There are a lot of advantages to doing yoga at home instead of at a studio. It’s cheaper, you can do it any time of the day, and it’s a great way to keep up your yoga practice while still remaining socially distanced.
But there’s one disadvantage you may not have considered. If you practice yoga at a yoga studio, you’re able to use regularly cleaned and sanitized yoga mats when that service is provided. But if you do yoga at home, or if you go to a studio but use your own mat, you may not be keeping up with cleaning your yoga mat as much as you should.
If you’re reading this and realize you don’t know the last time you gave your yoga mat a good, thorough cleaning, or if you’re wondering how important is cleaning and sanitizing my own yoga mat if I’m the only one using it, then read on.
Why Do I Need to Clean My Yoga Mat?
Your yoga mat is dirty. If you aren’t cleaning your yoga mat adequately or frequently enough, then it probably contains up to four times as many bacteria as the loaner mats at the studio.
That number should bother you because the germs, bacteria, and fungus that can accumulate from sweating on your yoga mat may lead to a number of unpleasant health concerns, ranging from athlete’s foot to plantar warts and ringworm.
How to Clean a Yoga Mat
Thankfully, by getting into a regular cleaning and disinfecting regimen, you can prevent these problems before they start. Before using any kind of cleaning solution, make sure you check your particular yoga mat for manufacturer recommendations so you don’t do anything that may inadvertently cause wear and tear.
Tips to Clean a Yoga Mat
- Clean your mat about once a week. Too much cleaning can cause wear or tear on certain mats. If you’re a heavy sweater, or if your mat retains odor, you may need to clean slightly more often.
- For your weekly cleanings, just spritz a gentle solution of a few drops of dishwashing liquid and warm water on both sides of the mat and wipe it down. Rinse the mat off with a damp cloth dipped in clear water. You don’t want to soak the mat.
- Never put your yoga mat in the dryer. Instead, lay it flat or drape over the shower curtain rod until it dries.
Tips to Disinfect a Yoga Mat
To kill bacteria and germs that can cause plantar wars, ringworm, and athlete’s foot, you should be disinfecting your yoga mat about once every week. Also, keep in mind that if you’re a heavy sweater or if you or anybody in your house is sick, then you should disinfect more often.
You can make a simple and effective DIY disinfectant spray for your yoga mat by combining water, white vinegar, and several drops of tea tree oil. The antibacterial properties in vinegar and tea tree oil should work just as effectively as any store-bought disinfectant made specifically for yoga mats.
If the DIY route isn’t for you, but you still want to avoid harsh chemicals (which aren’t good for yoga mats), you can try a product like Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day.
Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner From Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day
From your kitchen to your bathroom to your yoga mat, you can count on the fresh cleaning power of the Multi-Surface Everyday Cleaner from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day. Choose from one of four garden-fresh scents, including Lemon Verbena, Geranium, Lavender, or Rosemary. Each is formulated with plant-based ingredients and essential oils. It cleans and provides a fresh scent, all without the use of any parabens, phthalates, glycol solvents, formaldehyde, or artificial colors. Before using your yoga mat, make sure to consult with your yoga mat manufacturer.
Enhance Quan Yin From Health Concerns
Along with your yoga practice, you can also holistically support your health and well-being with Enhance Quan Yin, a Chinese herbal supplement from Health Concerns. Enhance Quan Yin is primarily used to support immune function for people who have disorders of chronic viral issues, but it may also be used for symptoms associated with other immune dysfunction issues.
Proboost Thymic Protein A From Genicel
Another way to support your immune system and your overall health and well-being is with the Proboost Thymic Protein A supplement from Genicel. Thymic Protein A has the same biological activity as a key natural thymic protein produced in the body, and has been determined by the National Institute of Health to be a potent immunoregulator by inducing interleukin-2 production. The result is a supplement that provides potent immune support by supporting increasing T-cells and white blood cells.
