dirty lil secret - confessions of a yogini

dear bendy yogi,

the cleaning of my yoga mat has been well overdue for a looooooong time (check out the pic if you don't believe me, you can probably make out a 'dirt angel' if you look). in the midst of my spring cleaning this past weekend i decided to add cleaning my yoga mat to my list of things to do [read: clean].

the directions on my kulae organic yoga mat cleaner suggested a few ways to clean my mat, depending on the level of dirtiness (e.g., daily cleaning, medium cleaning & deep cleaning & restoration).

i, obviously, opted for the deep cleaning & restoration option, which instructed me to:

• spray the mat directly with the solution.
• let it soak for 3 minutes.
  
• follow with a wet cloth & work it into a lather.
  
• rinse, wipe & air dry.
• repeat if necessary.
  
  

in my case the repeat was necessary, so i did all the aforementioned steps twice. it definitely cleaned up my mat, but i think this sucker will wear the badges of hours of down dog for life. all in all, i think it worked well (considering my filthy circumstances)! also, it now has a great citrus scent so at the very least my mat smells clean & fresh - despite some the permanent scars. in the future i'd love to be a "daily cleaner" - here's hoping!

-twisty twin

sound familiar?

show 'mat' some respect & commit to a cleanliness routine, after all it is a basic yoga sutra.

here are some options (now you have no excuse):

• a diy recipe - you'll need a spray bottle, water, & a few drops of the essential oil tea tree & lavender.
  
  

• dwell smartly on the go - not feeling crafty? get samatharoma yoga mat cleaner. it's all natural so you can use it to spritz your mat (& yourself) after a sweaty practice. it kills the nasties with essential oils of tea tree, lavender, pine, eucalyptus & geranium.
  
  
• the mat-er cleanse - cleansing is good for the body & the mat. when do you need more than just a spritz to wipe off the yoga wounds you inflicted on dear 'mat' try kulae organic yoga mat cleaner it's natural cleansing powers & citrus scent get you back to sauchat. hey, if twisty twin can do it, so can you!
  

now fess up & cast your vote: how often do you wash your yoga mat?