Is the smell of yoga mats harmful to people? Can the smell of yoga mats cause cancer?

Yoga mats are what we all need to use when we practice yoga, but some people find that there is a strong smell when using yoga mats, so we need to understand whether the smell of yoga mats is harmful to people? Can the smell of yoga mats cause cancer?

The smelly mat has not been treated to be non-toxic and odorless. When it is just opened, it has a strong smell, which is pungent and unpleasant, and it will be irritating to the eyes. After being scrubbed with water for a long time or placed flat in a dry place for about 20 days, the smell will be smaller, but the uncomfortable smell will always be there. Practitioners will experience intermittent dizziness, neuralgic headaches, nausea and fatigue after long-term use. When doing yoga to exercise, you should relax your body and mind and concentrate! If the smell is unpleasant, it will be difficult to relax your body and mind during exercise, which will affect your mood. Not only will it be difficult to concentrate, but it will also greatly reduce the effect of exercise! Long-term use will make people exercise in depression, which will definitely not achieve good exercise results, and may even have a counterproductive effect.

It may not cause cancer, but it is bad for your health over time. The smell of yoga mats is related to the material of yoga mats. Common materials of yoga mats include rubber foam, TPE foam, PVC foam, EVA, latex mat, NBR, linen, etc. You can roll up the yoga mat and smell it every 1cm. If there is a strong pungent smell, it means that the material is not good and may be toxic. You can open the yoga mat and lay it flat for a few days. If there is still a pungent smell, it means that the mat is problematic. But if it is a good quality brand product, there will be no inferior smell, so you still have to buy a good yoga mat, don't go for cheap. Rinse with soapy water, and then put it in a cool place to dry naturally after washing. The smell will be much smaller, but it cannot be soaked in water directly. Mix 5 grams of baking soda + 15ml alcohol + toilet water, then soak it with a soft damp cloth and wipe the surface of the yoga mat. Baking soda can remove stains, alcohol kills bacteria and mites, and toilet water removes odors. In addition, the yoga mat should be cleaned and dried in time during normal use to prevent residual sweat from breeding bacteria and producing odor.

One organic disinfectant that is commonly used is a mixture of equal parts distilled water and white vinegar, with a small amount of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is an antimicrobial agent that is effective at killing harmful bacteria and fungi that remain on your mat. Combine this with the antimicrobial properties in white vinegar, and you have a double-killing feature that can thoroughly disinfect your mat. Spray the solution on both sides of your yoga mat and wipe the solution with a towel. This kills any bacteria that remain on the surface of the mat. Both sides of the mat should be cleaned because, as a rule, microorganisms migrate from the dirty side to the clean side. When you roll up your mat, the side that touches the floor will rest in the areas where you frequently place your feet, hands, chest, back, and face, so spraying all surfaces of the mat is essential to keep unwanted dirt at bay. Regularly disinfecting your mat is not only useful for preventing conditions such as athlete's foot, plantar warts, staph infections, and ringworm, but it can also help remove dirt and oil from the surface of the mat. All of these can lead to skin conditions, including acne.

The thickness of yoga mats mainly includes 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 7mm. Among them, 6mm is the standard thickness. It is more suitable for beginners. TPE mats can be 10mm thick and very soft. The most important point in choosing a yoga mat is that it should be soft, close to the ground, have a strong grip when laid flat, and not slide when sweating. It is best to be easy to carry. The second is to have good waterproof and anti-slip properties. Even if you sweat profusely, you can still practice on it with ease. The bottom of the mat is full of particles and will not slip.