Tips for Cleaning and Caring for Your Yoga Mat

As a yoga teacher, I see many yoga mats at different stages of cleanliness and degrees of wear-and-tear.  Some people bring in brand new mats that have never been unrolled, while others bring in obviously well-loved, well-used mats that have seen better days.   

Some are dirty from extended use over time, or from dirty bare feet and hands over a short period of time. I can tell if a person has pets if the mat has claw marks or pet hair on it.  

I also keep a good supply of yoga mats at my studio, for students who prefer to use those, and it's my responsibility to clean them and make sure they're in good shape.  

If you keep your yoga mat clean and store it properly when you're not using it, it will work better for you and it will last longer.  Dirty mats don't have as much stickiness to them, and mats that are carelessly stuffed in a closet while not in use may develop wrinkles, creases, or gouges, making them less usable.

Here are a few methods that I use to help me take good care of our studio mats.

How you choose to clean your yoga mat will depend on how dirty it is, how thick it is, and what it is made of.  Here are a few methods to consider.

1. MIld Soap and Water

This simplest method will work for all yoga mats - use a solution of mild soap and water to scrub your mat down using a sponge or towel. Rinse well, and hang dry.  If it's still looking dirty, repeat the process.  Liquid Castile soap is a good option.  I also use dish soap like Palmolive, or an environmentally-friendly dish soap. 

You can scrub down your mat outside in a clean, grassy area, or in your bathtub or shower stall.  Carefully press water out of the thicker, more porous mats to have them dry faster.  You can also roll them up in a towel to get rid of excess water.

I use this method on the eco-friendly 5mm TPE yoga mats that we have at the studio.  During the warmer weather, I take them outside, spray them down with the hose and sponge them with a little dish soap.  Then I thoroughly rinse them and hang them to dry. 

Most people will tell you not to put your mats through the dryer.   I do use a dryer with these thin mats, but ONLY on low and ONLY for 10 minutes to remove excess water.   I put in a towel or two to help absorb the water and to bat them around a little in the dryer.   Then I hang them to dry the rest of the way.

Take care if you dry your mats this way!  Do NOT dry them fully, and do NOT use high heat!  This may destroy your mat, or at least leave it permanently wrinkled (I speak from experience!)

Natural rubber yoga mats can be cleaned with the methods used above.   Open celled natural rubber mats absorb a lot more water, so typically people would deep clean them just occasionally, since they take a long time to rinse and dry.

Do not dry these mats in the sun or in a dryer.   Your mat will start to deteriorate quickly if you do.   Hang the mat neatly over a drying rack or a sturdy shower curtain rod.