Yoga mats are an essential part of your exercise regime while practicing yoga. Whether you practice yoga at the gym, a studio, with your trainer, or your home, the yoga mat’s cleanliness is essential and crucial for your health. With the ongoing pandemic of Covid-19, it is all the more important to clean it. Even if you are practicing at home, it is essential to clean your yoga mat. If you are not cleaning your yoga mat at home regularly, it could contain bacteria four times more than a gym yoga mat. So here are some effective ways through which you can deep clean and disinfect your yoga mats.
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Make Your Own Cleaning Spray
Skin is the largest organ of the human body. So you should be very particular that it does not get infected through unclean surfaces. Instead of buying some unknown cleaning sprays, it is better to create your own cleaning spray, and they are easy to make. First, get a clean and opaque spray bottle and fill it with half distilled water and half white vinegar. You can also add some bicarb to make it more effective. You can use this solution to clean your yoga mat. You can also add tea tree oil to this mixture, which makes it anti-fungal and bacterial. Every day you can use this self-made spray to clean your yoga mat before and after the exercise.
Use a Disinfectant for Sanitizing the Yoga Mat
In this age of a pandemic, it is advisable to use sanitizer to clean the yoga mat. It is 100% effective on viruses and germs too. Using it reduces your chances of getting infected with unwanted germs and also cleans your yoga mat. The only problem with using disinfectants is that they can be sensitive to certain skin types. So make sure that you buy disinfectant that your skin is not allergic to.
Always Wash Your Feet and Use a Head Yoga Towel
One of the ways to keep your yoga mat clean is by keeping your feet clean. So whenever you are using your yoga mat, make sure that the feet are clean. You can clean your feet by washing them with water and dish soap. Avoid moisturizing your feet and hands as it can soil your mat and can make it slippery. You can also use a hand sanitizer to clean your feet. Make sure to use a dry towel or a soft cloth for your yoga sessions; this way, you don’t spoil or stain the yoga mat while doing poses with hair oil.
Washing Through Washing Machines
There are pros and cons when you wash your yoga mat in a washing machine. Some yoga mat manufacturers give instructions beforehand on whether you can wash it in a machine or not. In comparison, some do not come with the instruction. There is always a possibility of the mat getting spoiled due to rough machine handling. One thing you should always be careful about is using a mild detergent for washing the yoga mats.
Always Make Sure to Dry Your Mat Well
The yoga mats are generally made of porous material, so drying them would take up to 24 hours or more. So you should be double sure that whenever you clean your mats, they should be completely dry before using. If the mat is not dry or partially dry, there is always a possibility of getting fungal growth and smelling awful. So always make sure to dry your mat by hanging your mat in an open and sunny area.
Wash Your Yoga Mat with Baking Soda
If you sweat a lot or if your mat has been stained with mud, vomit, or pet stains, then it should be deep cleaned. Cleaning your mat with cool water using baking soda would be a great idea. Warm water is not preferred as it does not react well with baking soda. You should soak your mat in the soda-infused cool water for 15-20 minutes and then rinse it well. The combination of baking soda and water is great for stubborn stains, and it enhances the life of the mat.
Conclusion
Practicing yoga is a great way to take care of your health. But little things like a dirty yoga mat can turn the tables for you and make you sick. So like you take good care of your body, you should also make sure to always take good care of your yoga mat.
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