Disinfect Your Mat Instantly Without Harsh Chemicals
Sarah DandurandTo properly clean your yoga mat, you should use diluted soaps and natural cleaners mixed with water, rather than harsh products like bleach that can wear out or disintegrate your mat. The absolute best way to care for your mat is to follow the manufacturers recommended care tips, since this will reflect how your mat's materials respond to specific cleaners and cleaning methods. Crk's mats handle regular cleaning with all natural products and for stains you can use our Magic Spray™.
Overview
- Castile soap and water can be used for cleaning most 100% natural rubber mats, just be careful to thoroughly wipe away soap since it can impact grip. Diluted vinegar and essential oils like tea tree oil are great for for disinfecting your yoga mat and lemon oil can also help get out stains.
- Deep cleaning by thoroughly rinsing is recommended over soaking your mat for long periods of time. If there is more than one material in your mat, which causes seams, water could get trapped in them. Having a good disinfectant cleaner with antimicrobial properties is essential for mats after hot and sweaty practice, or that are used outdoors, or as rental mats at studios.
- Cork mats resist odour and microbial buildup longer, reducing the need for daily cleaning. They can even be forgiving if you forget to clean them after a few hot yoga classes, and resist smells. However air drying is still critical.
- After cleaning a mat, it is essential to let it air dry. You can lay it out flat on the floor or hang it on rack, if space is an issue. You can also put your mat outside, where there is a natural breeze, and sunlight continues to disinfect your mat. Just be careful not to leave your mat under direct sunlight for extended periods of time, since this can degrade certain materials.
What's the best way to keep your mat clean?
The number one cleaning advice for most mats is to allow them plenty of time to air dry. Since moisture can cause bacteria to proliferate, simply leaving your mat unrolled ensures that it's always fully aired out. Aside from that, a quick wipe with most cleaners at studios is just fine.
The one time you have to take extra care when cleaning your mat is if it's a light-coloured, highly porous mat like natural rubber. This material can easily show stains and improper cleaner, like vinegar, can also cause natural colours to shift. For most other mats, use natural vinegar and some gentle essential oils, diluted by plenty of water. There should be at least 50-75% water to ensure that the cleaners don't wear out your mat!
Do I have to clean my mat each time I use it? There is no right or wrong way to clean your mat. While you may clean it after every use, the only time you really have to clean your mat is when it starts to feel dirty. If you do regularly clean your mat, in the absence of sweat and debris, you should use a more heavily diluted cleaner to avoid wearing out your yoga mat's materials.
What to avoid:
- Undiluted cleaners, which can erode your yoga mats materials
- Disinfecting wipes or chemical cleaners
- Be cautious with soap since any oil-based cleaner can impact the grip of your yoga mat if it's not thoroughly rinsed
How do I deep clean my mat?
- Scrub with your desired cleaner and then thoroughly rinse with a shower head.
- You may consider submerging your mat for up to 10 minutes for highly porous mats like natural rubber.
- Make sure when scrubbing your mat to avoid wearing out the surface. Certain closed-cell designs, like PU or TPE resist moisture anyway, so additional scrubbing is unlikely to fix the issue.
- For the deepest clean, let your mat air dry outside in indirect sunlight. If it's fully soaked, you may need to allow sufficient drying time, up to 24-48 hours.
- If you can find one for your mat, purchase a specialty cleaner that can deep clean and remove stains. Crk sells Magic Spray for light-coloured, natural rubber mats.
How to clean based off yoga mat materials
Closed-cell mats, like PU, don’t absorb sweat so bacteria mostly sits on the surface and can be effortlessly wiped away, whereas open-cell mats, like natural rubber, are highly absorbent, and may require thorough scrubbing and rinsing to keep clean.
- Cork: naturally resistant to microbial growth and rather than absorbing moisture, it channels it away. The mats surface can still get stained, so proper cleaning is essential, and it's worth considering essential oils that have stain removing properties.
- Natural rubber: is highly absorbent and doesn't have antimicrobial properties, so thorough cleaning is critical. The best way to clean these mats is to use a diluted Castile soap mixture. Avoid acidic cleaning agents like vinegar since it can cause colour shifts.
- Closed-cell plastic mats: Regular surface wipes with just about any chemical-free cleaner generally do the trick.
What is a common misconception about mat care
One of the wildest misconceptions is that cleaning your mat will ruin its grip. This should never happen as long as care guidelines are followed. Whether you use diluted soap or vinegar, sufficient rinsing should be enough to remove any remaining residue and keep grip texture in tact. Even if you occasionally use a fairly strong solution that deeply penetrates into the surface, it shouldn't degrade grip as long as you don't overdo it, or scrub away the surface.
What's the lowest maintenance mat for cleaning?
If you don't want to think about cleaning your mat, closed-cell designs will keep moisture out and resist bacteria build up, since you can easily wipe away germs on the surface. The caveat is that they are generally less high performance, so you might not get the same grip and comfort as other mat materials. If you are looking for a grippy open-cell mat, it will be much harder to keep clean. A great alternative to that is to get a cork mat, since it's naturally anti-bacterial and resists moisture build-up. It also has high performance features like great grip for your sweaty palms.
How Crk prioritizes mat care
We offer natural materials that are mostly antimicrobial and water resistant, like cork and hemp. Even our natural rubber mat is low maintenance, since we designed a specialty cleaner that makes getting out smells and stains a breeze. Just like our mats, all of our cleaning recommendations involve safe and natural cleaners that you can feel good about!
Browse our full range of mats and check their cleaning recommendations under 'Care Instructions'.
Additional Sources
- How to clean your yoga mat | Cleveland Clinic
- Six steps to safe and effective disinfectant use | EPA
FAQ
What should I disinfect my yoga mat with?
Use natural cleaners like vinegar, essential oils, or Castile soap diluted with water.
Can I spray Lysol on my yoga mat?
Lysol and similar disinfectant sprays, or wet wipes are not recommended for hemp, cork or natural rubber. Not only are they full of chemicals but they can also change the appearance of your yoga mat permanently.
Can I use rubbing alcohol to clean my yoga mat?
Diluted rubbing alcohol is an option.
How often should I deep clean my yoga mat?
Only deep clean your mat once stains start to appear or odour builds up.
