Stay healthy: don’t forget to clean your yoga mat!
Our yoga mats sure get taken for granted, don’t they? I’ll be honest, I used to clean my mat maybe… once a month? And I typically use it every day, multiple times a day as I teach around San Diego. That sounds kind of horrifying in retrospect, but thankfully I’ve always stayed healthy. However, I think it’s safe to say most of us are extra conscientious about germs these days. That is, we want to keep them at a minimum. Whether you’re reading this during the current time of Coronavirus or just want to protect your health by keeping things fresh, it’s time to clean your yoga mat!
Think about it: when we practice yoga, we put our entire bodies all over our mats, including our faces and bare feet. We often sweat all over them. Many of us take our mats around to practice in different spaces both out and inside. And while your yoga studio may clean regularly, there are still a lot of barefoot people in there, walking around on the same floor…
Now, there’s no reason to feel afraid or paranoid about this. It’s just important to practice good hygiene after yoga practice to protect yourself. This 2020 pandemic has made us more aware of the fact that there are certain measures we can practice to prevent disease spread, like washing your hands. After class, you should wash your hands and feet, change your socks/clean your flip flops, and, of course, clean your mat!
Plus, it’s so easy to do.
And you already have what you need at home.
You just need two ingredients to clean your yoga mat.
Ready?
Wait for it…
SOAP + WATER.
Boom! It’s just that easy. To be specific:
- Use hot water and just one or two drops of dish soap (or any liquid soap you have access to).
- Combine in a glass spray bottle and shake to mix.
- Spray your mat down completely. Let sit a moment.
- Run a clean cloth under hot water until it’s soaked and nice and hot.
- Wipe down your mat with the wet washcloth.
- Dry with another clean, dry cloth if you’re on the move.
- Otherwise, let your mat air dry (avoid drying in direct sunlight, which can crack/break down your mat).
I recommend using a natural, non-toxic, eco-friendly soap. We put our faces all over our mats! It’s best to use a formula that is gentle and free of chemicals and won’t irritate your skin. I’m not sponsored by Mrs. Meyers or anything, but theirs is my favorite soap to use, as you can see below.
Using tinted glass spray bottles like the ones I have helps keep the contents fresh since they’re protected from light exposure. I use these bottles for all my essential oil sprays and cleaning products at home.
If you need some new cleaning cloths, these are eco-friendly and made from sustainable bamboo, but are durable, easy to care for, and well-reviewed!
(Sadly, this beloved yoga mat of mine is no longer made, but the Manduka Pro yoga mat is my other favorite if you’re looking!)
There are other ways to clean your yoga mat, but why mess with the best?
You could also clean your yoga mat using a blend of essential oils (a simple and effective combination is to use tea tree/melaleuca and lavender oils—mix with water in a spray bottle). Or you can buy a specially marketed “mat spray,” like this one from Manduka, which typically also include a formula of essential oils.
Those work great, but they’re needlessly expensive. And they actually aren’t as effective at removing dirt and debris from your mat as soap is. It’s also common for skin to have irritated reactions to essential oils, so they don’t work for everyone.
I’ve used essential oil blends in the past and they smell amazing and are indeed antibacterial and antimicrobial, but I’m just saying there’s an even easier way that works even better! So this is what I do now to keep my mat of 4+ years like new.
If you’re on the go and don’t have access to water
—you can use regular household sanitizing wipes to clean your yoga mat! I use these from Seventh Generation. You can even use body or face towelettes, which I talk about more below.
If you’re at a yoga studio or gym, ask them where their yoga mat wipes are! They should have some available for their students to use, though they may not be readily visible.
But again, you’ll want to clean your yoga mat with soap and water when you’re at home to make sure you’re getting a real, deep clean. You don’t have to do it every time, but depending on how often you use your mat, you’ll want to make sure you’re giving it some regular maintenance.
You still need to clean your yoga mat even if you’re just practicing at home!
I’m sure you have lovely clean feet, but our home floors can get dirty (as a dog owner, I know this to be exceptionally true). Even if you wash your hands prior to your yoga practice, our feet are easier to forget because they’re out of sight, out of mind.
Plus, the oils from your skin and sweat can slowly break down your mat and cause breakouts on your forehead when you go into Child’s Pose. So, even if you’re the only one using your mat, and even if you’re only using it at home—clean it.
Concerned about practicing inside a yoga studio?
Don’t be! Soon we’ll be able to reintegrate back into social activity, but it will be a gradual process. There are a couple of extra measures you can take to keep yourself and your mat clean when you decide to back to your local yoga studio.
The top suggestion I have is to wear socks! You can take your shoes off outside of the studio, helping to keep the public space clean, and then wear your socks inside of the studio. That way you won’t pick up anything as you walk around to set up your mat and get your blocks. Take your socks off before your step onto your mat, and you’ll keep it germ-free!
Speaking of blocks, be sure to get some yoga block covers, which you can bring with you to cover your studio’s blocks. Or you can always bring your own blocks! You’ll want your own yoga strap, too, and bring a towel to drape over bolsters. Props are shared by many students. They are cleaned by the studio/gym, but even better to stay proactive!
Wearing flip-flops and don’t have socks? Bring some disposable natural body wipes with you to yoga class. I use these vegan natural towelettes from Pacifica, perfect for both face and body! That way, after your set up your space, you can wipe your feet down before you step onto your mat. You can also use these wipes to clean off your mat.
Be sure to clean your yoga mat after each practice!
I know, you’re busy. You’ve got things to do, places to be. But our yoga practice reminds us to become present, so stay in your meditative post-yoga zone and mindfully care for your yoga mat. Make it part of your ritual and care for yourself and your props.
Most importantly, remember not to get overly obsessed with all of this. Worrying about getting sick puts us in a low-vibrational state of fear, which can actually weaken our immune system. The key is not to worry, but to take easy steps like this to stay well.
Sending you all virtual hugs and well-wishes!
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Be honest—how often do you clean your yoga mat? Share in the Comments below!
xo,
Amy
This post is not sponsored, but there are affiliate links throughout this post. I genuinely love these products and know you will, too. Thanks for supporting the blog!