing an outdoor exercise program using an exercise mat lying on an outdoor surface, a user side of the exercise mat facing up and a bottom side of the exercise mat in contact with the outdoor surface;   retrieving a hygienic case comprising a liner portion and a cover portion, the liner portion including a first end to which the cover portion is attached and a second end opposite the first end, the liner portion including one or more layers with each of the one or more layers having a hygienic surface and a contamination surface opposite the hygienic surface;   positioning the hygienic case such that the hygienic surface of a first layer of the one or more layers of the liner portion covers and is in direct contact with the user side of the exercise mat while a contamination surface of a second layer of the liner portion is facing upward from the outdoor surface;   rolling the liner portion, beginning at the first end, with the exercise mat therein to form a tubular roll, wherein, upon rolling, the contamination surface of the second layer isolates the user side of the exercise mat from contaminants associated with the bottom side of the exercise mat through direct contact of the contamination surface with the bottom side.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the outdoor surface comprises grass and dirt. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the outdoor surface comprises concrete or a decking material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein, prior to positioning the hygienic case, a previously used second layer having a previously used contamination surface is removed to expose a new contamination surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein, prior to positioning the hygienic case, a previously used first layer is removed to expose a new hygienic surface. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more layers of the liner portion include a plurality of disposable sheets. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 fastening the cover portion about the tubular roll using a fastener integrated with the cover portion.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the cover portion is wider than the liner portion and in addition to encircling the formed tubular roll, the fastening of the cover portion includes encasing the ends of the tubular roll within the cover portion.