After starting to practice yoga at home we become more and more concentrated on the results. Together with the greater results, it comes time to think about our yoga mats. Dirty hands, sweat, dust on the floor and in the air make our yoga mats a good place for bacteria and allergens. Dirty yoga mat starts smelling, reach the end of its life faster and can even cause health problems. That’s why we recommend following one of these 5 best ways of cleaning your yoga mat at home.
Before going deeper into these 5 best ways of cleaning a yoga mat at home, there are several daily things you can do to keep it cleaner:
- Wash your hands and feet before your yoga practice. Yoga mats absorb body creams, oils, sweat. Therefore, washing your hands and feet will keep your yoga mat clean for longer.
- Use a yoga mat towel on your mat. A microfiber towel adds a hygienic layer between your body and the mat during the practice. They absorb your body creams, oils, sweat and are easy to wash.
- After each cleaning, let your yoga mat dry fully before rolling it up. It can protect the mat from bacterial growth and mold formation.
Some of the yoga mats are machine washable and some are hand-washable. It depends on the yoga mat’s materials provided in the instructions. We introduce you to the 5 bests ways of cleaning a yoga mat at home suitable for all types of materials. So, it doesn’t matter if your yoga mat is machine washable or hand-washable, is it PVC or non-PVC, is the ink water-based yoga mat, or not.
5 best ways of cleaning a yoga mat:
Wash with soap
Run cool water into a bathtub and add a little bit of soap. Sink the yoga mat in the water and wash it all at once. Let it soak for a few minutes. Rub the mat using a soft sponge. It protects your mat from damage. Rinse the yoga mat with clean water making sure to get all of the soap out of it.
Use lemon
Lemons can be used not only for cleaning your body but also for cleaning yoga mats! Lemon juice has antibacterial features. The acid in lemon juice kills mold, bacteria, and germs. Find more ways to use Lemons here. It is also a great choice for deodorizing and refreshing the smell of your yoga mat. Squeeze some lemon juice in a cup of water, take a sponge or a piece of cloth and wipe your mat with it.
Use baking soda
Baking soda is a wonderful product not only in the kitchen. Due to its natural disinfectant feature, it works as a great cleanser – it removes germs from yoga mats. Make a mixture using 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 1 cup of water. Take a piece of cloth, wet it with the mixture and wipe the mat with it.
Use vinegar
Another way of cleaning your yoga mat is to use a mixture of water and white vinegar in equal parts and a few drops of lemon juice. Lemon will mask the strong smell of vinegar. Despite its unpleasant smell, vinegar is great for deodorizing and disinfecting your mat. Wipe your mat with a sponge or a piece of cloth and this mixture.
Use saltwater
One more eco-friendly cleaning way for your yoga mat is saltwater! Salt removes bacteria from the mat. Add 2 spoons of salt in one cup of water and mix it well. Take a sponge or a piece of cloth and wipe your mat with this salted water.
Remember: Let your mat dry, before rolling it up.
Even more, you can make a spray cleaner by choosing one of the above-mentioned mixtures! All you need is just an empty spray bottle. If you choose to make a spray cleaner we recommend placing this solution in the fridge to keep the mixture usable longer.
