A banana fibre mat is cleaned, not washed. Shake it out after practice, wipe it with a cloth wrung out in cold water, and let it air flat in the shade. Never soak it, never put it in a washing machine, and never dry it in the sun; the bark and fibre swell when wet and the weave does not recover.
Why no washing
Our Banana Fibre mat is natural banana bark and banana fibre bound with cotton, 3 mm thick and about a kilo. It is undyed, so colour is not the worry; water is. Soaked, the bark swells, the binding loosens, and the strips can split as they dry. A damp cloth gives it all the cleaning it needs. What the fibre is and where it comes from is in banana fibre yoga mats: how a stem becomes a mat.
How to clean it, step by step
- Shake it out, both sides, to drop dust and grit.
- Brush lightly with a dry hand or a soft brush along the strips, not across them.
- Wring a cloth out in cold water until damp rather than wet. Plain water is enough; a drop of mild natural detergent is the most you should add.
- Wipe along the grain, then turn the mat and wipe the binding and the underside.
- Air it flat in the shade for an hour or two, with a window open or a fan on it.
- Roll loosely only when fully dry.
For a sweat mark, press a damp cloth onto the spot and lift; do not rub hard or pour water on it.
Fuzz and other things that are normal
Banana fibre is a plant fibre finished by hand, and a few loose hairs on the surface are part of it, especially in the first weeks. Brush them away. Strips vary in width and shade because each comes from a different sheath of the stem. A split strip or a binding that has come away is different; write to us through the Contact page rather than reaching for glue.
Storage
Roll the mat loosely, fibre side out, and stand it upright or lay it flat under a bed, somewhere dry with air moving; a closed, damp cupboard in the monsoon is where mildew starts. After humid weather, give it an afternoon in the shade with a fan before rolling. For a long stretch unused, wrap it in cotton cloth, not plastic.
The latex underside
Like our grass mats, the Banana Fibre mat has a thin layer of natural tree latex brushed onto the underside by hand, which holds it on tile, marble and wood. Wiping does not disturb it; after years it can soften, and a thin fresh coat restores it. If you are allergic to natural latex, choose with care and write to us first.
The same method suits our sambhu grass mats such as the Sambu Diamond; see how to clean a grass yoga mat.
Frequently asked questions
Can I wash a banana fibre mat with water?
Not by soaking it. Water is fine on a cloth, wrung out until damp, wiped along the strips and followed by an hour or two drying flat in the shade. Soaking swells the bark and loosens the cotton binding, and a washing machine would break the fibres, so neither is ever a good idea.
Why is my banana fibre mat shedding little fibres?
Banana fibre is a hand-finished plant fibre, and a few loose hairs on the surface are normal, especially when the mat is new; brush them off and they thin out with use. Shedding that leaves bald patches, or a strip that splits or comes loose, is different, and we would like to hear about it.
How do I get a sweat smell out of a banana fibre mat?
Air is the cure. Wipe the surface with a cloth damp with cold water if it feels sticky, then lay the mat flat in the shade with a fan or an open window for an afternoon. Do not spray it with cleaners or vinegar, which sit in the fibre, and do not put it in the sun, which makes the bark brittle.
Next step
After your next practice, shake the mat out and give it ten minutes flat by an open window; that habit is most of its care. The rest of our notes are on the Mat care page.
