Did you know that your yoga mat can also harbor harmful bacteria such as Staph?
A Staph is a group of deadly bacteria that can cause infections to the skin and other parts of the body. There are about 30 different types of Staphylococcus (Staph). However, the one commonly found on a yoga mat is not as destructive as the other ones, but it certainly can cause some distress to the person using the mat.
You will also be surprised to learn that more than 119,000 people suffered from bloodstream Staph infections in the United States in 2017 – and nearly 20,000 died. In the last few years, several Staph-related cases have been reported in the United States.
This is why ABC-13, a Houston-based news outlet, performed a test to see how clean the Yoga mats in traditional local gyms are.
The results were quite shocking! The mats from a popular local gym tested positive for Staph. Although the strain of bacteria found in the mat was not the most dangerous, the lab director, Melanie Rech at EMSL Analytical, concluded that it could cause urinary tract infections.
Hence, if you are a yoga practitioner or a gym owner, you would want to find solutions that can kill the bacteria currently present on the surface of the mats. This post is intended to share with you some easy and effective DIY yoga mat cleaner recipes.
5 Easy and Effective DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner Recipes
1) Tea Tree Oil-Based DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner
Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil has been used as an antimicrobial agent in Australia for more than 100 years. It also has some anti-inflammatory properties (also used for treating body aches).
Primarily, it contains hydrocarbons like terpene hydrocarbons, monoterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. In the United States, Tea tree oil is available over-the-counter.
Here is the Tea tree oil-based DIY yoga mat cleaner recipe:
Make sure you have the following items ready before you start the preparation:
- Spray bottle
- Essential Tea tree oil
- Distilled water
- Scented oil
Instructions:
- Fill up the spray bottle (up to 75 percent of its volume) with distilled water.
- Add a few drops of both essential Tea tree oil and a scented oil (like Lavender, Peppermint, or Frankincense). Essential oils like Lavender also have a relaxing effect, which is quite needed in a gym or home.
Use this solution to clean and infect yoga mats once or twice a week.
Quick Tip – If you have sweaty hands then the mat can able be full of sweat, so make sure you deep clean it. And also you can get some good mats that are specifically designed for sweaty hands.
2) Vinegar-Based DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner
Vinegar is a mixture of acetic acid and water. If you are into cooking, you must already have heard of white vinegar. White vinegar can also be used for cleaning purposes, but the acid concentration in it is quite low (4 to 5 percent).
In cleaning vinegar, the concentration can go up to 20-50 percent. Hence, it makes a great non-toxic DIY yoga mat cleaner. No need for harmful chemicals!
Here is the Vinegar-based DIY yoga mat cleaner recipe:
Make sure you have the following items ready before you start the preparation:
- Spray bottle
- Cleaning vinegar (20-30 percent concentration of acetic acid)
- Distilled water
- Scented oil
Instructions:
- Fill up the spray bottle with distilled water. The more concentrated the vinegar, the more percent of the water you will need to add in this DIY yoga mat cleaner solution.
- Add a few drops of scented oil and shake the mixture well.
Make sure you test the solution by spraying on a corner of the mat. A high concentration of acetic acid can damage some mats made with synthetic materials.
3) Witch Hazel-Based DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner
Witch Hazel (also known as winter bloom in the United States) is a flowering plant typically found in North America, Japan, and China. Traditionally, this plant is being used by women as an organic skin beautifier and cleanser as it has several antibacterial and anti-aging properties.
Here is the Witch Hazel-based DIY yoga mat cleaner recipe:
Make sure you have the following items ready before you start the preparation:
- Spray bottle
- Club soda
- Witch Hazel
- Scented oil
Instructions:
- Fill 80 percent of the spray bottle with club soda.
- Add a few drops of Witch Hazel solution and scented oil to it.
- Shake the mixture well for about 30 seconds.
There you go! Now you can use this all-natural cleaner to remove stains and dirt from a yoga mat. This solution is completely safe, and you don’t have to worry if it comes in contact with the skin.
4) Eucalyptus Oil-Based DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner
An oil that is pleasant smelling and can also evoke good feelings is definitely useful for preparing a DIY yoga mat cleaner. However, along with the aroma, it should also have antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
Eucalyptus oil has all the necessary properties for keeping your yoga mat clean, germ-free, and fresh. Eucalyptus oil, when mixed with Tea tree oil, forms into a potent disinfectant to kill bacteria like Staph present in a used yoga mat.
Make sure you have the following items ready before you start the preparation:
- Spray bottle
- Eucalyptus oil
- Essential Tea tree oil
- Distilled water
- Scented oil
Instructions:
- Mix a few drops of Eucalyptus oil and Tea tree oil to a spray bottle full of distilled water.
- If you don’t like the minty scent of Eucalyptus, add some Lavender oil to the solution.
- Shake well, and your DIY yoga mat cleaner is ready for use.
Conclusion
I hope the above-mentioned easy and effective yoga mat cleaner recipes will help you and others in your gym/home/yoga studio stay healthy and disease-free. Make sure you spray the solution at least once or twice a week.
Do you have any questions? Let us know in the comments below.