The yoga mat is a very fertile source for infection mainly because people sweat on them and they rarely are.
Cleaning a dirty yoga mat.
A yoga mat is a perfect incubator for many of our skin infections said lahita.
How often to clean a yoga mat.
Use a solution of warm water and a mild detergent such as dish soap.
This will help dislodge dirt oils and any odors.
Try manduka mat wash.
After every session use a clean towel to wipe down your mat to remove sweat and any loose surface soil.
So just how dirty is your yoga mat.
Cleaning your yoga mat should be one of the rituals you bring into your yoga practice a plethora of bacteria viruses and microbes are being transported on to the floor of your beautiful yoga studio daily and lying face down in child s pose with all those cooties is going to have you contract a cold at some point if not worse.
If you sweat a lot or the mat retains an odor clean it more often though some mats caution that over cleaning can cause them to wear out more quickly.
Make sure to clean both sides of your yoga mat and let the solution set on it long enough for the mat to air dry or for however long the maker of your spray suggests before cleaning it.
Submerge your yoga mat in a bathtub and allow it to soak for a few minutes.
Related stories 8 best yoga mats of 2020.
In an article for abc 13 melanie rech the laboratory director at emsl analytical examined swabs taken from personal and communal yoga mats mats from the local yoga studio came back the cleanest with 3 million counts of normal environmental bacteria writes ktrk houston.