Why spend a lot of money on yoga mat cleaner when it’s so easy and inexpensive to make it at home? This DIY homemade yoga mat cleaner is fast and simple to prepare at home, and it costs a fraction of what you’d pay at stores. You can also use this as a light, homemade household cleaner for countertops!
I realize this post is a bit out of the norm for me, but I’ve gotten into DIY projects recently. It started with homemade scrubs and has grown from there.
This DIY homemade yoga mat cleaner smells amazing and has saved me a ton of money. If you’re a fan of yoga, especially hot yoga, you’re going to love this.
I’ve also once again teamed up with Jessica from Coco and Mingo, who has created beautiful printable labels you can use on the bottle!
A few months ago, I shared my story about how I lost 30 pounds in 2015. The #1 change I made was adding in exercise classes, and hot yoga has become a surprise favorite.
I never really got yoga until now. It always felt kind of like a waste of my time. I wasn’t burning a ton of calories, I didn’t felt more enlightened or peaceful… the benefits weren’t there for me.
After attending my first hot yoga class, everything began to make sense. The heat has definitely helped my flexibility, which improves my performance in other classes.
I feel like I’m sweating out toxins. Also (and this is more of a vanity thing), over the years I’ve started getting very sweaty in all of my workout classes, which makes me very self conscious. In hot yoga, I can sweat with abandon and not feel embarrassed.
The negative is that my yoga mat quickly gets disgusting. I looked online for a spray cleaner and found one, but it was ridiculously expensive for the amount of cleaner you get. Totally unacceptable.
So I began doing some research online and came up with my own version, which has worked out amazingly well. My mat always smells fresh, it’s never sticky, and I’m confident that it’s not full of gross bacteria.
How to Clean Your Yoga Mat
To use this cleaner, I unroll my mat and spray it well on one side, allowing it to air dry. Once that side is clean, I flip the mat and repeat on the other side.
How to Make Homemade Yoga Mat Cleaner
Tea tree oil and witch hazel both have antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, which make them a great chemical-free addition to yoga mat cleaner. You can add more than I’ve used here, but keep in mind that both have relatively strong smells.
I like the smell of tea tree oil, but I’m really not a fan of the way witch hazel smells, so I use it sparingly. The lavender and eucalyptus essential oils are very soothing to me, but you can technically omit them if you prefer.
This will also work for light household cleaning (countertops, etc.), though I wouldn’t use it for heavy duty sanitizing purposes.
I purchased this bottle from Amazon, which is what you see in the photos, but any spray bottle will work. The instructions create enough yoga mat cleaner for a 16 ounce bottle. If using Jessica’s printables, you’ll want Avery 22819 labels.
{download the free printable labels here}
Please visit Coco and Mingo to check out more of her gorgeous work!
DIY Yoga Mat Cleaner
Total Time: 5 mins
Yields: 14 ounces
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup filtered water
- 1/2 teaspoon tea tree oil
- 1/2 teaspoon witch hazel
- 5 drops eucalyptus essential oil, or more if desired
- 5 drops lavender essential oil, or more if desired
Instructions
- In a liquid measuring cup, stir together the water, tea tree oil, witch hazel, eucalyptus oil, and essential oil.
- Pour into a 16 ounce spray bottle.
Awesome tips, Hot yoga sounds kinda fun!
This is such a great idea! And 30lbs!? That is amazing. I’ve been struggling losing weight and I think I’ll give hot yoga a try. My sister raves about it.
How fun is this? And actually reminds me that I need to clean my yoga mat! Great tips!
No yoga for me, but Paul and I did start up with Insanity again *cries*, so a mat is needed. So is my youth, but that’s neither here no there. I love this. Store bought cleaning solutions are stupid expensive.
This is brilliant!! I hate cleaners that leave mats sticky, it’s terrible!!
I need to get on your work-out regime pronto! Also – I feel like I can smell the lavender and eucalyptus from here…mmmmm!
Such a cute idea – loooooove!!
What a great idea! I love DIY cleaners.Believe it or not, my husband is the one who does yoga in our household. He needs this :)
this is a second post im seeing on diy yoga mat cleaner..it is a sign that i need to get on it fast.
I freaking love this!!! going to try to make this spray and going to read your other post: about how you lost 30 pounds in 2015. Congrats, Jen!!!!!!
What a great idea Jen! Coincidentally, I have everything on the list except the essential oils. I have to grab them next time I go to Whole Foods. I have no intentions of omitting them. ;)
This would make a great gift for friends who do yoga. Love the labels as well. <3
You know I love my hot yoga, I always use the spray my studio has…. but I don’t really know what that is. So I should probably make my own