Your Yoga Mat Bag Needs Care
Yoga might be doing wonders to your physical well being but what about your
yoga mat bag? Daily use may cause wear and tear to the bag that not only
protects your yoga mat from dirt and damage; but also acts as a convenient
holder of your personal items while you are attending yoga classes. Cleanliness
is important in your yoga practice. Therefore it is important to take care of
your yoga mat bag.
Yoga mat bags are usually made either from linen and cotton or from leather.
Those made from linen and cotton are cheaper compared to the ones made of
leather. Linen bags are also easier to maintain. While linen yoga mat bags can
be washed, leather bags has to be dry cleaned which is an expensive proposition.
However, bags made from linen are less durable than the leather yoga mat bags.
How to Take Care of Yoga Mat Bags?
Once you decide on which type of yoga mat bag to buy, next you must give
importance to the caring aspect. Some linen mat bags may strictly require only a
hand wash while some material may allow machine washing. Therefore it is
important to read the washing instructions carefully.
Be extra careful to not
wash your yoga mat bag with other clothes especially if the linen is colored.
The other thing one needs to watch out for is that some line material shrinks
when washed. To be sure, it is best to let a linen yoga mat bag to naturally dry
under the sun instead of using the dryer in the washing machine.
In the case of yoga mat bags made of leather, the care is more intensive. While
leather is surely more long lasting, one has to make sure that some important
things are taken care of. Since no hand wash is allowed and repeated dry
cleaning may not be possible due to the cost involve, it is important that you
put some water and stain repellent in the leather immediately after purchase.
These repellants are very common and easily available. Be careful not to use
anything that is toxic. If you are not using the yoga mat bag for a long period,
stuff it with paper. This will help in maintaining the shape of the bag. It is
also advisable to wash your yoga stuff separate from all other laundry to
maintain its unique vibration.
To give a longer life to your leather yoga mat bag you must remember a few
things such as wiping away dust after use with a dry cloth and airing the
leather by keeping the bag in open air. A leather mat bag should never be stored
in a confined place especially inside a plastic bag as the humidity in such
places could result in mold settling in.
One should also keep the leather bag
away from heat as it can cause extensive damage to the leather. For example,
leaving the leather yoga mat bag inside the hot environment of your car is not
advisable.
If you opt for a yoga mat bag made of suede leather then you have to take even
more care of the bag. Cleaning suede leather can be a challenge as wiping it dry
can make the surface rough and hard. In case the yoga mat bag made of suede gets
stained, the best thing to do would be to try and wipe off as much of the stain
as you can with a suede brush until the leather is completely dry. This will
loosen and soften the material.
Therefore if you don’t mind spending a little more money and are looking for a
yoga mat bag that will last you for a lifetime then go for the ones made from
leather. Alternatively, if you want a cheaper and no hassle option in terms of
maintenance then the bags made of linen is more suitable for you.
© 2009 Copyright Creative Communications |
