Few things will pull you out of your flow faster than your hands sliding forward in Downward-Facing Dog or your feet slithering apart in Warrior II. A slippery mat is not just frustrating; it can make poses feel unstable and unsafe. From my experience, a slippery mat usually just needs a good cleaning. But there are several other culprits that cause a mat to lose its grip, and most of these have an easy fix.
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Why Is Your Yoga Mat Slippery?
Most of the time there’s a clear reason your mat is slipping. Here are the most common causes:
- Sweat, skin oils, lotion, and dust build up on the surface over time and leave a slick film.
- A brand-new mat can feel slick either from a film left over from manufacturing or because the surface hasn’t broken in yet.
- Sweat sits on top of closed-cell mats like PVC instead of soaking in, so your hands slide once you get a bit sweaty.
- Excessive soap or cleaner left on the mat can act like a lubricant.
- Your skin can be too wet or too dry. Grip tends to be best when your hands and feet are slightly damp.
- Mats wear out. Age, sunlight, and harsh cleaners slowly break down the surface and wear away its texture.
9 Fixes for a Slippery Yoga Mat
1. Give Your Mat a Good Cleaning
When my own mat starts slipping, a cleaning almost always brings the grip back. I use a homemade mat spray and wipe my mats down regularly with a clean cloth. And every year or so, I’ll put my mats in the washing machine with a tiny bit of detergent for a deep clean and let them air dry. (Please check your mat’s care instructions before you try this, since some mat materials and brands say not to soak or submerge their mats.) Whatever you use, make sure you wipe away any soap afterward, because a film of soap can make your mat even more slippery.
2. Clean the Film Off a New Mat
I’ve had a few new mats that were slippery right from the get-go. After I wiped them down with a cleaner, the slick manufacturing film came off and they worked fine. Many mats are made in molds sprayed with an oily release agent, which can leave a thin film on a brand-new mat. Soap cuts through oily film, so washing a new mat with warm water and a little mild dish soap, then wiping it well, usually works.
Break a New Mat In With Salt or Sun?
One popular option to break in a new mat is using a salt scrub, where you cover a new mat in coarse sea salt, let it sit overnight, and scrub it off. I’ve never tried it, and in the Reddit threads on the subject, some people swear it worked, while plenty of others tried it two or three times with no luck. Even Manduka, the brand that made the salt scrub popular, no longer recommends it.
Some people also leave a new mat out in the sun to break it in, but I’d skip that, since sunlight breaks down many mat materials over time. Many people skip both and just use a towel for the first few weeks while regular practice breaks the mat in.
3. Use a Mat Towel for Sweaty Classes
For warm or hot classes, I use a mat towel on top of my mat and keep a hand towel nearby. Microfiber mat towels get grippier as they soak up sweat, so they work best once you’ve warmed up. Some students mist their towel with water before class to get that grip going right away. I see a few people doing this in my warm classes, but most people get sweaty pretty quickly, so it’s not super necessary.
4. Skip the Lotion Before Practice
Hand cream, body lotion, and oils leave a greasy film on your skin, which then gets transferred to your mat. Try to leave them off before you practice. If your skin needs moisturizer, apply it after class.
5. Lightly Dampen Dry Hands
Very dry skin can slip too. A 2011 study on finger friction found that grip is strongest when skin is slightly damp, and it drops off when skin is either too dry or too wet. If your hands feel a bit dry before a slow, gentle class, rub a little water on your palms.
6. Keep Your Mat From Sliding on the Floor
If the whole mat is shifting, check what’s underneath it. A dusty wood floor can make a mat slide, so give the floor a quick sweep first. On thick carpet, a mat can shift and bunch up, so move to a firm, flat surface or slide a non-slip rug pad underneath.
7. Dry and Store Your Mat Properly
Let your mat dry completely before rolling it up, especially after a sweaty class or a deep clean. Rolling up a damp mat can lead to mildew and a funky smell. Store it in a cool, dry spot out of direct sunlight, since sun and heat slowly break down most mat materials.
8. Choose a Material That Suits Your Sweat
If you sweat a lot and your mat slips even when it’s clean, the material may be the problem. Closed-cell PVC mats are easy to clean, but sweat sits on top of them. Cork yoga mats are said to grip better as they get damp, thanks to suberin, a natural waxy compound in cork. (Some cork brands even suggest misting the mat with water before practice.) Natural rubber mats also tend to grip well, but they’re a no-go if you have a latex sensitivity.
9. Know When to Replace Your Mat
Cracks, rips, and tears are common signs that your mat needs to be replaced. So are worn, shiny patches where your hands and feet usually land. And if your mat is still slippery after a good cleaning, it’s probably time for a new one.
Use Good Alignment and Core Strength
Even on a grippy mat, your hands and feet can slide if too much of your weight is pushing forward into them. When students are sliding in Down Dog, I usually have them narrow their stance and bring their hands a bit closer to their feet, which puts less forward pressure on the hands. Another option is to fold the top edge of your mat over and rest your wrists on the folded edge. Spread your fingers wide and press firmly through the knuckles at the base of your index finger and thumb. And engage your core and arms to take some of the weight out of your hands. Over time, building core and upper-body strength makes it a lot easier to hold poses like Down Dog and Warrior I without sliding.
Getting Your Grip Back
Most of the time, a slippery mat is an easy fix. Start with a good cleaning, since sweat, skin oils, and lotion are the most common culprits. If that doesn’t do it, try a mat towel for sweaty classes, skip the lotion before practice, and check your alignment. And if nothing on this list brings the grip back, it’s probably time for a new mat. Once your hands and feet stay put, you can stop bracing against the slide and put your attention back on your breath.
