Hello everyone
Now back from my weekend away I can now devote some time to re-formulating my answer. For me this issue of sweat really comes down to some very important HYGIENE factors. In my opinion, it is firstly the responsibility of the studio owners and teachers to create the right conditions for health and hygiene. Further on you will see what I do in my own studios to create optimal conditions. But first let’s look at the issues.
PROBLEM NUMBER 1:
When you practice at a studio there is always going to be the smell of sweat. If you started out with a completely pristine space and no one had ever practiced Hot Yoga in there, you would smell the sweat in the air from the very first class.
PROBLEM NUMBER 2:
If, at your studio, sweat that drips off the body falls directly onto the carpet then you have the potential for sweat to lie around for hours, days or even months. This is a breeding ground for all sorts of microorganisms.
PROBLEM NUMBER 3:
Hygiene can become a problem dependent on 2 factors; the ability to air the room and the material that gets sweated on.
Now a couple of stories.
Where we first practiced:
When Robert and I first started this yoga years ago we have some very unpleasant experiences about smell and sweat. Both of us recall, just like you Jacquie, lying face down in someone else’s PUDDLE of sweat. It was extremely off putting. And yes, old sweat smells much worse.
Besides being a turn off it is a hazardous condition for people to exercise in. The heat creates a breeding ground for the microbes in the room. Yikes.
Our first home studio:
My first studio was my converted double car garage at home. We set it up with a full wall of mirrors, carpeted and properly insulated. When practicing at a studio there is almost an expectation that you are going to smell some sweat in the studio before, during and after every single class. BUT when you are at home, somehow smelling any sweat outside of class is NOT an option. By default you MUST find a way to handle it.
After my very first public class at home (which was only tiny) we already had wet patches on the carpet and the smell was traveling through the house. We lifted the carpet to air it but it never completely dried or was cleansed as the stain would remain. We HAD to come up with another option.
Placing the towel across your mat (BEWARE: contentious idea - that really works 
)
We started to position the towel across the mat in a ‘T’ or a ‘t’ formation. When students arrive they place their towel across the mat and just before they get to the 2 min Savasana the towel is picked up and placed lengthwise on the mat.
What this means is that any sweat that drips from you is collected by the towel. All Warrior poses where you straddle the mat still have you positioned over your towel. Now 99% of your sweat drips onto your own towel. YOU get to take it home and take responsibility for your sweat. The studio stays cleaner and smells more fresh.
The studio owners and teachers still have to work to keep the studio smelling clean and fresh. The biggest determinant I have found in keeping a fresh hygienic studio (once dripping sweat onto carpet is no longer happening) is to have the studio well ventilated and aired after every single class. Every night when we left the space, the doors would be left wide open. And yes, you can use incense and essential oils, but not to mask the smells and hoodwink people into believing the space is clean.
Some people get really turned off by the smells in the studio. While we can ask people not to wear strong fragrances, we can’t ask them not to eat garlicky food before class - but that happens and it is not very pleasant standing next to someone who enjoys these things. Foot odor, the smell of garlic sausage, strong perfume or even oils and incense can be equally offensive to some. My aim is to provide a neutral environment where anyone can be comfortable.
I know the towel position thing is going to get some of you a bit perturbed. Yes, I have had my fair share of visiting students or other Bikram teachers who are dogmatic about the fact that Bikram doesn’t do it this way. My answer to them is simple: the position of your towel has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the practice of the yoga. It is simply a way to provide the best possible conditions for you and everyone around you.
I also tell them that the results speak for themselves. No one EVER complains of a stink in my studios. And even better than that: our carpet cleaning bill is not 80% of what a regular studio spends. It is not even 50%. Not even 10% of what a regular studio spends on cleaning. We needed to professionally steam clean our carpet 2 times a year. HONESTLY.
Last point of carpet. If your studio is using regular indoor use carpet then it is probably a breeding ground for germs - especially if there is underlay. My advice is to use a commercial quality indoor/outdoor carpet that is designed for moist conditions.
Thanks Regan for bringing up this problem. My suggestion is for anyone who is concerned to approach your studio owners and teachers with ideas for improvement. It is your practice and you can place your towel any way you like. If you are the only one who does that then it doesn’t address the rest of the environment but you could feel a little more comfortable in your own space.
Hey, I have to sign off, I have run out of room 
Namaste
Gabrielle 
