How to Get Rid of the Rubber Smell in a Yoga Mat

Your brand new yoga mat is lovely, but it smells strongly of rubber. This can really make it difficult to relax into some of the more zen moments you hope to experience during your yoga practice. With a few household ingredients, however, you can get rid of the rubber smell inhabiting your yoga mat.

Items Needed:

• Baking soda


• White vinegar


• Spray bottle

Instructions:

1. Lay out the yoga mat in a flat area and sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda all along the yoga mat. Baking soda is a natural deodorizer and helps to draw odors out of all types of items.


2. Allow the baking soda to sit on the yoga mat for at least an hour to draw out the rubber smell.


3. Shake the baking soda off the mat outside.


4. Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar.


5. Spray the yoga mat thoroughly with the white vinegar. Vinegar is also a natural deodorizer.


6. Let the vinegar soak on the mat for a few minutes.


7. Rinse the yoga mat and lay it to dry in a sunny location. Sunlight is another way to remove odors from objects.


8. Check the yoga mat after a few hours to see if it still has a rubbery smell. If it does, repeat the entire process from the beginning until the smell fades.


9. Repeat the cleaning process each time you use the yoga mat for the first few weeks. Gradually, you should notice that the yoga mat retains less and less of the strong rubber smell. Once the smell is gone, continue to clean the mat regularly to avoid a buildup of bacteria that can cause other smells.