How To Wash Your Karate Gi

To those who have been practicing Karate for a long time, you probably already know everything here since you’ve been doing these habits regularly, most likely a few times per week, for many years.

When you are a beginner there is quite a lot to learn about a new martial art. You may find yourself tired from the physical activity as well as mentally exhausted from learning new concepts and movements. So you can focus on your learning, we will do the boring bit for you and outline some basic pointers on where people go wrong with washing, folding, and drying their karate gi.

In theory, a karate gi should last for a very long time if you buy a good quality brand (probably around 10 years). This is because you aren’t rolling around in it, and usually it doesn’t take much wear after each session. Therefore it would be a shame to ruin a gi with some careless practices. Remember, no one is perfect and it’s perfectly normal to sweat and give off body odor. Still, this isn’t an excuse not to practice basic hygiene methods.

Before Washing

Always Take Your Gi Out Of Your Training Bag

That’s right, you should always take the gi out of the bag. There is nothing worse than getting home later after an intense session of karate and leaving your gi in your bag. If you go to make dinner or have a shower, you may forget that the Gi is still in the bag until the next day. During this time all of the sweat and bacteria are in an ideal breeding ground. A moist damp bag with no fresh air getting to it.

Therefore you should always put your gi into the washing machine or a separate space that you won’t forget about. Ideally, you should wash it as soon as possible after class. However, we understand that is not always possible.

Wash It Each Time After Wearing

Whilst you may not feel the need for this due to how big it is compared to something like running shorts. You should almost always wash your uniform after you’ve trained. This should go without saying, but after you’ve been sweating for 60 minutes, your gi will begin to smell if you leave your sweat on it. Even if you think it’s fine, you may not notice and it is your training partners who will have to suffer next time they see you in class. Nobody wants to train with that guy!

During Washing

Never Use Hot Water

Most modern washing machines do not have a cold water option so this pointer needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. With that being said, you DO NOT WANT TO USE A HOT SETTING! Whilst it’s not as bad as using a tumble dryer, hot water can warp and shrink your gi. It will help with getting out bad odors, so you can use it every once in a while if you think you gi smells. But if you’re washing your gi 2-3 times per week, you will definitely want one of the coldest settings.

Never Use Bleach

If you get a weird stain on your gi, it is always best to use home remedies. Of course, it’s going to be difficult to get a stain out of a white gi, but each stain will be different. For example, a red wine stain is going to need a different cleaning method than a curry stain. Bleach will remove a stain, but it will come at a cost. The fabric in your gi will weaken and if it becomes too weak then it will fray. Once a gi begins to fray there is no real way to repair it since it requires some micro and reinforced stitching which you probably will not have the skills to do.

After Washing

Never Use A Tumble Dryer!

This is where karate gi’s go to die. A tumble dryer is pretty much a cemetery for a gi. This is because a lot of gi’s will have a rubber material you didn’t know about in the lapels. The gi itself may shrink in a tumble dryer as you probably have already found out with other clothes you own. However, for the rubbery material, the tumble dryer really is a death sentence. Once it has warped, there is no coming back. It will curl up at the ends and become pretty much unusable.

Drying A Karate Gi Properly

When drying a gi, you obviously want to avoid the dryer as we mentioned above. The best way is to just hang it out to air dry. Ideally, you want to extend the arms- you can use something like a broom handle to put through the sleeves. This allows the most stubborn areas to dry, which are almost always the armpits.

If you do not live in a hot country or a hot state, then this is going to be difficult, especially in the winter. If you don’t have a room with hot air in the house, the next best way of drying a gi is using a drying rack. These are safe and will trip out if they become overheated. You can leave the gi on for around 3 hours and then turn it. After 6 hours, it should be ready to go. Modern-day heating racks are very efficient and won’t cost too much on your energy bills either.

Some drying racks can ruin your Gi

If you live in a cold climate, the chances are that you can’t dry your gi outside. Sometimes, the environment just doesn’t allow it. To get around this, you can opt for a drying rack. As previously mentioned, these can come in very handy. The issue with these is if you leave a white gi on them for too long and forget about it. Sometimes, the bars on the rack can literally burn the gi, leaving yellow marks where the metal touches the kimono. Although these wash off, it’s still a pain and something to keep an eye on whilst drying your gi. Just remember, the longer your gi is left on a rack, the more likely it will get stained.

How To Get Smells Out Of A Karate Gi

There are two ways to get smells out of a gi. One is the natural way and one is the easy way. The natural way will require some time and research as it doesn’t work for everyone and can often depend on the fabric. The most commonly used method is to put some white vinegar in your washing machine. It may smell bad on its own, but after it’s mixed with your normal washing powder it usually has some good results.

The other way is to just use a tried and tested product such as Arm & Hammer Oxi Clean. This isn’t quite as natural as vinegar but will solve your problems. If you know your skin is fine using various washing powders and cleaning products, then there isn’t really any reason not to use them.