How Do I clean and keep a Gi in good condition
I’ve heard a decent number of people talking about how after a while their gi picks up a distinct stank, this can occur from neglect or just through heavy use over time. Like any other material used for specific job, after a while it will start picking up the greases from its environment. So in an effort to help keep all our gi’s fresh & long lasting, I have outlined a few tips and tools that I’ve come up with.
Have enough Gi’s for every time you train per week
If your training 3 or more days out of the week as per usual for the average person, in my personal experience it has always been good to keep 2-3 training gi’s and then a competition gi on the side. Over time my wardrobe has expanded, and now I have a gi for everyday I decide to train. Why would you buy more than one? Because the gi might as well be a big towel that absorbs sweat and bodily fluids, and while your training brawny ain’t got nothing on these. Try rotating which gi you use every class, allowing the most recently used to air out!
Make sure you are using the right tools!
Make sure you always have tools for cleaning on hand, that means detergents stain removers and drying rack or line ready! Downy offers a great variety of scent boosters called “unstoppable’s“. These awesome beads you can add to any load. You can get a sports or mechanics detergent which have stronger degreasing agents in them for getting tough oils from stains to sweat. While these can be a bit more costly, it’s worth it if your using it on select clothing and wisely. If you plan on keeping the material soft and comfortable your going to want a fabric conditioner or softener. Again, I like to use the downy “wrinkle guard” which has worked well for me. Lastly, always have a stain remover on hand. Oxyclean Maxforce or Shout Triple Action have both come in handy saving my limited edition gi’s from unforeseen blender bottle accidents!
Storing your GI
Two popular methods for storing a gi are hanging them up or folding them to be put away. If you have the closet space hang them up as this will allow them to air out the most, and allow them to keep their pristine look. If you do not have the the closet space you can fold them, putting them in a drawer, prepped gym bag, or on a rack.
Don’t forget!
- Always wash your belt
- Wash you gi after every training session
- Sweat and stains can be hard to get out, get extra strength detergent
- Air dry your gi so it doesn’t shrink
- Wrinkle releasers, fabric softeners, & scent boosters will help maintain quality
- Stain removers are your best friend
- Keep more than one gi
- Rotating gi’s helps maintain quality longer
- Store them properly
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