I’ve been stepping up my yoga game over the last year or so, and I’m thrilled to notice I’ve gotten stronger and more flexible, and can now do a few things I thought were impossible a year ago. As I’ve gained muscle mass, though, it would seem my yoga mat has started to gain a small, stinky ecosystem. Oops. Time to evict that, pronto—bring on the Deodorizing Yoga Mat Spray!
You can buy yoga mat sprays, and it’s always surprising how expensive they are. I mean… it’s mostly water. Maybe some vinegar. Usually some essential oils and an emulsifier. But… mostly water. If I’m paying $20 for 250mL/8fl oz of something that’s mostly water, that water better be unicorn tears (tears of joy, obviously—I don’t condone profiting from unicorn misery!).
Since a big part of deodorizing is killing stink-causing bacteria, the liquidy bit of this spray is a blend of water, white vinegar, and high-proof alcohol. Vinegar is a great natural deodorizer, and high-proof alcohol is great at kicking bacterial butt. The alcohol also has two added benefits: the first is helping the spray evaporate off your mat quickly so you don’t have to wait too long before you can start your practice without your mat doing a great imitation of a slip-and-slide. The second is it’s negating the need for an emulsifier in this spray; we’re using it to dissolve the essential oils so we don’t need a dedicated emulsifier. You’ll need to shake before use, but it’s mucho better than not using any sort of emulsifier in terms of helping the essential oils stay dispersed while you spray.
For essential oils, I’ve gone with a blend of bright clementine, deep patchouli, fresh fir, and clean eucalyptus. All of these essential oils are fantastic deodorizers, combating bacteria and fungus and leaving behind a lovely, fresh scent instead. I love how bright and juicy this essential oil blend is, with just a wee hint of patchouli. Don’t worry—it’s not strong enough to stick around throughout your entire yoga class and irk your classmates.
You’ll want to make and store this in a 60mL/2 fl oz spray bottle. I went with plastic to avoid any breakage issues, since I know I’ll be tossing it into my yoga bag and leaving it there. Make sure whatever you choose has a good seal on it to prevent leaks, and a nice mister top (as opposed to a squirt top).
And with that—go hit your downward dog with confidence with this spray in your bag! And prepare for your classmates to ask where that awesome smelling bottle came from 😉
Deodorizing Yoga Mat Spray
10g | 0.35oz high proof alcohol (I used 99% isopropyl; I recommend using a clear alcohol that’s at least 60%)
30 drops clementine essential oil or orange essential oil
6 drops dark patchouli essential oil
20 drops fir essential oil or pine essential oil
20 drops eucalyptus globulus essential oil or eucalyptus radiata essential oil20g | 0.7oz water
20g | 0.7oz white vinegarBroad spectrum preservative of choice (why?)
Measure the alcohol out into the bottom of a 60mL/2 fl oz spray bottle, and add the essential oils. Cap and swirl to combine. Leave the essential oils to dissolve in the alcohol for at least twenty minutes before continuing.
Once the essential oils have had time to dissolve, add the water, white vinegar, and broad spectrum preservative. Cap, and shake to combine.
To use, shake the bottle and mist the spray over your yoga mat. Wipe it down with a cloth and let your mat dry before using it. Enjoy!
Because Liquid Germall Plus shouldn’t be aerosolized, it’s not a great preservative choice for this recipe.
Lovely recipe! Just one quick question – which preservative would be appropriate for this?
Honestly, I’m not sure, which is why I don’t specify anything. This is a good place to start your research.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I noticed that you do not recommend Germall Plus for this product. I did read your post about preservatives and now I am at a bit confused as to what I should use! Could you please make some suggestions and in what quantities? Thank you so much!
Honestly, I’m not sure, which is why I don’t specify anything. This is a good place to start your research.
I could have sworn you posted something like this a few years ago. Anyways, this is pretty much exactly like the recipe I use for both my yoga mat spray and my classroom spray at the end of the day.
Love your essential oil blend!
Yup, I’ve got a couple mat spray recipes/blends, though nowhere near as many lotions or lip balms haha 😛
I have a question about the preservative. I very much understand and support the use in everything I’ve seen you use it for, but if there is the alcohol (and vinegar?), and it’s supposed to kill bacteria on the mat, why do we need a preservative? If it is strong enough to actually do something on the mat, should it not also be strong enough when it is so much more concentrated in the bottle?
And also, I noted in your anti-frizz hair mist that you do not use one, and the make up is pretty similar.
Honestly, I am erring on the side of “better safe than sorry” here. I couldn’t find a reliable number for how much alcohol will preserve something, so I’m erring on the side of safety. And that hair mist definitely does need a preservative! That was just an oversight on my part, not an indication that one is not necessary. If there’s water, you need a preservative (or some sort of a degree in chemistry and microbiology so you can develop a formula to be self-preserving, like LUSH has started to do).
it is good to deodorize your yoga mat but the PVC in many mats is quite toxic especially when in so much direct contact with skin. i’ve read there are some yoga mats that are healthier, so it would probably be better to replace it if yours isn’t PVC-free: http://www.christysnontoxiclifestyle.com/yoga_mats/
I had a 100% rubber yoga mat once and it was the worst thing I’ve ever practiced on 🙁 It was stinky and slippery like a water slide after the first drop of sweat hit it. I must admit, I’m pretty hesitant to try another all-natural one as the reviews for it were amazing, it was $100, and it was still downright awful and unusable.
Hello!
I usually buy mats from Yogitoes. The biggest thing I look for is a TPE yoga mat. What I like best about them, is they last a long time- just be sure your floor is clean before use! I do find these mats dry out over time, so if you have a TPE mat, be careful about the alclohol amount.
The other option is I think they are called, yoga towels? They have little silicone nubs on one side and are microfiber. I usually toss that down over my mat in the summer to help keep my sweat off the mat. Then just toss the towel into the wash and bam! Clean yoga gear!
Now I’m off to make some new spray!
Hmm. I’ll have to look into those. I have a yoga towel, but I hate it. It has silicone nubs, but it still moves and wrinkles and folds and AGH. I do not want to think about my mat when I’m doing yoga!
What is the shelf life of the yoga mat spray? Thanks!
I just wrote an FAQ on this to answer your question 🙂
I made up a batch of this several years ago and I didn’t use the preservative, just the alcohol, vinegar, water and essential Oils. I use this to kill mold and fungus. I don’t actually use it on my yoga mat, but in the shower, in the basement were things grow and need to be killed (before we got the de-humidifier). I came back here because I wanted to mix up some more.
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m really glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it enough to make more!
How much polysorbate 20 would I use in this recipe.Thank You
I don’t recommend using polysorbate 20 in this recipe as it’s pretty sticky, and that’ll make for a sticky yoga mat.