hot yoga equals lots of sweat. so my mats need some loving! when i get home from class i drape my wet, sweaty manduka over my patio railing, spray it down with some homemade natural yoga mat cleaner, and let it air out in the sun. this saves me money on the yoga spray offered at many studios (it smells divine but is $10 for about 1/3 the size of my spray bottle!) and prolongs the life of my mat. it also cuts down on odors and bacteria that can occur when mats are used frequently and not cared for properly.
what you need
- spray bottle (i love the inexpensive home depot ones)
- water
- vinegar
- tea tree oil (lavender is a great option as well)
what you do
- add 3 parts water and 1 part vinegar to the bottle (the home depot one perfectly contains 4 cups)
- add drops of tea tree oil to your water mixture. there’s a lot of liquid in there so you may need at least 30 drops. this is up to you and how much you want to be able to smell the tea tree.
- shake, spray, wipe with a clean rag, let air dry.
- namaste
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7 Responses to DIY NATURAL YOGA MAT CLEANING SPRAY
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welcome
Whoa! That’s a powerful mixture. Maybe it’s because I’m cheap or maybe because I’m thinking about proportions for general around-the-house cleaning, but my solutions have a lot more water than yours.
Thanks for the reminder to stay on top of the yoga mat germ bugs!
what’s the ratio you use? too much water and not enough vinegar means it’s not getting clean, woman!
Honestly, I haven’t made homemade cleaner for a while and I usually just eyeball it, but something more like 1:6. I was thinking more about the oil though. I’m more of a few-drops kind of gal. Do you use this spray for other things or just your mat?
ok, 1:6 vinegar to water? so mine is about double with the 1:3 vinegar to water. i only use this for my mat. for an all-purpose cleaner it’s about 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 dr bronners sal suds, and 3 cups water. about-ish. next time i refill my all-purpose cleaner i’ll do a post about it!
p.s. as to the drops of tea tree, that’s just because my bottle is so large — four cups. for a smaller bottle (one you might carry in your gym bag) you most likely wouldn’t use so many drops.
Great source of information on cleaning yoga mats. It is very important to always clean these mats to prevent any foul odor and dirty particles as well.
[…] While you’re at it, why not make your own yoga mat cleaning spray!? We found a great post on A Denver Home Companion. […]