13/11/2025
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐠𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭?
First of all, I apologise if after reading this, you feel differently about your yoga mat (or even a bit queasy)! Secondly, you should know that even as a yoga teacher, I’m not fastidious over cleaning my own mat, but we do need to address the question of how clean a mat really is…
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘁?
I’m not talking about the occasional grubby mark, but did you know there are all sorts of things that could be just hanging out on the surface? And if your hands are touching the surface where your bare feet have just been, you might think twice before touching your face…
• Sweat, body oils & dead skin cells: Every time you practice, you’re shedding skin, releasing oils and perspiring (I hope)! These things become nutrients for microbes
• Bacteria: Mats are surfaces that can carry bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) which can cause skin infections if they enter a cut or abrasion
• Fungi / mould: Warm, moist environments (yoga studio, sweaty feet) are ideal for fungi (like ringworm or athlete’s foot) to grow
• Viruses & other microbes: Mats can harbour the common cold virus, human papillomavirus (warts and verrucae) and even the norovirus
• Dirt, dust & floor contamination: Especially if you go barefoot.
𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗱 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀
As you know, Ad Astra Yoga & Pilates classes are held in a busy community hall. We’ve all been distracted at one point by evidence of the kids parties floating around on the ceiling, and most of us have seen other fitness, martial arts classes and community groups going in and out… Your mat is one of your first points of contact with that shared space. If the floor is harbouring something unsavoury – then your bare feet soon will too, as will your mat…
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘁
You might be tempted to grab household bleach or a harsh detergent like biological laundry liquid but pause for a moment. While bleach is cheap and powerful, it can damage the surface of your mat, not to mention your lungs, skin and eyes. It also carries environmental drawbacks through its manufacturing process.
𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝘁
The first thing to do is check what your mat is made of – these are the most common types:
• PVC: generally, the cheaper style mat that isn’t porous so can withstand a bath tub full of water – you might have one of these for Pilates as they’re thicker and don’t need to be ‘sticky’
• Polyurethane sticky mats: the type with a black underside are porous and won’t appreciate a lot of water. Oils will also make them lose their grip (think about your hand cream, body lotion, makeup and hair oils)
• Natural rubber: these mats biodegrade and can’t withstand vigorous cleaning with strong detergents.
With that in mind, here are some effective, mat-friendly, environmentally friendly cleaners you could try.
Commercial mat sprays:
• Products formulated for yoga mats that blend essential oils (tea tree, lemongrass, eucalyptus) with gentle disinfectants
• Travel-size options are great for keeping in your mat bag to freshen before and after class
• Look for cruelty-free, natural-ingredient certifications if sustainability matters to you
• Google ‘yoga mat cleaners’ and you’ll see products ranging from £13 to £40 (ish).
DIY options:
If like me, you want to go greener or explore a less expensive option, you could:
• Mix 50/50 water and white vinegar, spray it on and wipe it off
• Add a bit of bicarb to your spray if you’ve got a grubby mark
• Add a few drops of tea tree oil if your mat can stand it.
𝗔 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻
Once in a while, your mat might need more than a gentle spray and a wipe. Try these ideas, but bear in mind sticky mats don’t like a soaking:
• Hose it down with the shower and use a soft sponge or cloth to apply a washing up liquid solution
• For PU sticky mats, spray with a mix of up to 50/50 water and Dettol or washing up liquid
• Put a little warm water in the bath with up to 50/50 Dettol or washing up liquid
• For really bad stinks or stains, use cool water in the bath with baking soda and let it soak for 15 minutes or so
• Only machine wash your yoga mat in the most extreme cases, in which case you may still need to consider replacing it.
I really hope you don’t feel too bad about your mat now, but I also hope you’ve got some good ideas for improving the space in which you practise with me.
And one absolute final word on this topic before you go, is to air your mat out. Not only will it take up to 24+ hours to dry – don’t be tempted to roll it up at the end of class and not unroll it again until next time. More often than not, a lovely bit of fresh air and sunshine (if we’re lucky enough to get any) works wonders!
