Care for indigo-dyed cotton by washing it cold, by hand, on its own for the first few washes, with a mild natural detergent, and drying it flat in shade. A little blue in the first rinses is normal with natural indigo and does not mean the dye has failed. Keep the cotton out of direct sun, skip bleach, softener and the tumble dryer, and the colour will soften slowly into the deep, lived-in blue that indigo is loved for.
What to expect from natural indigo
Our Indico mat is GOTS-certified organic cotton dyed with indigo from the plant's leaves, handwoven in a ribbed weave with hand-knotted tassels. When the mat is new, some blue can transfer onto pale fabric or damp skin, and the first washes release a little colour into the water. Both ease off after the first few washes. Over years the blue lightens unevenly where your hands and feet land; that is patina, not a fault. We explain the why in natural indigo on cotton: why it rubs, fades and gets more beautiful.
Step by step: the first washes
- Air before you wash. A new mat often only needs a day open in shade. Wash when it needs it, not on a schedule.
- Fill a bucket or tub with cold water. Cold only; warm water loosens plant colour.
- Dissolve a small amount of mild natural detergent before the mat goes in.
- Wash the mat alone. Nothing else in the water, and nothing pale drying next to it.
- Press and swish, do not scrub. Rubbing one spot lifts colour unevenly.
- Rinse in cold water until it runs nearly clear. Some blue in the early rinses is normal.
- Press out water without wringing. Roll the mat in an old towel and press.
- Dry flat in shade, turning it once. Never in direct sun, which fades indigo faster than anything else.
Light, sweat and storage
Sunlight is the main enemy of indigo. Do not dry or store the mat in direct sun, and keep it off a sunny windowsill between sessions. Sweat is fine; cotton is meant to absorb it and the mat grips better slightly damp. Just unroll the mat to air after practice and never roll it away wet. For storage, roll it loosely, dry, in a shaded corner.
What not to do
- Do not machine wash. It can fade plant dyes and is harder on the latex grip layer underneath.
- Do not use bleach, stain removers or fabric softener.
- Do not tumble dry, iron or use heat of any kind.
- Do not dry in direct sun.
- Do not wash with other items for the first few washes, or lay a damp new mat on a pale carpet.
How indigo cotton ages
| Stage | What you will see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| New | Deep, even blue; faint transfer onto pale fabric when damp | Air; wash alone the first few times |
| First months | Slight blue in rinse water; colour settles | Keep washing cold and separately |
| Years | Lighter where hands and feet fall; a softer, worn-in blue | Nothing; the mat is earning its character |
The same cold, separate, shaded routine suits our other plant-dyed cotton mats, the Prana Shakti and Prithvi chakra rugs; the full method is in how to wash a cotton yoga mat without losing the colour.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for indigo-dyed cotton to bleed in the wash?
Yes. Natural indigo releases a little blue into the water in the first few washes, and that is expected rather than a defect. Wash the item cold, by hand and on its own, rinse until the water runs nearly clear, and dry flat in shade. The colour settles after the first washes and bleeds less and less.
Can I machine wash an indigo-dyed yoga mat?
We ask you not to. Machine washing can fade plant dyes and is harder on the natural latex grip layer under the Indico mat. Hand wash cold with a mild natural detergent, separately for the first few washes, and dry flat in shade. The Diamond mats are the only ones in our range we recommend for a delicate machine cycle.
How do I stop indigo fading?
You cannot stop it entirely, and we would not want to; indigo is meant to soften. You can slow it: keep the mat out of direct sun, wash cold and only when needed, skip bleach and hot water, and store it rolled in shade. A mat cared for this way keeps a deep blue for years and lightens gradually where it is used most.
Why does the blue rub off onto my hands or clothes?
When natural indigo is new, some colour sits loosely on the fibre and can transfer onto damp skin or pale fabric. It washes off skin with soap and water and fades from the mat after the first few washes. Until then, avoid laying the mat on a pale carpet when it is damp, and wash it separately.
If you have just unrolled a new Indico, give it a day in the shade and a first cold wash on its own when it needs one. The Indico page carries the care summary, and the Mat care page at /page.html?p=care covers every mat we weave.
