BellaOnline Forums Health and Fitness Yoga Cleaning your Yoga Mat

I did yoga today for the first time in a while, and did it inside. My mat has all sorts of little things on it from my back porch yoga. I took them off with a 7th generation cleaner (just grapefruit juice and water I think). What do you guys use?

I use a homemade mix, just some water and mild dish soap. I spritz the mat, and wipe it dry with a soft cloth.

You must've read my mind, Lisa! I'm including my mat-cleaning tip in my next newsletter, but here it is:

This is something I found completely by accident and I love it. Use the gel hand sanitizer, and pour it in from the bottle evenly over the surface of the mat. Wipe off with a clean rag or paper towels. (Don't use the hand wipe sheets as they tend to tear.) It dries fast and does a great job!

A little story: I spilled juice on my mat one day and didn't want it to stain so I grabbed the first thing handy - my sanitizer - and found it worked very well. It cleans the mat, sells great and kills germs at the same time. : )

Stay healthy,
Nancy

OK Bob does have some gel sanitizer - I'll give that a try too! Thanks!

1:1 vinegar and water in a spray bottle works fantastic. If there are stuck on spots - rub a little baking soda in and then spritz that away.

OK I had to track this thread down because my mat needs a cleaning and I'm completely out of my 7th generation cleaner. I tried making a homemade cleaner with vinegar and Bob *hates* the smell of it so I don't want to do that again.

We do have the gel hand sanitizer though, so I'll go use that now and then leave the mat out in the sun to dry.

OK I'm happy to report that using a microfiber cloth and a bottle of sanitizing gel I was able to clean my mat quite well! I now have it stretched out in the sun, over a pair of chairs, to air out and dry.

I do have a question though. It seems like the primary ingredient of the gel is glycerine, which is a sticky substance. That means my mat will now be coated with glycerine which will both get on me and also attract dirt and grime to the mat. Should I rinse it off with water do you think?

OK Bob just got home and I looked up on other websites and found they recommend cleaning yoga mats in the bathtub by submersing them for several minutes. So it seems like water is OK for yoga mats. So I had Bob drape it over a plastic chair and put it out under the sprinkler. It's getting a nice rinse!

If your mat is lightly soiled, use a spray bottle, damp sponge, or terry cloth rag to apply a solution of two cups of water and four drops of dish soap. Rub the soiled areas. Wipe the mat with clean water; then rub with a dry terry cloth towel. Hang to air dry.

Dear Marina -

Thank you so much for the tips! It worked great in the summer. Now that we have snow, I'm less certain how to get my mat to dry