Guide · Yoga
How to care for a cork, jute or rubber yoga mat
1 October 2026 · 5 min read
A yoga mat made from natural materials is wiped with a damp cloth after every practice, cleaned with a mild solution once a week, and always dried flat, in the shade. Three things do the most damage: sun, strong detergents and rolling up a wet mat. The rest depends on the top layer.
Every day: a cloth and some air
After practice, wipe the top with a slightly damp cotton cloth, always in one direction, top to bottom. Leave the mat open for a quarter of an hour before rolling it. Sweat and skin oil you cannot see slowly take away grip, and a mat rolled up damp starts to smell.
Once a week: by material
- Cork and jute: water with a splash of vinegar or a drop of mild soap, applied with a cloth rather than sprayed on generously. Jute dislikes being soaked.
- Natural rubber and PU: water with a drop of mild soap only. Vinegar and essential oils dry out rubber and dull a PU surface.
- Suede (travel mat): machine-wash in cool water, no fabric softener, dry flat.
- Microfibre (yoga towel): machine-wash at 40 degrees, no softener, which clogs the fibres.
Rolling and storage
Roll a cork mat with the cork facing out — the bark then stretches rather than cracks. Roll rubber and PU mats top side in, so the edges do not curl up when you open them. Do not leave a mat in the car boot or by a radiator: heat ages rubber faster, and sunlight fades cork and jute. A bag or an upright spot in an airy room is best.
When to replace a mat
It is time for a new mat when the top crumbles or flakes where your hands and feet land most, when the base no longer holds the floor, or when the rubber cracks along the folds. With regular practice and good care, a natural-material mat usually lasts several years.
Cork, jute, rubber and PU mats, plus a towel and a mat bag, are in the Yoga section. How the materials themselves differ is covered in Cork, rubber and jute yoga mats.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a yoga mat go in the washing machine?
- Only a thin suede mat and a microfibre towel — in cool water, without softener. Cork, jute, rubber and PU mats are cleaned by hand with a cloth, because in a machine they delaminate and crumble.
- Why is my cork mat crumbling at the edges?
- Usually from rolling it cork side in, or drying it in the sun or by a radiator. Roll the cork outward, dry the mat in the shade and avoid strong detergents.
- How do I get rid of the rubber smell of a new mat?
- Lay the mat out in an airy, shaded place for a few days and wipe it with water and a drop of mild soap. The smell of natural rubber usually fades after a few weeks of use.
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