If you don’t clean your personal yoga mat regularly, it can contain four times as many bacteria as a studio mat.so You should take care to clean your yoga mat regularly. Not only will this prolong the life of the mat, but it will also prevent odors and bacteria from spreading to you. Cleaning also removes and destroys dirt, dust, and moisture-causing bacteria. Let us know why cleaning your yoga mat is important and what’s the easy way (how to clean a yoga mat).

In her recent Insta post, yoga influencer Ira Trivedi talked about the need for and how to clean yoga mats, and suggested that yoga mats should be cleaned frequently.

Know what happens when you don’t clean your yoga mat regularly

Your skin is a host for microbes such as bacteria, fungi, viruses and tiny mites. They are not necessarily bad for your health. These microorganisms are usually harmless.

Prateek Banerjee (PhD), an associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Environmental Health at the University of Memphis, said of the findings: “From the floor to the mats used in fitness centers, the microbes there are. This can infect your skin. It It may also cause a red rash and itchy skin.

What the research says about this

A 2014 NCBI biology study showed that microbes typically thrive in water. This can happen when your yoga mat is exposed to moisture, such as a steam-filled yoga studio or gym. Although the most common cause of exposure to moisture on the mat is sweating.

Ringworm, plantar warts, and athlete’s foot are some of the most likely conditions, especially if you use shared mats that may contain pathogens from other people, noted Dr. Thel, director of the study. It can deal with ringworm and athlete’s foot, fungal infections, itching, scaly rashes and infections between the toes.

Know how you should clean your yoga mat

Yoga instructor and influencer Ira Trivedi says the easier it is to clean and dry a yoga mat, the more likely you are to clean it more often. So follow the easy way to clean.

You can use Ira’s method to properly clean your yoga mat. To do this, follow these steps:

step 1:

First fill the tub with warm water, then add the dish soap. After foaming, dip the yoga mat into it and keep it soaked for ten minutes. It also helps remove those hard-to-scour oils and bacteria that are left on the pad through your body or body moisture.

Step 2:

Afterwards, take a soft towel and scrub the pad thoroughly from both sides to remove dirt After this, rinse thoroughly with water until the soap disappears. Dry the surface of the pad with a towel and let it dry for a while at room temperature.

Step 3:

To dry the mat, hang it on a coat hanger or towel rack. Your yoga mat has been cleaned and is now ready for the next step.

Step 4:

In addition to cleaning your yoga mat, don’t forget to disinfect it once a week. This process actually helps kill bacteria. Especially if you practice in a public place like a yoga studio. Disinfect the pads with a disinfectant spray.