Most yoga mats are made to last a very long time. I have Tapas® Original Yoga Mats at my studio that are 20 years old and still in good shape. If you take good care of your yoga mat, you can enjoy a long-term relationship with it.
But what if you want to upgrade? Maybe you’d like to try a different type of mat. Or maybe your mat is still functional, but looking a bit worn. While some mats, such as Earth Elements, will biodegrade in a landfill, most mats won’t. They’re built to last, after all.
The good news is you don’t have to toss your old yoga mat. There are many ways to reuse your yoga mat. Here are a few ideas:
7 Ways to Reuse Your Old Yoga Mat
- The first nonskid mats that came into wide use in the late 1980s were cut from carpet underlay imported from Europe. Hugger Mugger designed the very first made-for-yoga sticky mats—Tapas® Original Yoga Mats—in 1991 to replicate the carpet underlay’s grippy qualities, but with the added bonus of being much more durable and long lasting. There’s no reason that you can’t reuse your yoga mat to secure your throw rugs. As a cat owner, I regularly come home to throw rugs that have been rearranged during some heavy feline play. Just cut your old yoga mat to fit under your throw rugs and you don’t have to worry about you or your four-leggeds sliding around on them.
- Speaking of four-legged friends, going to the vet is stressful enough without our friends sliding around in their carriers en route. Cut a sticky mat to fit in the bottom of your companion’s carrier to help them feel more safe and secure as you transport them to the vet. If you don’t have a cat or dog, consider donating your mat to an animal shelter.
- Yoga mats, especially the thinner ones, make great shelf liners. They keep things from sliding around and can prevent possible chipping of your delicate glassware. Of course, you’ll want to give your mat a good, thorough washing before you put your dishes on them.
- Cut your old yoga mat into a placemat for your furry friend’s feeding station. The grippy surface will keep your pet’s dishes in place.
- Yoga mats make great grip pads to open jars. Cut a circle out of your old mat and you’ll still have plenty of mat left to use for something else.
- Do you live in a drafty house? Cut your yoga mat into strips and wedge it into the cracks at the base of doors and windows.
- Spread a mat out in the trunk of your car to prevent groceries from sliding around.
What are your favorite ways to reuse your yoga mat?