How To Clean A Yoga Mat?

Yoga mats will often get put through their paces. Regular yoga means your mat is going to absorb sweat, dirt, oil and other grime. Before too long it might end up a bit sticky and smelly. Then you know it’s time for a clean!

There are a number of ways to clean your mat, but how do you know which one is best? We’ve put together some possible methods below.

How Often Should You Clean Your Yoga Mat?

In general, the dirtier your mat becomes the more often you will need to clean it. But don’t over-do it. If you clean your yoga mat too often it will start to become damaged and won’t last as long.

Ideally, you shouldn’t need to clean your mat any more often than perhaps once a month, but it will depend on individual circumstances.

How Dirty Is Your Yoga Mat?

But just how dirty is your mat? This will depend on a number of factors. For example:

How often you practice yoga? Clearly the more you practice, the dirtier your mat will become.

How long you practice yoga for? If you practice yoga for just ten minutes then your mat is going to stay cleaner than if your sessions last for 30 minutes or more.

The intensity of your yoga practice. The harder you push yourself, the more sweat you will produce and the more sweat your mat will absorb.

Where you practice your yoga? If you go to a yoga class it may be that you carry your mat around often and lay it down in areas where there has been quite a bit of footfall. This means your mat can quickly pick up dirt and grime. Maybe you also do yoga outside? So perhaps you are laying your mat down on grass and pavements? Again this will also impact the cleanliness of your mat.

How to Clean a Yoga Mat

Before getting started, make sure you have a yoga mat that has been completely dry for at least 24 hours.

To clean your mat first remove any excess dirt by brushing it with running water and using a mild soap to break up the dirt or grime. You can also put your hand in soapy water and then brush all over the surface of the mat.

Next take some diluted white vinegar (about one part vinegar mixed with nine parts water), add a few drops of tea tree oil, and soak the whole of your wet/dampened yoga mat in it for about ten minutes. Then rinse the mat under cold running tap water until everything is thoroughly rinsed off. Finally, hang your mat out to dry.