First use
Rubber yoga mats naturally provide great grip, so you don't need to break them in or treat them: just roll them out and use.
The rubber yoga mats from the Eko Series by Manduka are sustainably produced from natural tree rubber (not from the Amazon region). The Eko 3.0 series also has more than 30% recycled material.
Smell
Rubber naturally has a fairly strong odor, especially when you first take your mat out of the packaging. Don’t like that? Don’t worry – with a little patience it’s easily fixed:
- Let your mat air out for a few days
- Use your mat regularly to help the odor disappear faster
After a few weeks the odor will have largely diminished.
Maintenance
Rubber Yoga mats have an open cell structure: this means that the mat absorbs a little moisture (such as sweat). This provides extra grip during sweaty sessions, but also means that the mat absorbs dirt faster and you have to clean it more often.
Rubber is a biodegradable material. It is therefore somewhat more sensitive to the elements. Therefore, make sure that you do not expose your mat to heat or too much moisture for long periods of time.
How to clean a rubber yoga mat
- Clean with a special yoga mat spray for rubber (such as Manduka Mat Restore )
- Or dissolve a small amount of natural vinegar in lukewarm water
- Use a slightly damp soft cloth or sponge – do not scrub
- Do not use alcohol-based sprays, soaps, oils or cleaning agents
- Make sure the mat does not get soaking wet
- Allow to dry thoroughly before rolling up and storing the mat
- No washing machine – that speeds up the decomposition process
- Do not expose to sunlight or heat sources (e.g. in a hot car or near a heater)
- Store in a dark, cool place