How To Clean Yoga Mats & Clothes After Bikram.

Someone asked a good question on Twitter earlier today:

How do you clean your mat and towels after a Bikram class?

Well, I store my mat at the Bikram studio where I practice. They clean it for me. But when I do take it home with me I have specific method for cleaning it. One that gets it super clean:
  1. Fill bathtub with baking soda and hot water.
  2. Throw yoga mat in and swish around.
  3. Drain water and rinse off mat.
  4. Hang mat on a drying rack, set up in the tub.
  5. Spray with a tea tree oil and water mixture.
  6. Let air dry.
When I am traveling and attend Bikram classes in the cities I am in, I have a different method for cleaning my practice clothes (I rent towels from the studios)...



I use shampoo and hot water, and give the clothes a nice soak in the sink. It's not a thorough clean, but it gets the smell out. But when I am at home and washing my Yogitoes towels and practice clothes, I use the following:
  1. Two tablespoons Baking Soda
  2. Heavy duty "soiled clothing" detergent
  3. HOT cycle on the washer
This gets the smell out and gets them nice and germ-free.

Comments

April Elizabeth said…
So I am super afraid of Bikram.

I have NEVER done yoga before, i ever but Bikram intrigues me because a) it is the closest yoga to me (i have to travel farther for "regular" yoga and frankly i am lazy) and b) the calorie burn.

Can a total newbie start it?
Do you really burn a ton of calories?
Would I be better off travelling a little farther and doing a beginnger yoga class?
Me said…
OMG!

I was JUST LIKE YOU five years ago, April Elizabeth!

In addition to not having done yoga before, I had weak wrists... So poses like "Downward Dog" - where you put pressure on your wrists - were out of the question for me.

So I initially chose Bikram because the 26 poses were ones that were "wrist-friendly" for me.

So, yes, a newbie can TOTALLY do it. It's called "Bikram's Beginning Yoga"... All classes are "Beginner." Advanced Bikram classes are by invite only, and aren't even posted on the public schedule, usually.

I burn,on average, about 600 calories in a Bikram class. Some people burn slightly less... Some people burn slightly more.

I say, "Give it a shot!" But make sure you drink PLENTY of water before you take the class. And make sure you take it easy.
a. said…
I did a 30 day challenge last month and at the beginning found that my good ol' Tide was not getting my Bikram stuff fresh and clean enough. I Googled a bit and found a few people recommending Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Laundry Detergent. That's what I use now and I think it does a great job. I put in my Yogitoes + yoga clothes with the detergent, fill with hot water, and then run the rest of the cycle on warm. All of my stuff smells great now. Love your blog :)
srf888@yahoo.com said…
How much baking soda do you use for a bathtub wash? For a sink wash? Thanks!
Me said…
Quarter of a cup.
Sylphadora said…
One of the workers at my Bikram yoga studio told me that she uses vinegar to wash her Bikram clothes, and that they also use vinegar at the studio to clean the mats. According to her, vinegar is great to eliminate the toxins of the sweat

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