How do you disinfect your yoga mat?

November 12, 2007 12:40 PM

How do you disinfect your yoga mat? Thick foam-rubberish version. Clever tips on how to wash the big floppy awkward things are welcome as well.
posted by madmethods to sports, hobbies, & recreation (9 comments total)

Wipe with diluted vinegar.

I haven't tried it, but I just just read about how vinegar is the solution (hah!) for everything, via boingboing.
posted by hydrophonic at 12:49 PM on November 12, 2007

Sometimes I throw the thing over the clothesline and let the sun do the work. (I'm told this is bad.) I bought a spray thing especially for yoga mats. (Probably just some hydrogen peroxide with some lavendar essence and a waste of my money.) Sometimes I wipe it down with a sponge and hang in the bathroom to dry. That's it. I should probably try and wash it more.
posted by typewriter at 12:51 PM on November 12, 2007

I wash mine in the bathtub with liquid dishsoap and a very small amount of bleach.
posted by jamaro at 1:34 PM on November 12, 2007

Just wash with hot soapy water - why would you disinfect it? Not like you're eating your dinner of it...

Place in bathtub/shower and shower off excess soap...
posted by koahiatamadl at 1:35 PM on November 12, 2007

I bought a cheapo spray bottle at the drugstore and filled it with this recipe for antibacterial yoga mat spray.
posted by sanitycheck at 1:35 PM on November 12, 2007

I use a little bit of soap (usually Dr. Bronners) in a bathtub, then rinse clean in the bathtub and shower, and hang dry. You can roll it along with a towel before hang drying to get some of the moisture out. If I had a dryer, I'd probably use that.... a dryer (on low) will get your mat dry or mostly-dry within 10 minutes.

If you have a front-loading washer, you can put your mat in the washer, but with much less soap than you'd use for a load of clothes. You can either use a little laundry detergent, or Dr. Bronners / Sal Suds. Some people say this method is harmful to your mat; I think it's Ok if you do it some of the time.

I don't usually sweat so much that I find it necessary to wipe down the mat between my (usually fairly infrequent cleanings), but spraying with a mild topical cleanser of some sort seems like a good idea if you sweat a lot but don't want to wash your mat daily or weekly. There is stuff made specifically for the purpose, or try vinegar / water if the smell doesn't bug you.
posted by PandaMcBoof at 1:40 PM on November 12, 2007

What is it infected with?
posted by croutonsupafreak at 1:42 PM on November 12, 2007

I used to wash it in the washing machine all the time with no problems. I worked at a big yoga studio for a while and we washed the mats in the washing machine there. YMMV your machine may break. I don't know.
posted by sully75 at 2:24 PM on November 12, 2007

Some yoga studios spray them down with tea tree oil, I've heard. I usually just throw mine in my front-loading washer when I need to (every couple months or so).
posted by doubtful_guest at 3:26 PM on November 12, 2007