I’m going to have to admit that I used to rarely clean my yoga mat. It’s pretty gross considering I spend hours each week stepping and sweating on it. I can just see a montage of every time I’ve ever placed my forehead on my dirty mat, and I wonder why I didn’t clean it more often. My yoga mat is my best friend during yoga and I definitely did not treat it with care and consideration. Just thinking about all of the bacteria growing on it makes me cringe. So, instead of buying yoga mat cleaner, I decided to just make some myself. It’s incredibly easy, and once you have the ingredients you’re pretty much set for a very long time. Also, since you’re making it yourself, you can pick how you want it to smell!

What you need:

1. Witch Hazel
2. Essential Oils
3. Water
4. A Spray Bottle

What to do:

1. I like to do a 1:4 or 1:3 ratio water to witch hazel. So, I’ll pour in enough witch hazel to fill my spray bottle a fourth of the way up and then fill to the top with water.
   • Witch hazel liquid comes from the bark and leaves of the scrub witch-hazel. It has been used medicinally for centuries, most prominently by the American Indians to treat swelling and inflammation. Today it is commonly used as a natural astringent.
2. Add whatever essential oils you want. I added eucalyptus and lemon for the scent. The amount is really up to preference. Since I only filled a 3oz. spray bottle I only needed to add about 10 drops of each. My witch hazel includes aloe vera, which adds to this sunscreen-like smell, so I had to add more drops of lemon oil to balance everything out.
3. Other things you can add include: lavender oil, melaleuca oil, white vinegar, and tea tree oil. These all have tremendous antibacterial properties and are commonly used in commercial cleaners.

Now, simply spray your mat down after every practice and relax knowing you’re shavasana-ing on a clean, wonderful smelling mat.