JWLuiza
Black Belt
from: www.24fightingchickens.com
* Wash After Every Use - You might think you didn’t sweat in your karate uniform very much during that cold, winter training session, but you did, and you need to wash the thing to get the bacteria you left behind out of the cotton to prevent it from smelling and rotting. Wash the uniform after each time you wear it and sweat in it. You should never wear your Karate uniform to training sessions two times in a row without washing it.
* Wash it quickly - Do not allow your karate gi to stand before being washed. As soon as you return home from practice, it must go straight into the washing machine. If you allow it to stand over night, it will smell in a way that few detergents can remedy. Allowing sweat and dirt to dry on the cloth overnight almost guarantees that it will not come very clean when you finally do wash it.
* Do Not Use Mechanical Dryers - Your karate uniform must dry on the line. That means that if you train every day, you will wash and dry a gi every day. In humid environments, your karate gi may require two days to line dry. You’ll need to purchase two or three karate uniforms in that case, because you cannot wear it repeatedly without washing it.
* Bleach Infrequently - Using chlorine bleach on your cotton uniform will get it clean, but bleach is a strong base, so it will damage the material, causing the stitching to come apart. However, when your karate gi needs bleach, then put some into the wash with it. Some recommend boiling as an alternative to using bleach in order to get a Karate uniform completely clean. Boil a huge pot of water, preferably outdoors, and then dump your gi in the boiling water for 10-15 minutes and let it simmer. Do this outdoors for two reasons. If you have a child, and the water spills, it could kill them. The burns you would receive from spilling such a pot of water are unthinkable. Also, whatever was in your gi in the way of smelly bacteria and dirt will boil out into the air in your home by riding in the steam. So, your entire home could become infected with the smell of your armpits. Holy cow, that’s almost as bad as the possibility of being burned! Boil it outside.
* Pre-soak Your Karate Gi - Don’t throw your gi into the washing machine, pour detergent on it, and then start the washer. Follow correct laundry procedures. Start the washer so that it begins to fill with water. Put detergent in immediately, and allow the detergent to dissolve into the water. After the washing machine has nearly completed filling with water, add your karate gi. You should also try to wash it with some other white items such as towels, because washing it alone will reduce the friction cleaning effect of modern day washing machines. Turn off the washing machine and allow your karate gi to soak in the soapy water for at least 20 minutes. Then start the washer again and allow it to begin its wash cycle.
* Hang Dry Immediately - When the wash cycle is complete, hang your karate gi to dry right away. Every moment it spends in the washing machine is another moment for it to mildew and yellow.
* Fold Properly When Dry - When your uniform has finished drying, you will find that it is usually quite wrinkled and that it looks like an unmade bed. You can iron your karate gi, but I wouldn’t recommend going that far. Considering how your uniform will look after 15 minutes of training, you probably shouldn’t bother with the iron unless you are about to wear it to a competition. When your gi is completely dry, not still moist, but totally dry, you may fold it. The customary way of doing so in Japan is shown below.
* Wash After Every Use - You might think you didn’t sweat in your karate uniform very much during that cold, winter training session, but you did, and you need to wash the thing to get the bacteria you left behind out of the cotton to prevent it from smelling and rotting. Wash the uniform after each time you wear it and sweat in it. You should never wear your Karate uniform to training sessions two times in a row without washing it.
* Wash it quickly - Do not allow your karate gi to stand before being washed. As soon as you return home from practice, it must go straight into the washing machine. If you allow it to stand over night, it will smell in a way that few detergents can remedy. Allowing sweat and dirt to dry on the cloth overnight almost guarantees that it will not come very clean when you finally do wash it.
* Do Not Use Mechanical Dryers - Your karate uniform must dry on the line. That means that if you train every day, you will wash and dry a gi every day. In humid environments, your karate gi may require two days to line dry. You’ll need to purchase two or three karate uniforms in that case, because you cannot wear it repeatedly without washing it.
* Bleach Infrequently - Using chlorine bleach on your cotton uniform will get it clean, but bleach is a strong base, so it will damage the material, causing the stitching to come apart. However, when your karate gi needs bleach, then put some into the wash with it. Some recommend boiling as an alternative to using bleach in order to get a Karate uniform completely clean. Boil a huge pot of water, preferably outdoors, and then dump your gi in the boiling water for 10-15 minutes and let it simmer. Do this outdoors for two reasons. If you have a child, and the water spills, it could kill them. The burns you would receive from spilling such a pot of water are unthinkable. Also, whatever was in your gi in the way of smelly bacteria and dirt will boil out into the air in your home by riding in the steam. So, your entire home could become infected with the smell of your armpits. Holy cow, that’s almost as bad as the possibility of being burned! Boil it outside.
* Pre-soak Your Karate Gi - Don’t throw your gi into the washing machine, pour detergent on it, and then start the washer. Follow correct laundry procedures. Start the washer so that it begins to fill with water. Put detergent in immediately, and allow the detergent to dissolve into the water. After the washing machine has nearly completed filling with water, add your karate gi. You should also try to wash it with some other white items such as towels, because washing it alone will reduce the friction cleaning effect of modern day washing machines. Turn off the washing machine and allow your karate gi to soak in the soapy water for at least 20 minutes. Then start the washer again and allow it to begin its wash cycle.
* Hang Dry Immediately - When the wash cycle is complete, hang your karate gi to dry right away. Every moment it spends in the washing machine is another moment for it to mildew and yellow.
* Fold Properly When Dry - When your uniform has finished drying, you will find that it is usually quite wrinkled and that it looks like an unmade bed. You can iron your karate gi, but I wouldn’t recommend going that far. Considering how your uniform will look after 15 minutes of training, you probably shouldn’t bother with the iron unless you are about to wear it to a competition. When your gi is completely dry, not still moist, but totally dry, you may fold it. The customary way of doing so in Japan is shown below.
