homemade yoga mat spray cleaner

I came home after yoga class last night to find out that I had NO INTERNET CONNECTION.

It's funny how dependent I've become on this commodity. Things just did not feel.... right, without it. Which is a bit scary.

I tried the (very) few troubleshooting tips I know. Didn't work. Unfortunately the tech office was going to open the next day, at 9 am. So I had to wait.

There were other things that were not working in my favor last night, and I have to say it caused some stress, wreaking a little bit of havoc in my state of post-yoga-class-bliss. When I am under stress, I like working with my hands to calm me down. There's something very soothing about a tactile experience. It must be why I loved to make homemade play dough when I was teaching children.

What to make... hmmm. Muffins? No. Made those last week, and I wasn't in the mood for it. Homemade hand cream? No, didn't have the ingredients I needed.

So I decided to make another batch of homemade yoga mat spray. Although this is not a very tactile experience as I mentioned earlier, there's still something soothing about creating something. And, store-bought yoga mat sprays can cost you $10 or more for a tiny spray bottle.

Here's what I use:

• 8 ounces/1 cup water
• white vinegar - I just use a bit because I don't want it too vinegar-y (You can leave it out if you don't want it, but vinegar does help in cleaning things)
• several drops (about 10) tea tree oil (antibacterial)
• 6-10 drops peppermint essential oil OR
• 6-10 drops lavender essential oil (or both)

Granted, essential oils can be expensive up front. But since you only use a few drops each time, a small bottle lasts you a long while. I bought my essential oils over 2 years ago and I still have plenty.

I can't remember how much of the essential oil I mixed in, I just wanted enough to cover up the vinegar-y smell.

Place in a spray bottle. Spray on your yoga mat, and wipe down with a towel or sponge. Let dry.

For a deeper clean, soak your mat in warm water and some mild detergent (or Dr. Bronner's soap) in the tub. To dry, lay your mat on a large towel and roll up together to squeeze out excess water. Hang to dry, and make sure your mat is very dry before you roll it up again. 

And there you have it... inexpensive, all-natural yoga mat spray.

 Don't you love the "ergonomic" spray bottles?
(found them at the dollar store)

Then I made one of my favorite pasta dishes for dinner: spaghettini with olive oil, lemon, toasted pine nuts, and wilted baby arugula. More on that later...