How To Wash Your Yoga Mat

You really don’t want to wait until someone in your yoga class tells you quite politely that it may be time to wash your yoga mat. It can be quite embarrassing especially if the enclosed room is small and you certainly don’t want any of your new found friends to start avoiding you like you got the plague, because of the stinking smell.

Now the reason why you ought to be cleaning your yoga mat is not just because of the bad stench it is starting to permeate in the classroom. It’s good hygiene practice too. You certainly don’t relish the thought of resting your forehead on a bacteria growing mat while doing the child’s pose on it, do you?. You probably won’t call it your best yoga mat when that happens.

How To Wash Your Yoga Mat    

Slightly Soiled Mat 

If your mat is slightly soiled you can use a sponge and damp it with some water and use a cloth to apply some solution of mild detergent onto the soiled area. Then wipe the mat with some clean water followed by using a dry cloth towel to dry it before leaving it to dry in the sun.

Heavily Soiled Mat

If your yoga mat is quite heavily soiled, you should prepare a basin of warm water with some mild detergent and just submerged it completely. Remember to use very little detergent otherwise your mat may become slippery when you next use it. Hand wash the mat is to be preferred and then rinse it thoroughly with clean water. If there is any excess water, try to remove it by wrapping the mat over a towel. Then leave it to dry outdoor.

Using Washing Machine

Most yoga mats including the thick yoga mat kinds are machine washable. All that is required is a little mild detergent and cold water but never use the spin dry feature of your machine. After the wash give it some time to dry naturally avoiding any drier or radiator to do this. Do not fold the mat and refrain from using it until it is completely dry. There might be some excess water being absorbed in your yoga mat. You can get rid of this water by rolling the mat up with a towel if you want to expedite the process of your mat drying up.