Hello, if you've made it here it's probably because it's about time to clean your yoga mat(s). For as much as we sweat on our mats for some reason we tend to not give them the clean they deserve for supporting our practice. Jumping right in here's how I care for my mats for both light & deep cleans:
Light Clean
Homemade: Mat Spray
If you enjoy a DIY project or prefer to buy your mat spray ingredients in bulk so you can make a batch whenever you need it, feel free to make your own mat spray. THIS LINK will take you through a tutorial that's pretty similar to how I make an at home spray. My usual ingredients are water, vinegar, tea tree oil & eucalyptus oil.
Store Bought: Mat Spray
If you're not the type to concoct your own cleaner feel free to buy one. Personally, when purchasing a mat cleaner I prefer to go for formulas that match a more homemade formula. For example the The Cleanser, $22 from BYoga only has 5 ingredients all of which are similar to a homemade formula only the measuring and bottling is already done!
Deep Clean
Washing Machine
I know, I know, yes I normally put my mats in the washing machine for a deep clean every month or so. For me this gets my mat clean in the shortest amount of time and even helps shorten the drying process to about 12 hours. I put one mat in it's own machine with a small amount of gentle detergent so that the detergent doesn't clog my mat, reducing grip. Then I hang it over my shower rail overnight. By the morning, I have a fresh mat ready to use again.
Tub Soak
If you don’t want to throw your mat in the washing machine you can also soak your mat “face down” for a couple of hours in a tub with the same cleansing mixture of 1 bottle of homemade spray for a deeper clean (you also use a small amount of dish soap/gentle detergent). After the soak make sure to drain the water, give your mat another rinse and hang to dry for about 48 hours.
Personally, I own 5 yoga mat's so it's easier for me to pull a replacement mat out while I wait for one of my favorite mats to dry from a deep clean. So if you own one mat, make sure to schedule your practice around you deep clean.
If you have a favorite way to clean you mat. Let me know what it is in the comments 💜