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Easy Recipes For An All-Natural Yoga Mat Cleaner & Disinfectant

Author:

Emma Loewe

mbg Sustainability + Health Director

By Emma Loewe

mbg Sustainability + Health Director

Emma Loewe is the Senior Sustainability Editor at mindbodygreen and the author of "Return to Nature: The New Science of How Natural Landscapes Restore Us."

We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

A good yoga class will leave you with a sense of accomplishment, a newfound ease—and a sweaty mat.

And while our mats are the pathway to Zen, they can also be a direct line to germs and bacteria. "Making skin contact with a dirty yoga mat covered in germs and bacteria can lead to skin infections, acne, toenail fungus and even transfer of the herpes virus and staph and strep infections in susceptible individuals," David A. Greuner, M.D., FACS, FICS, a double board-certified surgeon, writes on mbg. This means that you'll want to avoid using other people's mats when possible and always stay diligent about cleaning your own.

Here, Julia Watkins, the author of Simply Living Well: A Guide to Creating a Natural, Low-Waste Home, shares her recipe for two yoga mat cleaners. One is a more gentle refresh that can be applied after every flow. The other is a more involved heavy-duty disinfectant that can be whipped up once a month or whenever your mat looks or smells like it could use a thorough clean.

Yoga Mat Cleaner

For the cleaner, I use distilled water, witch hazel (or white distilled vinegar), and essential oils. The witch hazel and vinegar are great for cleaning surfaces, and the essential oils add aromatherapy and disinfectant qualities. My favorite antimicrobial oils are tea tree, eucalyptus, and lemongrass. For aromatherapy, I use lavender to bring a sense of calm or peppermint to uplift my spirits.

You'll be catching a whiff of these essential oil(s) when you're in child pose or savasana, so be sure to choose ones that appeal to you. If you are sensitive to smells, you might want to experiment with using less oil.

Ingredients:

16-ounce spray bottle
1 cup distilled water
1 cup alcohol-free witch hazel (I like the ones sold by Mountain Rose Herbs and Thayers best)
6 drops essential oils

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to your spray bottle, screw on the cap, and mix well. To use, spray generously on your mat, wipe it dry with a reusable cotton towel, and allow to completely dry before rolling it up.

Yoga Mat Disinfectant

1 cup isopropyl alcohol (90 to 99% is ideal)
½ cup aloe vera gel
15 drops tea tree essential oil
A squeeze bottle

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Transfer to a squeeze bottle and spray generously on your mat. Wipe it dry with a reusable cotton towel and allow to completely dry before rolling it up.