Care of training uniforms...

[Reprobate]

As my 100% cotton kendo-gi is dyed with natural indigo [and keeps bleeding blue], I wash my kendo-gi by hand - soaking it in a biological washing powder for a day, rinsing it thoroughly in clear water and hanging it on horizontal bamboo poles [through the sleeves].
I also use the 'pole' method to 'air' them out between training. As I have two kendo-gi, I can alternate - using one while washing/airing the other.

What I wonder about is this - I air out a sweaty gi after training and leave it to dry. If it smells of sweat after airing out, I wash it. Would it be better to wash a sweaty gi without airing it out and letting the microbes dry out? Do microbes dry out? Might the microbes become really pissed off about being dried out?

I know this is a weird question, but I surmised that if you put a damp sweaty [do-]gi in a soak, the water wouldn't permeat the already sweat soaked fibres. On the other hand, if you air out kendo-gi, the microbes have time to damage the fabric, right?

However farcical this topic may sound, I'd like to receive opinions from others.

 

[Seig]

I would think you would have to take care to avoid salt stains more than anything else.

 

[Shinzu]

i always wash my gi when it is sweaty. the only time i dont wash it is if i didnt sweat too much or i was teaching.

 

[theletch1]

Might the microbes become really pissed off about being dried out?

HAH, I like that.

I wash mine if is damp to the touch after training or if it fails the "wife test". I toss it to her and if she squeals "EEEWWWW!!" it's time to wash it. My gi is white so I have to take more care of salt stains than I did with my black kenpo gi.

I notice your gi is 100% cotton. Do you have much trouble with the thing shrinking? My limbs are very long so I have to buy a gi a good bit larger than would normally be needed. The last one I bought was a 20oz size 5 1/2. The legs and arms had to be rolled 3 times to fit just right. After only half a dozen washes it fits without rolling. Won't be too long till one of the kids can wear it.

 

[Reprobate]

Originally posted by theletch1
My gi is white so I have to take more care of salt stains than I did with my black kenpo gi.

Mine is blue and I think if I get salt stains they will be quite visible - white rings under the armpits, something like that.

Originally posted by theletch1
I notice your gi is 100% cotton. Do you have much trouble with the thing shrinking?

Can't say I have that problem, even though all my gi were made of 100% cotton.
I have two Matsuru gi and even a thirty-year old Mudo gi that used to belong to my father [from his Judo days]. None of them shrink [at least not significantly] after the first wash. Perhaps it works if you wash them by hand, instead of in the machine.

 

[tshadowchaser]

If I call it and it stays in place it's not time to wash yet.

The sweat will weaken the material they need to be washed offten. If not they will tear and stink

Wash after every class? Depends on how hard the class was and the temp and humidity. If the closest anyone stands to you is 6 feet away guess what

 

[IsshinryuKarateGirl]

Hmm....I've never really had a problem with the cleanliness of my gi. I've always washed it after every class A.S.A.P. I've never had a problem with my gi. It's always been good to me!

 

[Limey Scrapman]

My old Judo gi's have been hot washed many times to get out the blood and stuff and have never shrunk while my karate gi is either shrinking or i'm having a late growth spurt.

I once discovered that if you wash your gi in washing up liquid the blood stains turn green

 

[tshadowchaser]

The lighter weight uniforms ae made to have a limited life. Washing them may seem to weaken them faster but they will smell better. The heaver the uniform the more sweat will be caught in the material .
little things called germs and bacteria tend to build up if they are not washed. Sometimes its not the water or the detergent but the heat of the dryer that kills of the bad little guys.