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Yoga Mat Care

Tips for Use & Care of Your Yoga Mat

The more you use your mat, the better the grip becomes. Your salty sweat helps it too!

Preparing Your Mat for Use

When you first receive your yoga mat, a light film from manufacturing must be rinsed off. Not washing your mat before use will lead to a slippery initial usage.

In order for your mat to reach its optimal grip it needs to be broken in.

There are a few ways to speed this process up:

1 – Recommended for all new yoga mats

This method is from the Kurma Yoga mat care instructions, however will work with any PVC mat

Clean your yoga mat using a cloth or a non-scratch sponge moistened with a few drops of organic washing-up liquid and water. This will remove possible film residue left by the manufacturer. Afterwards rinse with clear water, lay flat and dry completely.

2 – Season Your Mat

Please note Kurma no longer recommend this method for their mats, and it is not suitable for rubber mats.

To season your mat or prepare its grip, you will need water and a few cups of salt.
Wet your mat with water and throw a few cups of salt on your mat. Any type of salt will do. Salt really does make a difference in helping get ride of that slick outer layer that is only there while new.
Scrub the salt and water all over the mat with a dish scrubber or some kind of scrubby brush
Letting the salt water completely dry onto the mat, then scrub it a little more.
After the salting, rinse the mat clean but do not soak or saturate your mat. To rinse the mat, use a mild detergent or just water. If you use soap of any kind be sure that all soap is washed off really well before using the mat.

3 – Rough Up your Mat a Little

Only use this method for sturdier mats like the Studio Mat or Sadhaka Deluxe Mat

Use a course grain sandpaper or an orbital sander (for Studio Mats especailly).
Give them a good going over, don’t be afraid to get a little rough.
Wipe the mat down to remove the dust you’ve made.
Try once dry.

Your mat should be grippy and ready for use.

For On Going Care

For a quick and easy way to clean and sanitise your yoga mat, try our Yoga Mat Spray. A premium cleaner made in Melbourne from all natural ingredients. This can also be safely used on your props. As a precaution we always recommend testing on a small area first. We do not generally recommend cleaners for rubber or our Asana Flow mats due to the porous surface.

If scented products aren’t your thing the easiest and simplest way to clean your mat is a wipe with a damp cloth.

Keep in Mind

Like a good baseball glove or pair of shoes, your yoga mat will take a little time before it has reached its optimum and potential for an great grip! The mat will cushion your joints and provide an amazing foundation right away.

The more you use your mat, the better the grip becomes. Your salty sweat helps it too!

The best way to break in your mat is to do lots of yoga practice 🙂

It’s nice to use a yoga towel for the first few uses if you find it still slipping after the salt wash.

Care and Storage

Wiping your mat down with a cleaning cloth is all that is required for ongoing cleaning
Do not put your yoga mat in a washing machine or dishwasher
Avoid storing away your mat if it is wet
Your mat is best stored roll-up or lying flat, rather than folded
If you sweat a lot, use of a towel placed over the mat during your practice is recommended