No-sweat suggestions for cleaning a yoga mat

Q: What's the best way for me to wash my yoga mat?

A: Thin and slightly sticky, these mats may not seem to be made of the kind of material that can be tossed into the washing machine, but in fact, that's all you have to do to keep your mat in good shape.

Simply use a mild detergent and cold water, and stop the machine before it gets to the spin cycle: Then remove the mat, blot it with a thick towel and drape it over a rack to dry. Let it dry completely before rolling it up again.

If the mat is especially dirty, set the machine on the warm-cold setting (usually called permanent press).

Too much heat over time can cause the mat to break apart a bit, but it is not harmful to use warm water once in a while.

Another way to wash the mat is to take it into the shower with you: Lay it in the tub, and soap the mat up with your feet while you bathe. Your excess soap will get it clean. (Be aware that it will be a little slippery.)

If you do yoga several times a week, wash the mat about once a week. Clean it monthly if you exercise less regularly.

Keep your mat from acquiring an odor by wiping it after each workout with a mat-cleaning spray.

To make your own spray, add five drops of tea-tree oil (available at health-food stores) to 4 cups of water, and pour the solution into a spray bottle.

Q: How do I decide what size rug to use?

A: One important consideration when choosing a rug is the traffic pattern in the room: For example, the carpet shouldn't force people to walk with one foot on the rug and the other on the bare floor.

The next factor to think about is the size of the room. A small room looks best, and most unified, with a rug that takes up most of the floor space and ends no more than a foot away from the wall around the perimeter.

You can break a large room into cozier areas with smaller rugs, each of which can hold a grouping of chairs or a work area. Smaller rugs should extend at least to the front of a sofa but not more than a few inches beyond the back.

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