We do yoga to take care of our bodies, but there’s something else that we mustn’t forget to provide with a little TLC from time to time: our yoga mats. You can totally go out and buy a cleaner for your mat… OR you can make one yourself.
The fun part about making this spray is that you get to play around with different ratios, and mix and match the types of oils you want to include in order to make your ideal scent. If you haven’t seen our post from earlier this week, there are tons of different benefits of different scents, so grab your favorite essential oils and get to mixing!
Here’s what you need:
Spray Bottle: You can use any spray bottle you like. Think about how often you’re going to use this cleaner. If you’ll be using it daily, you may want to use a larger spray bottle so that you don’t have to re-make the solution so often. It’s also important to note the size of the nozzle. I used a bottle with a pretty small nozzle, but if you plan on doing some heavy duty yoga mat cleaning, you may want a larger one.
Essential Oils: Any essential oils will do, but it’s important to include those with antibacterial properties, such as tea tree, lemongrass, lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus. For this particular spray, I chose lavender, eucalyptus, and lemongrass.
Witch Hazel: This is the main cleaning agent in this mixture. You can use any kind of witch hazel, or even white vinegar if you prefer.
Water: Water should be about 3/4 the entire mixture. It dilutes the mixture, keeping it from being too overpowering. You can use any type – bottled, tap… it’s up to you!
Step 1: Fill your bottle about 3/4 full with water.
Step 2: Pour in witch hazel almost to the top of the bottle, leaving a little room for oil. For a more powerful cleaner, use slightly less water and slightly more witch hazel.
Step 3: Experiment with your oils – this is the fun part! Try starting with one drop of each oil, and then adding more in different amounts until you reach your ideal scent. Keep in mind that essential oils have a very strong aroma, so be careful not to use too much of them. If your solution does end up being too powerful, pour some out, and add more water. Once you’ve perfected your scent, mix the solution thoroughly, cap your bottle, and you’re ready to clean!
Now for the cleaning…
Spray solution generously, covering one side of your mat. Wipe down your mat with a damp cloth. Repeat on the other side and then hang to dry! It should take 5-10 minutes to dry completely.
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I love this. Thank you.
Just one comment on this! The oils may smell pretty but they will damage any mat that is anti-slip because they are made of open-cell technology…the oils will block the pores of the mat, and prevent it from wicking moisture to make it anti-slip…so spray wisely to prevent slips! :)
so ellie, what would you reccomend to clean your mat?
Slightly confused, you write: “Water should be about ¼ the entire mixture.” But then you write: “Step 1: Fill your bottle about 3/4 full with water.” I’m guessing there’s a typo, but which one, please?
Kind regards, Kitty
Kitty – It’s 3/4! Thanks so much for pointing that out! :)
Such a great idea, love it.
Zoe
http://gypsiesister.blogspot.co.uk
I really want to try this, where did you get the essential oils from?
Great tip, can’t wait to try it out.
Great things you’ve always shared with us. Thanks. Just continue composing this kind of post. The time which was wasted in traveling for tuition now it can be utilized for studies. Thanks for this knowledgeable blog.
Make sure to shake well before each use; the essential oils will separate from the water! Niaouli, lemon and myrrh are also good choices
I can’t wait to make the yoga mat cleaner!
@ Ellie…I’ve seen a recipe for 3:1 ratio of water to white vinegar. Vinegar has antibacterial/anti-fungal properties. I used it for cleaning when I was a housekeeper and the smell would fade rather quickly from hard surfaces. However, not sure about a porous mat. :/ How long are we supposed to expect our mats to last anyway? I paid $15 for mine. If it lasts two or three years I will be happy. If I paid $85 it would be a different story. By the way, the premixed mat cleaner my yoga teacher uses is chock full of oils. Go figure.
Great recipe – just tried it and it’s now my favorite – and I especially like your inclusion of antifungal/antibacterial oils after reading an alarming article about mat health risks (http://www.PilatesLessons.org/Pilates-mat-risks.html)
Thx,
Bob
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This is great! I’ve been making my own cleaners for a while now and have learned a few other things so I thought I would share. Keep in mind that I have a Manduka mat and they are not porous like other mats, I haven’t tried this cleaner with my regular mat.
-Natural mineral sea salt is also anti bacterial. I boil it in water for a few minutes and use it with a combination of antibacterial essential oils for my mat cleaner. I use the same size bottle as the one in the article, and use 6-10 drops of oil (depending on strength of certain oils smells).
-The place I take classes uses a water/ alcohol mixture, which has worked well for my mat.
-I have also read that if your mat is stinky, you can wash and lay it out in the sun for a few hours to get rid of the smell.
I’m getting way nerdy here:
Ellie Kathryn, who posted above, says the essential oils block the pours of the mats which makes sense. I wonder how our own body oils and salts affect the pours of the mats? I know that sweat gets trapped in the mat pours and eventually makes the mat stink. So, Ellie Kathryn (or anyone else reading this), do you have any knowledge about this?
Thanks again for the article!
Laura
I really disagree! I am stunned this really did happen in this day and age. I was relieved I am not running. We need to know about the future. I am going to keep an eye on what is happening to this.
Approximately how many drops of oil do you add to the mixture?
Gobsmacked! I still am startled that this happened in modern day times. I am relieved I am not running. The gaffers need to know about the future. I will keep track of the evolution in the future.
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagorism or copyright infringement?
My website has a lot of completely unique content I’ve either written myself or outsourced but it seems a lot of it is popping it up all over the web without my agreement.
Do you know any methods to help protect against content from being stolen?
I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks for this! When our store-bought cleaner runs out I’ll make up a batch. I was told by a customer when I worked at a nat’l food store that alcohol in a solution like this will act as an emulsifier that allows the essential oils to mix w/ the water in the solution. You still have to shake it, tho. I expect that’s partly why the witch hazel – it must do the same thing… My customer used vodka! (Guess she had a good supply on hand. LOL.)
I agree with not using essential oils on a non-slip mat. I have had my mat for several years now. It’s non-slip and the only thing I’ve used to clean it is vinegar.
I have a manduka mat and have just finished a bottle of their own spray which has oils in it. I’m guessing if they make their own for their mats with oils it must be okay so will be giving this ago instead of buying another bottle
Where can I get the glass spray bottle???
I have no idea how to clean my yoga mat so I usually use simple dish soap. Thanks afor the incredible idea with the essential oils! Regards! Cudham Carpet Cleaners Ltd.
I recently started going to yoga classes and this post is just the thing I needed. Thanks for sharing your help and I will definitely share it with all my friends :)
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