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How To Clean Your Yoga Mat

How To Clean Your Yoga Mat

How To Clean Your Yoga Mat

SHOP THE OUTFIT: Leopard Print Leggings | Sports Bra, also love this and this |

In the past month, my yoga mat has been the most used item in my home. I’ve been doing at home workouts to keep my body active. Did you know that exercising has been known to ease anxiety & stress and build your immune system? It’s one thing my oncologist recommends I continue to keep up!

Anyways, with the frequent use of the yoga mat it is extremely important to maintain the cleanliness of the mat. Especially during these times, practicing good hygiene is a priority. Even though doing at home workouts frequently is what prompted me to ensure I clean my yoga mat, I hope these tips and practice is continued even when we all go back to group fitness classes. Nowadays, we can’t be too sure what is out there. After all, none of us expected a virus pandemic in 2020, but look at where we are.

Why You Need To Clean Your Yoga Mat

Why You Need To Clean Your Yoga Mat At Home

While sometimes it may not be visible, your yoga mat is definitely dirty especially after working out at home or during a group fitness class (such as a yoga class). Yoga mats absorb all the sweat, oil, and grim that they’ve been exposed to. Therefore, they can quickly become dirty and contain germs. So if you are someone who can sweat a lot during a workout, cleaning your yoga mat after every use is very important.

In addition to the yoga mat absorbing your sweat and oil, it can also absorb whatever grime and bacteria the floor has. Think about the yoga studio and how many people have walked on that floor. We may not know or see what that floor has captured. But now that your mat has laid on it, it has been exposed to that grime as well. By cleaning your mat, you will kill any pathogen on the mat’s surface.

How To Clean Your Yoga Mat At Home

How To Clean Your Yoga Mat

Deep Clean Your Mat

If it has been a while since you have cleaned your mat, I highly recommend deep cleaning. Some mats are hand wash only and I recommend you use a mild soap. Some can be washed in a washing machine on a cold, gentle cycle. Never put your mat in a dryer. Always air dry them.

Disinfect Your Mat

After every use, you should use a disinfectant solution. Avoid any harsh cleaners. You can use disinfectant wipes to wipe down your mat after every use or use a disinfectant spray to wipe it down with a soft cloth. Right now, any type of disinfectant is sold out. So you can make your own.

For rubber mats, I recommend avoiding products with essential oils.

Make Your Own Yoga Mat Cleaner

So if a store-bought disinfectant spray or wipe is not an option, you can easily create a solution at home. Grab an empty spray bottle and fill it with 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts clean water. Feel free to add a splash of tea tree oil to the mixture. Tea tree oil is known to be antimicrobial and effectively kills bacteria. Rinse it with a clean damp cloth and let it dry.

Use A Yoga Towel

Since the yoga towel lies directly on top of the mat, it will absorb all the sweat and grime from your body. Plus, they’re much easier to clean and most are machine-wash friendly.

Let Your Mat Air Dry

One important thing after you have disinfected your mat is letting it dry completely before rolling it up. This allows the disinfectant to completely soak through the mat.  If you deep cleaned your mat, the best way to air dry them is hanging your mat so all the excess liquid drips off. Most mats will be damaged if placed in the dryer.

Cleaning Your Mat After Group Fitness Classes

Not only should we consistently clean our mats after doing at home workouts, we should continue this habit when we start going back to the gym. Most fitness studios and yoga studios provide disinfectant sprays and cloths to wipe down your mat after every class.

However, sometimes it is not always available or we don’t want to wait in line to get the cleaning solution. So I highly recommend to always have a cleaning solution with you in your gym bag. There are several effective mat cleaners you can purchase or bring your own solution and place it in a travel-size spray bottle.

Yoga Mats

Best Yoga Mats To Buy

1 Thick Nonslip Mat
2 Extra Thick Foam Mat
3 Extra Cushion Yoga Mat
4 Nonslip Eco-Friendly Mat
5 Reversible Mat
6 Nonslip Fitness Mat
7 Printed Thick Vegan Mat
8 Yoga Illustrated Mat
9 Pink Marble Yoga Mat

At Home Workout Equipment Essentials

At Home Workout Equipments

 

1 Workout Outfit – 2 Piece Set
2 Nonslip Resistance Loop Bands
3 Pull Up Bands / Resistance Bands
4 Nonslip Yoga Mat
5 Exercise Step Deck / Exercise Bench
6 Knee Pad Cushion
7 Leopard Print Workout Leggings – see full review here.
8 Kettlebell Adjustable Portable Weight
9 Elastic Resistance Bands
10Dumbbell Set
11 Handle Medicine Ball

Have you been working out at home?

xo RD

How To Clean Your Yoga Mat How To Clean Your Yoga Mat

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Comments

  10. Laura Leigh says

    Okay I really need to do this! Thank you for the reminder and tips. Joshua and I have both been using our yoga mat every morning and have yet to clean it during quarantine – gross I know!

    xo Laura Leigh
    http://louellareese.com

    Reply

  11. Stephanie says

    My husband and I have been doing yoga on an almost nightly basis lately, and I was just beginning to wonder, “how do I clean off my mat?” I’ve had the same one since high school, and I’ve wiped it down occasionally, but I wanted to do a deep clean. Thanks for the tips and tricks on how to do so!

    Reply

  14. Katerina says

    So helpful, thank you Rach! Regular exercise is so important and I agree that especially at times like these, we need to keep moving. I am grateful I can work out from home too and I am exercising more than usual – it’s definitely keeping me happy. I am also admiring that very high pile of books in the photos behind you – very cool!

    Reply

  17. friv unblocked says

    Wow. I finally found something useful for my article to write. this is interesting and helps me make further analysis of the future. I’m glad I found this blog, thank you. And I hope you’ll expand on some of your ideas on this and I’ll definitely come and investigate again. Thanks for the effort and time.

    Reply

  18. Kristina says

    My hubby and I have been doing at-home workouts and yoga but I have to admit, I barely clean my mat unless I’m at a class.. but I do usually use the yoga towel which is a must for hot yoga anyway!

    Reply

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