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Yoga mats can be a breeding ground for bacteria so keep yours clean with this DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner. Made from simple and natural ingredients like witch hazel, essential oils and water, this yoga mat cleaner is a no-brainer for any yogis looking to clean their mats regularly.
The other day as I was rolling out my yoga mat to do an at-home practice, C pointed out how dirty my yoga mat was looking. TBH I don’t clean it at home nearly enough. When I’m in a studio, I almost always feel guilted when I see all the people around me being proactive and cleaning their mats, but at home not so much.
I also think it has to do with the availability of yoga mat cleaners or spray cleaners. In a studio or gym they’re almost always readily available, but at home I end up resorting to my plant-based all-purpose cleaner which does the trick but doesn’t get me particularly excited by cleaning it.
So I set out to make the best yoga mat cleaner using all-natural ingredients. This yoga mat cleaner is safe, effective and yoga teacher approved!
Why Use a Yoga Mat Cleaner
Think of your yoga mat like your exercise bike or your workout clothes… naturally as you workout, they get accumulate dirt, grime and sweat! Some might start to stink, will look grimy or will just be covered in bacteria or germs that you can’t see.
This bacteria can build up in your mat so it’s important to clean it regularly. Don’t just wait for a scent to develop before cleaning it.
My favorite yoga studio in SF (The Pad Studios) has an incredible smelling yoga mat spray that I’m fairly certain they make themselves. It required me to do a little digging (aka I opened a bottle and put my nose in it) to figure out what combination went into their yoga mat spray and in the end I think I put together a similar result, with a Maven twist!
Homemade Yoga Mat Cleaner
Like most cleaning products, it was important to me that the combination be natural and made from plant-based ingredients. Especially since I’m putting my hands, my feet and sometimes my face directly onto it. My yoga mat and I have a pretty intimate relationship so just like my skincare products, I’d like for it to not be full of chemicals.
Making your own DIY yoga mat spray is actually easier than you think and only requires a few simple ingredients, without the harsh chemicals:
Witch Hazel – a special distilled herb that has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties (I like to use this alcohol-free version but it’s totally up to you if you want alcohol-free)
Essential Oils –Peppermint, Lemon, Tea Tree Oil and Lavender essential oils which help with both disinfecting and smell lovely! If you prefer other scents feel free to use them instead (I also like orange, lemongrass and eucalyptus oils)
Water – to dilute the witch hazel and essential oils and make the spray more long lasting
Spray bottle – I like these ones from Amazon. You just mix all your ingredients and shake. Then just spray on your mat as indicated below.
How to Clean Your Yoga Mat
Using a yoga mat spray is so simple! Just spray the mixture directly onto your yoga mat – I like to do a light even coating. You don’t need to thoroughly coat or have puddles of cleaner! Use a clean towel to rub the spray in your yoga mat and wipe any excess away. Let your mat air dry completely before using.
How Long Does Yoga Mat Cleaner Last?
Because this is made with just witch hazel, essential oils and water, this yoga mat spray will last for years! If one batch is lasting you for years though, you’re not using it enough!! Just saying…
PrintDIY Yoga Mat Cleaner
Yoga mats can be a breeding ground for bacteria so keep yours clean with this DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner. Made from simple and natural ingredients like witch hazel, essential oils and water, this yoga mat cleaner is a no-brainer for any yogis looking to clean their mats regularly.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 16 oz spray bottle
- 1/4 cup witch hazel
- 10 drops of lavender essential oil
- 10 drops of lemon essential oil
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- 3 drops tea tree essential oil
- Filtered water
Instructions
- Add witch hazel to spray bottle and top with water until almost full.
- Add in essential oils. If you prefer more fragrance, feel free to add more.
- Shake and spray directly onto mat.
- Wipe clean using a towel and leave out to dry completely.
- Use after each yoga mat use or as desired.
Interested in practicing more yoga? Check out these posts:
I’m wanting to try this for a large exercise mat (2’ squares put together to form a 6’x8’ area) over carpet – should I be concerned that any overspray May damage the carpet? Thank you!
Is there a reason alcohol-free witch hazel is better? (The only kind I could find in store was not alcohol-free and the one I ordered online had other things in it.)
alcohol can potentially damage your mat but if you aren’t using it too frequently you should be fine!
I ordered mine on amazon.
Got a new mat recently and would like to prepare this for cleaning my mat! However, what would be a good substitute for Witch Hazel? I’m having difficulty finding it where I am..
Honestly – there isn’t a perfect substitute. You could do a heavily diluted apple cider vinegar mixture but it’s definitely not as effective.
Witch Hazel can be found in any drug or convenience store. It will be located right next to the large bottles of rubbing alcohol (in a similar looking bottle) in the first aid department. Super easy to find and super cheap.
If i just wanted to use tea tree oil, and none of the others, how many drops should I use? 28 drops?
tea tree is extremely potent so I wouldn’t use more than 5 drops – however if you find it doesn’t have much smell you can add a few more. You should smell it without it being overpowering.
How many ounces of witch hazel?
2 Ounces.
any worry that the mat will eventually get oily??
No! There’s such a minute amount of essential oils. I’ve never had an issue.
Thank you for the recipe and advice! Can’t wait to try it out!
Thank you for sharing! I bet this smells amazing.
It seems really interesting to clean the mats with essential oils. As this is really helpful as they are without any chemicals.
This sounds amazing!! I never clean my mat enough. I just found my stash of essential oils, so this sounds like a fun project for me to do.