Yoga has a ton of benefits. This ancient practice helps you build strength, flexibility and circulatory health; it can also relieve stress and anxiety. Best of all, to practice yoga, whether you’re at home or heading to a studio, all you really need is a yoga mat.
As the most important piece of your yoga kit, keeping your yoga mat clean and odor-free should be your top priority. Unfortunately, sweat, dust and other germs can build up on the surface of your mat, causing bad smells and even spreading diseases if you’re not careful. To prevent this and to ensure your mat doesn’t wear out prematurely, you’ll need to follow a strict cleaning schedule. This may involve cleaning your mat after every use, spot cleaning it every few weeks, and giving it a deep clean if things begin to get smelly.
Keep reading to learn exactly how to clean your yoga mat using a combination of wipes, yoga mat cleaners and towels.
1. If You Sweat a Lot, Always Dry Your Mat With a Soft Towel
Nothing will make your yoga mat smell more quickly than rolling it up when it isn’t dry. This is especially true if the mat is wet with your sweat. So, the easiest thing you can do after every practice is to dry your sweat off the mat using a soft towel.
These Mr. Siga Microfiber Cleaning Cloths will do the trick and are easy to throw in your gym bag.
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Buy: MR. SIGA Microfiber Cleaning Cloth $10.99
2. If You Don’t, It’s Still a Good Idea to Wipe Down Your Mat Every Week
So, you’ve decided to ignore step one. Even if you don’t sweat at every practice, your yoga mat still needs regular maintenance. The easiest way to extend its life is to wipe the mat down with a yoga mat cleaner about once a week. Please note that if you clean the average mat more often than once a week, you may cause it to wear out quite quickly.
These Tidy Mat Cleaner Wipes from Giant Lion are a great way to give your yoga mat a rubdown. They’re safe for all types of yoga mats and can pick up dust, bacteria and sweat. Each container includes 30 wipes with a pleasant white lavender scent.
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Buy: Giant Lion Tidy Mat Yoga Mat Cleaner Wipes $14.95
3. Every Couple of Weeks, Spot Clean Your Mat With a Made-for-Purpose Cleaner
In addition to wiping down your mat every week, you should spot clean it every two weeks or every month. That means spraying it down with a made-for-purpose cleaner, like this one from Asutra.
Asutra’s yoga mat cleaners are made from all-natural ingredients yet are extremely effective at eliminating dust, germs, dirt and sweat from the surface of the workout aid. In addition to getting rid of everything that might cause bad odors, this spray will also leave your mat smelling delightful thanks to the included essential oils. The Astura cleaners are available in seven different scents as well as a multipack.
However, you should avoid using cleaners containing essential oils on yoga mats made of rubber.
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Buy: ASUTRA Natural & Organic Yoga Mat Cleaner $11.99
4. Or Make Your Own Cleaner at Home
Even if you don’t want to buy a made-for-purpose yoga mat cleaner, you can still make your own at home. Simply mix a few drops of a mild dishwashing liquid, like this Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap, with two cups of warm water.
This liquid dish soap promises to remove dirt, grease and residue from the surface of your mat. Making your own cleaning solution means it will be free of chlorine, formaldehyde, artificial colors, parabens and phthalates.
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Buy: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Liquid Dish Soap $5.28
5. Use a Spray Bottle
Whether you’ve decided to use a made-for-purpose yoga mat cleaner or a DIY mixture, you’ll need to somehow get it onto your mat. The best way to do that is to use a spray bottle, such as these Sally’s Organics Glass Spray Bottles. Simply spritz the cleaner over your mat and then wipe it off using a soft towel (like those mentioned above). After you’ve removed all the cleaning solution, wipe your mat down again with a damp towel to ensure all the cleaner has come off the surface.
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Buy: Sally's Organics Amber Glass Spray Bottles $19.98
6. Then Hang Your Mat Over a Drying Rack
Rolling your mat up or laying it on a flat surface while wet will only encourage the growth of mold and bacteria. This, in turn, will cause your yoga mat to really stink. So, the final step in this cleaning process should be to hang your mat over a drying rack. Both a shower curtain rod and clothes drying racks work well for this purpose. If you don’t have one, you can pick up this AmazonBasics Foldable Clothes Drying Rack to do the job.
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Buy: AmazonBasics Foldable Laundry Rack $26.99
7. If You Need a Deeper Clean, Throw it in the Washing Machine
Unfortunately, even with regular cleaning, yoga mats can get rather smelly. If this is the case for your mat, you might consider throwing it in the washing machine on a cold water gentle cycle with a very gentle detergent. Many yoga mats are now machine washable.
Before you do this, check with your mat’s manufacturer regarding their cleaning recommendations as some mats won’t survive the tumbling that comes with machine washing. It’s also important to note that you should never put a yoga mat in the dryer. Instead, let it air dry over a laundry rack.
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Buy: hOmeLabs Portable Washing Machine $279.99
8. Or Wipe it Down with a Vinegar Solution
Alternatively, if your yoga mat can’t be cleaned in the washing machine but still smells quite bad, try wiping it down with a vinegar solution to get rid of any bad odors. Mix one part distilled white vinegar with three parts water. Then, wipe the solution onto your mat before rinsing it off with a damp cloth. And, as always, allow the mat to air dry over a laundry rack. While your yoga mat will no longer have a bad odor, it may smell like vinegar for a few days following this type of cleaning.
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Buy: Energen of Carolina Grain Vinegar Concentrate $27.50
9. If it Really Smells, Use Baking Soda
If you’ve tried all of the above and you still can’t get the stink out of your mat, it’s time to use baking soda. Simply sprinkle the baking soda powder over your mat, and gently rub it in. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, so the powder can work its magic absorbing any oils and nasty smells that may be lingering on your yoga mat. Finally, brush the powder off the mat, then use a vacuum to pick up any lingering dust.
Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda works well for this and several other household cleaning jobs.
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