Yoga Mat Cleaning – Ultimate Guide to keep Yoga Mat Clean

Are you aware that intensive and sweaty yoga sessions can make your yoga mat dirty, smelly and contaminated with germs? The yoga mat absorbs sweat, oil, and grime while we perform yoga postures. As it gets dirty, it needs regular cleaning.

Wondering how you should go about cleaning your yoga mat? Keep reading this ultimate guide of yoga mat cleaning for keeping your mat clean and hygienic.

How to Clean a Yoga Mat?

Cleaning your yoga mat is easy and it hardly takes few minutes. Prepare a soapy mixture of warm water and mild detergent solution. Spray this solution onto the yoga mat and firmly scrub it using a clean microfiber cloth. Spray and scrub on both sides of the mat. Now, rinse the mat in warm water and allow it to air dry thoroughly.

Won’t you be interested to know more about cleaning and disinfecting your yoga mat?

Read on as this article explains various ways of cleaning your yoga mat and answers queries like whether you can wash your yoga mat in a washing machine, how often you should wash your yoga mat, etc.

Effective Ways of Cleaning Your Yoga Mat

There are various effective ways of cleaning your yoga mat. You may clean it by applying a simple homemade soapy mixture or pre-made solutions like vinegar, etc. Moreover, some washable mats can be washed in the washing machine. Let’s discuss these methods in detail.

Cleaning Yoga Mat with Soap & Water

It is a widely used method for cleaning yoga mat at home. You can use your bathtub or hose outback for cleaning your mat easily with soap and water.

Step1: Fill your bathtub with warm water and soak your yoga mat in it.

Step2: Prepare a soapy mixture by using a mild detergent solution or lather soap in a

clean wash rag. Rub your yoga mat with this soapy solution by applying gentle pressure for removing the dirt, grime, oil, and sweat.

Step3: Leave the soapy mixture to sit for few minutes on the mat before rinsing it off. This will kill the microbes like bacteria. Now rinse the mat by running it under warm water in the bathtub. Ensure to remove all the soap from the mat.

Cleaning Yoga Mat with Vinegar

Using a disinfecting solution of vinegar and water works great at killing germs in your yoga mat. This solution can be quickly and easily prepared at home.

Step1: Ensure that you have a bottle of white vinegar and essential oils like lavender or lemon ready before beginning. Prepare a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water and add few drops of essential oils to this solution.

Step2: You can either use the solution prepared in step 1 in a spray bottle or take a dry and clean wash rag and soak it in the solution. Spray your yoga mat with the solution or wipe it using the wash rag by applying gentle pressure.

Step3: Leave your mat to rest for few minutes. Rinse it with warm water for removing the cleaning solution completely.

Step4: Ensure to dry your mat before using it again.

Cleaning Yoga Mat with Pre-Made Solutions

There are various pre-made solutions available to remove germs, sweat, and grime off the mat. You can easily spray these cleaning solutions for ensuring a convenient and quick way of sanitizing your yoga mat.

Cleaning Yoga Mat with Natural Solutions

You can prepare a natural yoga mat cleaner by mixing witch hazel with water. It works as an organic and water-based cleanser suitable for sanitizing and restoring the texture and colour of your yoga mat.

Cleaning Yoga Mat with Readymade Wipes

If your busy life doesn’t give you enough time to clean your yoga mat, you can use the readymade wipes. Simply, wipe your yoga mat after every session with these high-quality wipes for killing the bacteria and sanitizing the mat.

How to Deep Clean a Yoga Mat?

After every few sessions, you should do a deep cleaning of your yoga mat. If you are doing intensive yoga sessions every day, you should deep clean your yoga mat once every week. In other cases, you can consider it as a monthly exercise.

Follow the below-mentioned steps for deep cleaning your yoga mat.

Step1: Fill your bathtub with a solution of warm water and soap. Ensure to use a castile soap without any conditioner for cleaning yoga mats.

Step2: Soak your yoga mat inside the solution in the bathtub and leave it for 10 minutes.

Step3: Use a clean washcloth for scrubbing your mat and wipe it with gentle force in all directions.

Step4: Allow the soapy water to drain away and rinse your mat with clean water for removing the soap completely off its surface.

Step5: Leave your yoga mat to dry completely before using it again.

How to Clean Yoga Mats Made of Different Materials

Depending on the type of material used in its preparation, a yoga mat may be categorized as foam mat, rubber mat, polyurethane-rubber mat and cork mat. Let’s briefly discuss the salient features you need to remember while cleaning these yoga mats.

Foam Mat

The foam mats can be easily cleaned by washing them quickly under the shower. Moreover, you can also spray a mixture of water and essential oils such as lemon verbena or tea tree oil for wiping its surface. You can use any method for cleaning the foam yoga mats.

Rubber Mat

The rubber mats should not be cleaned with a shower as the water may fill up the rubber cells and block them.

Washing them in water may also make these mats heavy. Moreover, you should also avoid essential oils for cleaning these mats as they may break down the rubber cells.

The best way of cleaning rubber mats is to spray a solution of salt and water. For more thorough cleaning, you can prepare a baking soda solution in warm water and add drops of lemon to it. Wipe the mat completely and allow it to dry.

Polyurethane-Rubber

The polyurethane-rubber yoga mats can be cleaned by wiping with a moist towel followed by hang dry. This way, you can prevent the moisture buildup in these mats. You can also deep clean these mats by using baking soda mix.

Due to their anti-microbial properties, these mats prevent the growth of bacteria or fungi. Avoid soaking the mat in the shower or using essential oils, as it can reduce the sticky nature of the mat.

Cork Mat

The cork yoga mats are designed for self-cleaning. However, you should clean these mats by wiping their surface with a damp cloth.

How To Dry Your Yoga Mat And Correct Ways Of Storing It

After cleaning your mat, ensure to dry it thoroughly before using it again. If your mat is warm and moist, it can cause bacterial growth. Let’s discuss the different ways of drying a yoga mat.

Hang Dry

Once you have washed your mat, hang it over the shower curtain or a clip-style hanger. Leave it overnight to dry out completely. Don’t fold or overlap your mat, as it may result in incomplete drying.

In the Sun

If you have a non-biodegradable mat, you can dry it under the sunlight. Some mats are not suitable for drying under the sun as they may lead to their breakdown.

Always read the yoga mat manufacturer’s guidelines before cleaning or drying your mat.

Roll a Towel Up Inside the Mat

You can also dry your mat by rolling a towel inside it. Take a clean and dry towel and cover your flat yoga mat with it. Now roll this towel up and squeeze it for removing any excess moisture. After this, hang dry your yoga mat as it speeds up the drying process.

How To Store A Yoga Mat Correctly?

Once you have dried your yoga mat, you should roll it up firmly and store it in a ventilated place with optimal air circulation. Storing your yoga mat the correct way goes a long way in increasing its longevity.

Avoid folding your mat as it can lead to the appearance of wrinkles and excessive wear, resulting in an early breakdown. You can also store your yoga mats in readymade sustainable yoga mat bags.

If you don’t store the mat correctly, its constituent materials like Eco-PU and natural rubber may separate with the passage of time. Ensure to keep the top and coloured surface facing outside while rolling your mat.

How Often Should You Clean Your Mat?

If you do regular yoga sessions every day, you should disinfect your yoga mat after every session. However, if you do yoga once or twice a week, try cleaning your yoga mat at least once a week.

Moreover, you must do deep cleaning of your yoga mat once every month. However, if you do hot yoga sessions frequently, then your yoga mat odour may give you a signal when to wash it.

When your yoga mat starts stinking, it has already absorbed a lot of grime, dirt, and sweat. Thus, cleaning your mat regularly avoids such situation.

Can You Wash The Yoga Mat In The Washing Machine?

The answer to this question depends on the type of yoga mat you have. Not every yoga mat is designed for machine washable. Read your yoga manufacturer’s guidelines to check if you can wash your yoga mat in the washing machine.

Use an environmentally friendly detergent and run the washing machine on a delicate cycle with cold water for washing your yoga mat. Ensure to hang dry washed yoga mat and avoid putting it in a dryer.

It is recommended to hand-wash your yoga mats. When you wash them in a washing machine, you run the risks of damaging both your mat and washing machine. The hand-wash is the safest way of cleaning your yoga mats.

Abdul
 

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