Yes, that's right! A DIY project on how to make your very own filthy yoga mat!
1.) Attend a hot yoga or Bikram yoga class
2.) Roll your mat up and allow it to fester until your next class
3.) Repeat
Although the above is totally accurate (and repulsive), this blog post is meant to help you
avoid a dirty yoga mat. :) If you don't practice very often or are worried about damaging your mat, choose one of the following simple methods and clean that mat!
Every once in a while for a deep clean, it's usually fine to throw your yoga mat into the washing machine. (*Some mats recommend front load washers without the agitator) If you have a cheap mat, (like my first $10 mat that I tried to wash weekly) it will fall apart after a while. My poor little bright green mat hung in there for almost a year before my yoga instructor so delicately pointed out that she had little pieces of my mat on her mat. I was the only one in the studio with a disheveled neon green mat, so it was clearly my mat chunks. I hung my head in shame and set out to find a new mat and cleaning regimen.
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| Natural Fitness Yoga Mat |
After some researching, I decided I wasn't quite ready to spring for a Jade mat. (Their cheapest mats run around $60-$70) So, being the frugal idiot that I am, I decided to trust the Amazon reviews and try a $50 mat from Natural Fitness that I'd never even laid eyes on, let alone touched. Saving my spare $10 for a trip to Chipotle, I happily ordered the all-natural rubber mat online, knowing that they would plant a tree when they received my order. Aww...how sweet.
Before I even got the whole mat out of the package, I could tell it wasn't for me. It just didn't
feel right.
(Don't you wish there was a yoga mat shop equivalent to Ollivander's Wand Shop!?) The mat was durable, but ultra thin, super heavy and not sticky at all, so it wouldn't even work for doubling up with a cheaper mat. I tried to force myself to like it for a good 3 months before finally purchasing another cheap sticky mat for $12, bringing my grand total $62, $8 away from a nice Jade mat. I still use the Natural Fitness one and am purposefully hard on it. I use it outside often and I throw it in the wash all the time, hoping it will soon be destroyed enough to justify purchasing a new mat.
ANYWAY, as for my other new cheap mat that doesn't like the washing machine, I decided I may as well at least use something natural, antibacterial and preferably cheap. So, I turn to...vinegar! Although the salad smell dissipates as the vinegar dries, I definitely hoped to tone it down a bit.
If you're used to cleaning with vinegar, try this recipe:
1 part warm water to 3 parts white vinegar
About 9,387 drops of lavender essential oil
Simply mix together in a clean spray bottle, and use after each practice. Spray and wipe down both side of your mat. Be sure to dry it with a soft, dry cloth and hang somewhere to dry thoroughly.
The cleaning part of this formula works very well. I'm just not sure how I feel about introducing any vinegar scent into my yoga studio. It's one thing for the shower to smell like pickles for a while after cleaning, but I don't like my studio smelling like pickles. Ever.
Another option for a deep clean is to put your mat in a bathtub with a few inches of very hot water (be sure to remove the cat, first, if you have one). Add about 3 cups of vinegar, stir it around and allow it to soak for at least an hour. Then, using a cloth or soft brush, scrub down both sides and rinse thoroughly. Hang it to dry. (Bonus: Your tub ends up cleanish, too!)
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| Squeaky clean yoga mat |
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| Method Lavender - all purpose |
A few more ideas: I've been in studios that offer Clorox wipes for post-yoga wipe-downs, homemade concoctions, as well as pricey eco-friendly mat cleaners made with unicorn tears and Fiji water. My favorite cleaner? I really enjoy using diluted
Lavender Method. I buy the bulk re-fill size as an all-purpose cleaner to use all over my house. It smells amazing and does a good job without leaving any residue (when diluted). So basically, your favorite cleaner is probably fine, but when in doubt, just dilute it and use whatever you like!
*As a word of warning, most yoga mats do not dry
in one day and can be very annoying and dangerous when slippery. Once you flow from a Downdog to a face-plant on an
improperly dried mat, you may plan ahead next time to have a back-up mat or use a
towel over your mat for your next practice.
However you clean your mat, just be sure to clean it in the first place! It's easy to forget if you roll up your mat after practice and stow it away, but it doesn't take long for a mat to stain or harbor dirt and bacteria. And trust me, there's
nothing like the smell of a large, sweaty piece of rubber, so if anything, clean it for your fellow-yogis! Namaste :)
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