Dec 16

Mat Maintenance

There recently came a point when my trusty yoga mat crossed over the line from “ready for cleaning” to “scary”. There are lots of contributing factors (including frequent use & less-than-sterile studio floors), however my mat gets messed up fastest from the body lotion used by a select few students. Sure, I want you to have soft, healthy skin, but when I adjust a moisturized body, there is no place for me to wipe my hands and they soon go right back to my mat and I start slipping and sliding. Please don’t lube up before class.

Regardless of how, yoga mats do get dirty. There are products you can buy to clean your mat and I am sure there are countless other methods advised, but I use a simple solution of  warm water (90%) and vinegar (10%). If you have a less substantial mat, you can just put it in the washing machine (I do NOT recommend using the dryer). If you have a thicker “performance” mat you can rinse/scrub it in the bath tub, or just spray whatever cleaner you are using on it and wipe it off. Please note if you soak your mat or run it through the wash, it may take a couple/few days to dry. It is effectively a sponge. I have thought my mat was sufficiently dry a few times only to squish and slip through class (another lesson in patience).

No matter how you do it, cleaning your mat will (hopefully) not be the highlight of your day. So, keeping your mat clean is another matter to consider. My suggestion is having intention as to how you roll your mat up at the end of your practice. If you simply roll your mat up as you would a sleeping bag, the (presumably) dirtier underside of the mat comes in contact with the top side (which you are trying to keep clean). Instead, I recommend folding the mat in half first (clean side in) then rolling the mat up. Another advantage of this method is the elimination of the dreaded “mat curl” where the end of your mat won’t stay on the floor. Give it a try.