How to clean your yoga mat

Now that the "intelligent lockdown" is coming to an end, that is good news for many people. Thanks to inventive solutions, we could still stand on the mat virtually, but it doesn't feel the same. Moreover, empty gyms and abandoned yoga studios do not bring in money and that can have serious consequences for your favorite studio.

We were inundated with questions about how to safely use your yoga materials in Corona times.

In this blog you will read about:

1. Cleaning your own yoga mat
2. Tips for safe yoga in times of corona
3. Cleaning yoga mats in the studio

What is the best way to clean your yoga mat?

The best way to clean your yoga mat strongly depends on the material of your mat. You can make your own water-vinegar solution for weekly cleaning of your own mat. It is nice to add a drop of essential oil to this.

Recipe for your own yoga mat cleaner

We think this is a very nice recipe to make your own yoga mat cleaner:

1 cup (distilled) water
1/2 cup natural vinegar
10 to 20 drops of antibacterial essential oil such as tea tree or peppermint or thieves.

Mix the ingredients in a small plant sprayer and you're done. Shake well before use. After the yoga class, spray on your mat and let it soak in for a while. Then wipe it dry with a soft cloth.

Tip: Or take a look at the Manduka yoga mat sprays here, which come in a handy spray can.

Cleaning a yoga mat with alcohol

If you want to clean your yoga mat with alcohol or other disinfectants, no problem. At least, for the PVC mats.

We do not recommend this with biodegradable mats. This means the TPE and natural rubber mats. These have an open cell structure and are therefore more vulnerable.

Mat in the washing machine

The 4 mm mats can be washed in the washing machine at 60 degrees. This also applies to the 6 mm mats, but they can be a bit heavy for the machine. So be careful. The Manduka and Premium mats are too heavy for the machine anyway.

In the shower

Do you have a heavier mat? Then you can take it with you in the shower! Scrub well, if necessary with a mild soap and then rinse well. Finally, roll up the mat tightly in a towel. This way you wring out most of the moisture. After this, let your fresh mat dry in the open air.

It is never a good idea to store your mat damp. That is why it is best to let it dry well after washing and after your practice.

Tip: Use a yoga towel over your mat. This absorbs all the sweat and is even easier to wash out (also at 60 degrees so works well against fungi, bacteria and viruses)

Cleaning yoga mats in the studio

Are you a yoga teacher or do you have your own yoga studio, then you must be relieved that the doors opened again on July 1th. It's nice to be able to practice your profession and that we can get together again. But it also takes some getting used to. What can you do to ensure that students are safe on the mat?

If your students still use a studio mat, it is extra important to clean it well at the end of class. We receive many questions from studios. How can we best clean our mats?

Do you remember Dettol? That effective remedy that gives schools and hospitals that recognizable scent? You want that! First, make some soapy water with a dash of dettol in a bucket. Then you put all the mats next to each other in the hall and start mopping! In any case, it goes a lot faster than with a cloth.

Finally, you want to clean all yoga mats again with a scented water. That way, the hospital smell doesn't linger. And some incense also helps ;-)

Tip: Do you think dettol is really too chemical: natural vinegar also works.

11 Tips for safe yoga in corona time

It's great that you can practice yoga in the studio again, but it won't be like before. If we want to be able to stand on the mat together for a long time, then it is good to look at how we can safely give and follow the yoga class.

These 11 tips are a collection of measures that yoga studios take in response to the corona advice from the RIVM.

1. Fewer people in the room, about 1.5 to 2 meters between the yoga mats;
2. Intensive cleaning of the studio mats after each lesson;
3. Disinfecting hand soap at the entrance and toilets;
4. More intensive cleaning of contact points such as sanitary facilities, doorknobs and banisters;
5. No physical supervision during class;
6. In case of cold complaints, teachers stay at home, practitioners are expected to do the same.

What can you as a practitioner do to ensure the safety of yourself and fellow yogis?

1. Preferably only use your own yoga materials;
2. Wash and disinfect your hands before class;
3. Do your exercises at home if you have the known complaints (cold, cough and shortness of breath);
4. Clean your mat well after your lesson in the studio;
5. Hugging is so 2019… a namaste greeting is more powerful than ever!

The best measure for a clean yoga mat

Perhaps we are preaching to the choir, but we have been advocating it for years; it is best to buy your own yoga mat. And now this is more relevant than ever. More and more studios are therefore giving their students a mat as a gift. When everyone is on their own mat, it is a lot more hygienic and safer. We therefore recommend marking mats with a marker. For example with initials or a symbol. Everyone takes their own mat home with them.

Do you also want to provide yoga mats to your students or encourage students to buy a mat themselves? Then inquire about the conditions of our wholesale and our new affiliate program.