How often Should You Replace Your Yoga Mat

How often should you replace your yoga mat? There is no specific time period for when you should replace your yoga mat because it depend mainly on how often you do yoga.

Although yoga is not as physical as a sport like boxing, your body still secretes natural oils and sweat. Over time, you may start to notice that your yoga mat is starting to discolor and it may even start to smell really bad.

Below I want to share a few tips with you that can help you decide how often you should replace your yoga mat on your own.

Smelly yoga mat – All yoga mats from standard to professional, get dirty, there is just no way around it. The dirt on the floor that people track in, sweat and your body’s natural oils all make their way into the fibers/pores of your yoga mat.

It could be a matter of days before it happens or it could take months, either way your yoga mat will start to smell terribly from the build up of dirt, sweat and oil within it.

Most people that do yoga follow the same routine for storing their mat. Place a towel over the yoga mat, roll the mat up with the towel and then off it goes into a dark storage bag. All of the bacteria on the surface and within the yoga mat love dark places because it allows them to spread and cultivate.

By the time that you start to notice that your yoga mat is starting to smell, the bacteria within the mat has spread throughout the entire mat. If you do yoga frequently, you may notice a funky smell coming from the yoga mat within a couple of weeks.

There are many different types of cleaning solutions and tips that you can use to clean your yoga mat however, you can only clean it so many times. Once bacteria contaminates your yoga mat it is hard to get rid of.

To extend the life of your yoga mat do the following. Never roll up your yoga mat after class. Even if you don’t feel your body sweating, it does, while you are doing yoga.

If you used the towel that you brought with you to wipe away sweat, again do not roll your yoga mat up, especially with a sweaty towel. The towel does not absorb all of the moisture out of your mat, it shares it with the mat. This creates a bacteria filled towel.

Always use a fresh towel every time that you do yoga. If your yoga mat and towel are filled with bacteria that means the bag that you store your mat in has the same bacteria within it as well. If you buy a new yoga mat, buy a new carrying bag as well.

Additionally, wearing thicker pants and a long sleeve shirt can cut the amount of sweat and oil that is deposited into your yoga mat by as much as 70 percent.

Yoga mats can get expensive there’s no doubt about that. However, how often you should replace your yoga mat also has to do with the quality of the mat that you purchased. Some mats can be left out in direct sunlight as a means to kill off bacteria within them. Since the summer sun is not available all year round in every state, you may want to consider purchasing a mat that can be thrown into the washing machine.