How to Clean Yoga Mats: 7 Steps will Help You Clean it with Ease

Anand April 17, 2021August 25, 2023 0 Comments yoga, yoga mat

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Nothing is frustrating than rolling out your yoga mat before practicing and sniff a subtle hint for past days’ sweat or notice a sticky layer of grime.

Think about when your mat absorbs all oil, dirt, and sweat that they are exposed to, meaning they can eventually become smelly, dirty, and contaminated with germs rapidly.

To keep this entire gunk off from your mat, establishing a consistent cleaning routine is essential.

However, many of us wonder how to clean our yoga mats following an easy and quick process. I got you covered.

How to Clean Yoga Mats: Simple & Affordable Cleaning Process

Allow me to take you through a simple, dependable, and affordable process for cleaning your yoga mat.

What you require

(a) Water

(b) Mild dish soap

(d) Washcloth or terry cloth

(e) Laundry detergent

(f) Spray bottle

(g) Vinegar

(h) Tea tree oil

Explore Various Yoga Mats

7 Efficient Steps & Strategies to Help You Clean Yoga Mats

Step 1: Know when to wash your mat

In essence, we should wash our yoga mats comprehensively after a couple of months, most probably three.

And frequently for the individuals who don’t have regular maintenance or if you eventually perform yoga daily.

Besides, these extend your mats life, and also from transferring bacterial and smell.

Further, the type of mat also matters. If you have closed-cell mats, they do not absorb moisture only require to get wipes often before thorough cleaning.

The open-cell mats are more absorbent, meaning you will need to wash them often.

Step 2: Soak the yoga mat.

Utilize warm water (3.8 l) and dish soap 915 ml) solution. Submerge your mat in the bathtub/basic and allow it to typically soak for about 10 and 15 minutes.

This will aid dislodge oils, dirt, and odors. Besides, the hypoallergenic laundry detergent and dish soap are the best selections for mild cleaners on yoga mats.

Further, avoid utilizing much detergent in warm water; you only need enough soap to clean off the mat; excess can cause it to be slippery and hard to practice asanas yoga.

Step 3: Hand wash your mat using a soft cloth.

After it has soaked for some minutes, utilize a soft cloth or sponge to wash both sides.

Further, wipe it thoroughly, targeting the area which your feet and hand touch most frequently.

Besides, someone can tell such specific areas since they have a little different color to the rest of your mat.

Virtually, wipe gently, so you don’t degrade your mat or eventually pull off chunks of it.

Step 4: Rinse the mat using clean water

Drain the tub or bucket that you have on a yoga mat and rinse it. Besides, this will help minimize the danger of having a slimy mat and removing any soap residue.

Rinse it until you start noticing the water is clear and if not, consider repeating the cleaning process.

Step 5: Remove the excess water from the mat

Shake off your yoga mat to remove the excess water on the surface. Further, lay it flat on a dry towel; roll them both together to eventually squeeze out the remaining moisture.

Remember not to wring it out since this might cause tearing, wrinkling, or warping. Besides, you can also step on your rolled-up towel and mat, which is more effective at getting out the excess water.

Step 6: Hang your yoga mat to dry

After squeezing, unroll your mat from the towel and hand it until completely dry.

In this case, someone can utilize the pant hangers to eventually hang your yoga mat. And for some of us with a laundry drying rack, consider draping it over it for faster drying on both sides.

Avoid putting your mat on a clothes dryer, and this may easily ruin it or even cause a fire.

Additionally, squeezing bits right on your yoga mat between fingers can aid you to feel any remaining moisture, if not wholly dry.

Step 7: Spray your mat (optional)

Get the spray bottle, add two tablespoons of white vinegar and fill your bottle with water. Further add few drops of essential oil such as tea tree oil.

The white vinegar serves as an antibacterial best cleaning solution, while cold water dilutes it to lessen odor or any negative effects to your mat.

Further, the tea tree oils offer a fresh scent to your mat, and also they have anti-fungal properties.

Consider spraying down the whole mat, which is the best routine to do after each yoga session, most probably for a closed-cell mat. It will aid in disinfecting your mat by confiscating the buildup of unwanted sweat and germs.

After spraying, use a sponge to wipe the yoga mat down and do it twice for the perfect measure. Further, allow it to dry before you roll it up; this takes few minutes.

(a) Washing machine submersion

Washing machines also do magic’s when it comes to washing yoga mats.

However, if you have a chipping or old mat, avoid surmising it into a washing machine.

If your mat is in good condition, place it in the front-loading compartment, add laundry detergent, change the setting to soak selection, and start washing in a gentle cycle.

After the washing process, air dry your mat and hand it outside sunlight to completely dry. Hope this answers your question about how to clean yoga mats.