You’re on your mat, concentrating on your pose, getting right into that stretch. Now take a deep breath in through your nose and Holy Hell in a Handbasket! What is that smell?! When you are working out, your yoga mat is soaking up your sweat, the detritus from the floor and bacteria. Yes, your sweaty, moist yoga mat is a brilliant breeding ground for all manner of bacteria that can lead to bad smells that will zing your zen or even infections like staph. So clean your yoga mat already! You need to give it a deep clean from time to time. This means popping into your front loading washing machine or laying it in the bath and soaping it down with castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s or something of that ilk.) Rinse thoroughly and hang to dry. You should be wiping your mat down after every use. Use a spritzer bottle to mix something yummy and then simply spritz, wipe with a soft cloth, rinse the cloth and then wipe it down again. If you don’t mind your mat smelling a little astringent, opt for a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water. If you want something a little more fragrant, and the benefits of aromatherapy, then here’s a little recipe for you. What you need:
- 3 drops lavender essential oil
- 3 drops peppermint essential oil
- 2 tbsp vodka or witch hazel
- distilled water
Drip your essential oils into your spray bottle. Add the vodka or witch hazel and shake. You can get witch hazel at your pharmacy or health food store. Fill the bottle with distilled water (use this instead of tap water as the chlorine may break down your essential oils). Use after every workout. Seriously… don’t be the one stinking up the yoga studio. Get more amazing recipes, DIYs Upcycling ideas and green living tips in our Greenmoxie Book!