How to clean your yoga mat with Dr. Bronner's

This is a moment that all yoga practitioners can relate to...

Enter for 45 minutes of your favorite class. The teacher's new sequence seems to have been designed specifically for you, while the playlist gracefully guides you to deeper states of consciousness.

Breathing deeply, he navigates the waves of each inhale and exhale like a kind of mystical yoga dolphin. "I... I am a dolphin," you think to yourself, "yes, I am a dolphin." This is the bliss of yoga you've heard about. You feel so deeply connected to your body, to your breath, and therefore to all the beings with whom you share Planet Earth... and then it happens.

PING.

As you transitioned from your "dolphin self" to a new pose, your neighbor's arm reached across your rug, and his sweat began to drip where your head had been resting peacefully moments before.

His rhythmic ujjayi breathing quickly becomes silent and agitated. His dolphin mantra fades. The harsh reality of his filthy yoga mat hits him faster than an alcoholic kombucha.

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The practice of Yoga should go beyond any physical posture. The path of the 8 limbs is a lifestyle to be practiced forever, never perfected. Within this path, practitioners are encouraged to cultivate a habit of "saucha," which means cleanliness or purity.

Often, "saucha" is practiced by incorporating various breathing techniques and postures to detoxify the physical body. While these techniques are incredibly powerful, it's important to remember that our external environment is an extension and a direct reflection of our internal environment. Just as we don't want contaminants or stagnant energy in our bodies, the same applies to our external world.

Let's start from scratch, with cleaning the yoga mat...

The most important thing when it comes to cleaning your carpet is to first identify what type of material it's made of. Ayurveda teaches that "everything is medicine and everything is poison," meaning that what may work well for some may be harmful to others. The same philosophy applies to cleaning your carpet – different carpet materials require different approaches.

Photo courtesy of Miranda Guzman Fernandez

The most common carpet materials are PVC, TPE, natural rubber, and cotton (or hemp) carpets. If you are unsure what material your carpet is made of, visit the carpet company's website to check the specifications. If the company is unfamiliar, here are some clues that may be helpful in identifying it.

PVC yoga mats are the most commonly used on the market, although their price can vary widely, and they are known for their durability. TPE yoga mats are manufactured by mixing plastic and rubber and are best known for offering good traction and cushioning, as well as being lightweight.

Natural tree rubber mats are often sustainably manufactured from a renewable resource – rubber trees! Natural rubber mats are as sticky as possible and their cushioning tends to be better than that of synthetic rubber mats on the market. What's the downside? Natural rubber mats need to be kept out of direct sunlight and heat, as these conditions can cause them to deteriorate VERY quickly. Finally, for all Ashtangis, your Mysore mat is made of hemp or cotton – these mats are often used in combination with other types of mats.

Dr. Bronner's exhortation to "DILUTE! DILUTE! DILUTE!" has never been more important than when you're washing your yoga mat. Using too much Castile soap will make the mat slippery. To make things easier, we've created a guide below that explains how to wash different types of carpet.

If you need a quick solution to sanitize your carpet, you can use our Organic Hand Cleaning Spray as a PVC or TPE carpet cleaner. This is not an ideal cleaner for a natural rubber carpet, as any type of alcohol, including ethyl alcohol, will cause it to begin to decompose.

Another helpful tip: since our soaps are safe for children, invite them to help! 😊