# Washing your gi....?



## TapouT (Jun 21, 2012)

Whats the right way to wash your gi without ruining it?
Like cold/hot water?
Dry/not dry?
Can I wash it with other clothes?
Is it bad to blech it? (i have a white gi)

Haha Im sorry, these must be pretty obvious questions but Im new at this /:


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## Bill Mattocks (Jun 21, 2012)

TapouT said:


> Whats the right way to wash your gi without ruining it?
> Like cold/hot water?
> Dry/not dry?
> Can I wash it with other clothes?
> ...



Wash in hot water or however you wash your other white clothes.  Dry in dryer or on line as you prefer.  Use fabric softener if you wish.  Bleach or other whitener as needed if it gets dingy or has stains.

That's about it.  My main gi is cotton, so I washed it on hot and dried it on hot a couple times before I had it cut down to fit me, that way it had shrunk as much as it was going to.

I do not wash my obi.


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## Steve (Jun 21, 2012)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Wash in hot water or however you wash your other white clothes.  Dry in dryer or on line as you prefer.  Use fabric softener if you wish.  Bleach or other whitener as needed if it gets dingy or has stains.
> 
> That's about it.  My main gi is cotton, so I washed it on hot and dried it on hot a couple times before I had it cut down to fit me, that way it had shrunk as much as it was going to.
> 
> I do not wash my obi.


I have a post about this on my blog:  http://www.stevebjj.com/2009/07/01/washing-the-bjj-gi/

Bottom line, though, is the gi might shrink if you wash it hot.  Not a problem, if it fits a little long, but I've seen a lot of dudes on the mats wearing jiu jitsu gis that look more like kyokushin karate gis.  

Don't use bleach.  I saw in another thread you train in jiu jitsu.  Bleach DOES make the threads of your fabric more prone to tearing and your gi will not last nearly as long if you bleach it.  I recommend that you use White Vinegar in every load.  It's dirt cheap, comes in 2 gallon jugs from the grocery store and is amazingly good at keeping the gi white and smell free.

If you line dry your gi, make sure it's completely dry before you wear it.  I recommend drying it in the dryer, but again, it may shrink.  

Jiu jitsu gis are heavier weight than most other gis, as they're made to withstand a lot of gripping and such.  So, I don't recommend washing more than 2 gis at a time.  Over loading the washer keeps the clothes from getting clean and will result in a persistent funk over time.


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## TapouT (Jun 21, 2012)

Steve said:


> I have a post about this on my blog:  http://www.stevebjj.com/2009/07/01/washing-the-bjj-gi/
> 
> Bottom line, though, is the gi might shrink if you wash it hot.  Not a problem, if it fits a little long, but I've seen a lot of dudes on the mats wearing jiu jitsu gis that look more like kyokushin karate gis.
> 
> ...




Ooooh alright, thank you! I did remember my Sensi say something about cold water, but I didnt quite catch what he was saying. And my gi fits pretty well.. So should I just wash it in cold water and hang it up? And when you use the vinegar do you use regular washing detergant with it? or just the vinegar alone? Sorry for so many questions... But thank you!!


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## Carol (Jun 21, 2012)

Nice blog post Steve.  When I trained in an art that used belts (and also used electrical tape for achievement stripes) I washed my belt in a lingere bag.  This helped the tape stay put and also ensures that a wayward piece of tape, should it come loose, would not get stuck to another article of clothing.


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## ETinCYQX (Jun 21, 2012)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Wash in hot water or however you wash your other white clothes.  Dry in dryer or on line as you prefer.  Use fabric softener if you wish.  Bleach or other whitener as needed if it gets dingy or has stains.
> 
> That's about it.  My main gi is cotton, so I washed it on hot and dried it on hot a couple times before I had it cut down to fit me, that way it had shrunk as much as it was going to.
> 
> I do not wash my obi.



Don't wash your Gi on hot. Cold water and air dry.


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## Steve (Jun 21, 2012)

Use your regular laundry soap.  Add vinegar to wash along with the soap.   I also use it in the rinse instead of fabric softener.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Gentle Fist (Jun 21, 2012)

What Steve said! :cheers:


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## skeksi (Jul 22, 2012)

My gi is always too big at the outset, so I wash it in hot for a few weeks until it's shrunk down a bit, then cold for the duration of its life. I air dry unless I have to wash it the same day as class. I am careful about where I air dry it as some of the folks in my class obviously use a moist basement--they smell like mildew!


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