Yoga exercise can relax your body and mind, but after a long time of exercise, the yoga mat will remain sweat, dust, grease and other dirt. If it is not cleaned for a long time, it will produce unpleasant odor and even stink, which will not only affect the yoga experience. It also accelerates the aging of the yoga mat and shortens the service life of the yoga mat.
So how to clean our yoga mat?
The right way to clean
Dilute a neutral detergent, such as dish soap or laundry detergent, with plenty of water, then use a sponge or towel dampened with water to wring it out and wipe gently. It is recommended to focus on cleaning after every 4 uses. After each practice, you can spray yoga mat cleaner and dry with a damp towel. Excessive cleaning and the use of abrasive products will wear down the pads faster, so don’t spray alcohol. Be careful not to use a stiff bristle brush, and do not use any cleaning solution containing a softener (it will affect the anti-slip effect).
Rubber yoga mat
Natural rubber yoga mats are easy to decompose, so they cannot be cleaned with acid and alkali-containing detergents. Pay special attention when choosing detergents. If it is not particularly dirty, it is best to use clean water to wet it with a towel, wipe it gently, and then dry it. Pure natural rubber material is not suitable for hot yoga, and hot yoga needs to be matched with linen surface or suede leather.
TPE yoga mat
TPE yoga mats can be diluted with a small amount of mild detergent or light soapy water, then wiped with a soft towel dipped in water, then wiped with water and dried.
The right way to dry
After any practice, especially after a lot of sweating, and after cleaning the wet yoga mat, you need to wait for it to dry completely before storing it. If it is directly rolled up from the yoga classroom and brought back, it needs to be unfolded and dried before being stored after returning home. Avoid exposing the yoga mat to the sun and dry it in a cool and ventilated place.
Correct storage
When not in use, it needs to be rolled up (not foldable) and kept out of direct sunlight. The mat must be dried before rolling it up!
Use period
Under normal use frequency, the service life of single-layer yoga mat is about one year, and the double-layer with anti-crack mesh is about three years. For details, you can refer to the actual situation, according to the degree of wear and tear of your own yoga mat.