# Juka 100% Cotton Gi Melted



## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

I pulled my Juka Emerald gi out of the washing machine to discover that a corner of the jacket had literally melted. I didn't know 100% cotton could melt at cold water temperatures and I'm guessing this material is a cotton/poly blend which would explain why it melted. has anyone ever had this happen to their gi?


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## Steve (Sep 28, 2011)

Never heard of this.  Only things I can think of.  

1:  Is it REALLY 100% cotton, because that doesn't melt.

2:  If it's all cotton, what isn't?  Did they use some kind of plastic or rubber fill for the collar?  In BJJ, the collars are seldom rolled cotton because it's heavy and takes forever to dry.  So, they fill them with something else... usually a foam material.  

3:  If it's not that, is the thread something weird?

4:  And if that's not it, what else was in the wash?


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## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

stevebjj said:


> Never heard of this.  Only things I can think of.
> 
> 1:  Is it REALLY 100% cotton, because that doesn't melt. Tell me about it that was the first thing that came to mind!
> 
> ...


  I still can't believe this happen to my brand new gi!


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## jks9199 (Sep 28, 2011)

Any possibility that someone simply sent the wrong item to you?  Simple warehouse error, discovered by misfortune?  Especially since, by your account, the manufacturer or vendor was surprised and upset.  They may be researching to be sure of what you ordered, and will make it right if you give them some time to line things up.


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 28, 2011)

Willard814 said:


> I pulled my Juka Emerald gi out of the washing machine to discover that a corner of the jacket had literally melted. I didn't know 100% cotton could melt at cold water temperatures and I'm guessing this material is a cotton/poly blend which would explain why it melted. has anyone ever had this happen to their gi?



I've never heard of anything 'melting' in the washing machine, particularly on a cold-wash setting.  I have had things get rubbed badly, to the point where they looked like they melted, like the brims of baseball caps.  I would hazard a guess based on your description that the gi didn't 'melt'.  Sorry to hear it happened, though.  I had one get mixed up with a ball-point pen in a dryer once, which ruined it.


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## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

jks9199 said:


> Any possibility that someone simply sent the wrong item to you?  Simple warehouse error, discovered by misfortune?  Especially since, by your account, the manufacturer or vendor was surprised and upset.  They may be researching to be sure of what you ordered, and will make it right if you give them some time to line things up.



The thing is the Emerald gi is suppose to be 100% cotton so I can't see how they could send me the wrong gi.
http://www.juka.com/uniform/juka.htm


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## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> I've never heard of anything 'melting' in the washing machine, particularly on a cold-wash setting.  I have had things get rubbed badly, to the point where they looked like they melted, like the brims of baseball caps.  I would hazard a guess based on your description that the gi didn't 'melt'.  Sorry to hear it happened, though.  I had one get mixed up with a ball-point pen in a dryer once, which ruined it.



The only difference here is that there is plastic in basball cap brims as with a gi there is and should not be any! What really chaps my hide is that I love the fit of this gi, I really hope they make it right!


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 28, 2011)

Willard814 said:


> The only difference here is that there is plastic in basball cap brims as with a gi there is and should not be any! What really chaps my hide is that I love the fit of this gi, I really hope they make it right!



It was the cloth that got messed up, not any plastic.  In my case it was friction that caused the problem.

Seriously, I don't know if that's what happened to you or not; but a 'cold water' wash setting on a washing machine is just that -  cold!  It does not get hot, not even warm.  Can't melt anything, not plastic, not cotton, nothing.  So I don't understand how it 'melted' your gi in a literal sense.  Got a photo?


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## decepticon (Sep 28, 2011)

Did it actually melt or could it have been an area affected by uneven shrinkage? Sounds to me like perhaps some other kind of fiber got mixed in with the cotton and shrank at a different rate. Usually that gives the appearance of wrinkled, puckered, deformed surface area that cannot be flattened out. Have you tried ironing it flat? Depending on what the other fiber might be, the heat of an iron might make it even worse, so only try that if it is so bad that it can't get any worse. Also look at the affected area under a bright light source with a magnifying glass.  Cotton fibers usually are not shiny, but most synthetic fibers are. If it has shiny fibers in the bad section, then I would think you could demand a replacement or refund, since the gi would certainly not be 100% cotton.


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## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> It was the cloth that got messed up, not any plastic.  In my case it was friction that caused the problem.
> 
> Seriously, I don't know if that's what happened to you or not; but a 'cold water' wash setting on a washing machine is just that -  cold!  It does not get hot, not even warm.  Can't melt anything, not plastic, not cotton, nothing.  So I don't understand how it 'melted' your gi in a literal sense.  Got a photo?


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## Grenadier (Sep 28, 2011)

Best to contact the place from where you bought it, and ask for an exchange.  If they don't allow it, then contact Jukado directly.  They'll make it right.  

I used JUKA uniforms for several years, and never had anything like that happen, especially one of their heavyweights.


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## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

decepticon said:


> Did it actually melt or could it have been an area affected by uneven shrinkage? Sounds to me like perhaps some other kind of fiber got mixed in with the cotton and shrank at a different rate. Usually that gives the appearance of wrinkled, puckered, deformed surface area that cannot be flattened out. Have you tried ironing it flat? Depending on what the other fiber might be, the heat of an iron might make it even worse, so only try that if it is so bad that it can't get any worse. Also look at the affected area under a bright light source with a magnifying glass.  Cotton fibers usually are not shiny, but most synthetic fibers are. If it has shiny fibers in the bad section, then I would think you could demand a replacement or refund, since the gi would certainly not be 100% cotton.


I totally agree the fabric is shiny and hard just like melted plastic I think it's a cotton/poly blend which is cheaper than cotton. Further more the right blend can be made to look like real canvas, I can't wait to hear what their findings are.


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 28, 2011)

Willard814 said:


> I totally agree the fabric is shiny and hard just like melted plastic I think it's a cotton/poly blend which is cheaper than cotton. Further more the right blend can be made to look like real canvas, I can't wait to hear what their findings are.



That there is friction.  I agree it looks like melted plastic, but consider this; how did it only melt in two odd little spots and not more evenly over a wider area?  If the entire gi was polyester or some other synthetic or synthetic blend, and it somehow got hot enough in your washing machine to melt anything (which I still fail to understand how that happened in a 'cold water' wash cycle), how is it that only those two little spots got 'melted'?

If you're seeing any 'melted plastic' on that gi, I would bet that it's being transferred ONTO the gi from the rim or some other plastic surface it rubbed against in the wash machine.  It just does not look melted to me, sorry.  It's a real shame whatever the cause.  Good luck with getting it repaired or replaced.


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## jks9199 (Sep 28, 2011)

That looks like abrasion not melting. I would guess it got wrapped up under or against the agitator or at the rim of the drum. 

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk


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## Willard814 (Sep 28, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> That there is friction.  I agree it looks like melted plastic, but consider this; how did it only melt in two odd little spots and not more evenly over a wider area?  If the entire gi was polyester or some other synthetic or synthetic blend, and it somehow got hot enough in your washing machine to melt anything (which I still fail to understand how that happened in a 'cold water' wash cycle), how is it that only those two little spots got 'melted'?
> 
> If you're seeing any 'melted plastic' on that gi, I would bet that it's being transferred ONTO the gi from the rim or some other plastic surface it rubbed against in the wash machine.  It just does not look melted to me, sorry.  It's a real shame whatever the cause.  Good luck with getting it repaired or replaced.


I suspect that the gi was in the wash basin in one position and never moved thru out the complete wash cycle and the agitator must have rubbed it until the end result, the gi is very stiff in my opinion for a heavy weight gi. The plastic isn't on the gi the gi literally melted in those area at one part it melted all the way thru the gi. The first thing my wife said is whats on it until she tried to peel off the melted part. The washer is fairly new and there is no damage, melted or missing parts on it what so ever! I think it's a cheap cotton/poly blend!


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## decepticon (Sep 28, 2011)

Regardless of whether something strange happened inside the washer, if you paid for a 100% cotton gi, you should have received one. This site ( http://quilting.about.com/od/fabricembellishment/a/burn_test.htm ) has details for how you can do a burn test to see if you can detect the presence of other fibers. The fact is that cotton will char/blacken or flame up and burn, but will not melt. If your gi has the presence of fused, melted fibers, then there is definitely something other than cotton in there.

Obscure, totally irrelevant, off topic, fun fact: charred cotton is to fiber what charcoal is to wood. In the 1700's and even into the 1800's, pioneers and explorers made char cloth to use as a fire starter. It is made by placing small squares of 100% cotton inside a closed metal tin and throwing that into a campfire. The cloth inside will blacken but not burn to ash. Later it will ignite very quickly when exposed to a spark or ember and flame up with a steady, smokeless flame which can be used to start another campfire.


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## Carol (Sep 28, 2011)

Just a total off-the-wall thought, is there any chance that the gi could have come in to contact with something caustic, such as battery acid?  While that still wouldn't cause the fibers to melt, it would cause damage to them.


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 28, 2011)

decepticon said:


> If your gi has the presence of fused, melted fibers, then there is definitely something other than cotton in there.



I don't think you can say that necessarily.  100% cotton means that is what the garment is constructed of.  It could have been coated with something as new clothes often are.  Or, it could be transfer from something else, which is actually what I think it is.


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## Grenadier (Sep 28, 2011)

Carol said:


> Just a total off-the-wall thought, is there any chance that the gi could have come in to contact with something caustic, such as battery acid?  While that still wouldn't cause the fibers to melt, it would cause damage to them.



Sulfuric acid can do that, but usually leaves a black mark where it came in contact with the uniform.  H2SO4 essentially sucks out hydrogens and oxygens from carbohydrates (which cotton is primarily composed of), and leaves behind relatively pure carbon.


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## Willard814 (Sep 29, 2011)

Carol said:


> Just a total off-the-wall thought, is there any chance that the gi could have come in to contact with something caustic, such as battery acid?  While that still wouldn't cause the fibers to melt, it would cause damage to them.



lol I don't wash my gi in a chemical laboratory Carol! I wash it in my finished basement! lmao Just kidding... no there is no way my gi would have come into contact with any such chemicals. I wash the gi by itself with Cheer Free and Oxi-Clean and I spray the collar with either Spray "n" Wash or vinegar.


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## Willard814 (Sep 29, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> I don't think you can say that necessarily.  100% cotton means that is what the garment is constructed of.  It could have been coated with something as new clothes often are.  Or, it could be transfer from something else, which is actually what I think it is.


 
I washed the gi by itself so there is no chance something rub off in it.  I am very meticulous about my laundry and clothing and I know what melted plastic  looks like per the fabric test link decepticon provided http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/member.php?26394-decepticon( http://quilting.about.com/od/fabrice.../burn_test.htm ) I guess you would have to actually see and touch the fabric to confirm that it's plastic.


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 29, 2011)

Willard814 said:


> I washed the gi by itself so there is no chance something rub off in it.  I am very meticulous about my laundry and clothing and I know what melted plastic  looks like per the fabric test link decepticon provided http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/member.php?26394-decepticon( http://quilting.about.com/od/fabrice.../burn_test.htm ) I guess you would have to actually see and touch the fabric to confirm that it's plastic.



I was referring to the coating that many garment makers put on new clothing when they ship it, to protect against stains and whatnot.  When you smell new clothes, they often have a 'chemical' smell until you wash them for the first time.  It was only a guess in any case.

As to the burn test, if you set fire to part of it and it melted, then yes, I agree it's not cotton.  Otherwise, I can only go by what I see in the photo you provided.  I have seen the same on clothes of mine that have been damaged by the washing machine and it was friction that did it and the fabric in question wasn't made of polyester blends in my case.  I'm no expert, and I don't claim to know what happened to your gi or what it's made of.  You posted a photo and I commented because I've seen damage that looks just like that.  Believe whatever you wish to believe; I was offering only my experience, not a definitive statement.   As I said, I am sorry your gi is damaged and I hope you find a satisfactory resolution.


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## dancingalone (Sep 29, 2011)

I have nothing to add of relevance, but this is by far the most interesting "gi" thread I have ever read.  Thanks, all.


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## Willard814 (Sep 29, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> I was referring to the coating that many garment makers put on new clothing when they ship it, to protect against stains and whatnot.  When you smell new clothes, they often have a 'chemical' smell until you wash them for the first time.  It was only a guess in any case.
> 
> As to the burn test, if you set fire to part of it and it melted, then yes, I agree it's not cotton.  Otherwise, I can only go by what I see in the photo you provided.  I have seen the same on clothes of mine that have been damaged by the washing machine and it was friction that did it and the fabric in question wasn't made of polyester blends in my case.  I'm no expert, and I don't claim to know what happened to your gi or what it's made of.  You posted a photo and I commented because I've seen damage that looks just like that.  Believe whatever you wish to believe; I was offering only my experience, not a definitive statement.   As I said, I am sorry your gi is damaged and I hope you find a satisfactory resolution.



No harm no foul! lol Do you think the garment coating put on fabrics would last after a month of use and washings?


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## Bill Mattocks (Sep 29, 2011)

Willard814 said:


> No harm no foul! lol Do you think the garment coating put on fabrics would last after a month of use and washings?



No, I don't.  It usually washes off after the first washing.  You had said it was your "brand new gi" so I thought perhaps this was the first time you had washed it.  Sorry.


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## Willard814 (Sep 29, 2011)

Bill Mattocks said:


> No, I don't.  It usually washes off after the first washing.  You had said it was your "brand new gi" so I thought perhaps this was the first time you had washed it.  Sorry.



No worries! To me it's still brand new because it's spotless aside for the melted part. lol Would you buy another one if the company made it right and replaced the defective gi. I really like the fit of this gi! So I sent them an email stating that if they replace the gi I'll buy another one.


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## Mike Melillo (Sep 29, 2011)

The first thought that comes to mind are adding patches to a new gi... Did you, and if you did, were they ironed on? Could some of the glue from the process have melted to a spot by accident? Just a thought... I have a small spot like that near a patch I tacked on with crazy glue to stabilize it for when I sewed it on, where a drop of glue hit the cloth... Looks mighty similar.Mike


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## Willard814 (Sep 29, 2011)

Mike Melillo said:


> The first thought that comes to mind are adding patches to a new gi... Did you, and if you did, were they ironed on? Could some of the glue from the process have melted to a spot by accident? Just a thought... I have a small spot like that near a patch I tacked on with crazy glue to stabilize it for when I sewed it on, where a drop of glue hit the cloth... Looks mighty similar.Mike



It's not glue there is a part that melted right thru the fabric, besides I had my ISKF patch sewn on professionally.


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## RoninSoul (Nov 26, 2011)

Truly a mystery. I'd just keep it and use it as a work-out uniform..... it's not that bad. I've seen students that got silly with bleach and had holes in the uniform that looked much worse. If asked what happened to your gi I'd make up a story involving ninjas. Good luck. Namaste!


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