As you sweat, the liquid carries microbes away, where they attach themselves to your mat, Schmidt says. Now, if it's your own personal yoga mat, in theory you don't have much to worry about because all the microbes are coming from your own body. Things get tricky, however, if you're recovering from an infection like staph -- it is possible to infect yourself all over again.

You also don't know who has set up shop in that spot before you. Just think of all the feet that have walked on the floor where your yoga mat is laying down. That's why Schmidt says it is extra-important to always know which side of your mat is the bottom, and which side is the top. "Then, when your hands are touching your mat, you're touching your [own germs] and not other people's germs," he says.

Always wipe down your yoga mat with a sanitizing cloth or spray. Jasmine Seven Yoga Wipes are all-natural, and contain soothing lavender oil and disinfecting tea tree oil. And, keep your mat separate from the rest of your items.

Have you ever heard the adage "sloppy drinkers get E. Coli?" Probably not, but it's true. Schmidt says that water should only go one way: into your mouth. Sloshing it back out into your water bottle (colloquial term: backwashing) can lead to a greater risk of infection.

Since bacteria thrive in warm, damp places, it's important to keep your water bottle clean. But skip the dishwasher: If you really want your bottle to be as germ-free as possible, you need to hand wash it. Schmidt says that the cylindrical shape of water bottles makes it hard for a dishwasher to thoroughly clean the inside. You want to wash your water bottle the way you would wash a baby bottle: with soap, water and a bottle brush. Schmidt washes his water bottle once a day.