How To Properly Wash Your Jiu Jitsu Gi
The Jiu Jitsu Gi. Oh how we adore you. You are an extension of us and are symbolically representative of us. We take you into war on a daily basis. You are the weapon that our opponents use against us; you wear my weapon, and I, wear yours. Ironic is our relationship, yet we love you so.
We all love our BJJ Gi’s and we all hope that we can make them last as long as possible. It is not only important to properly care for your Gi to make it last for many years, but the proper care of your Gi will also prevent you from being the loathed “stinky person” to roll with.
Here are some helpful hints written by my teammate Nic C. followed by some supplemental videos on how to keep your Gi in pristine condition!
Cleaning Gi’s with vinegar and baking soda.
When you get home throw everything you sweat in into the washing machine, including your compression shorts/rash guard/cup/jock.
Throw in 1 -1.5 cups of distilled white vinegar, make sure you get your collar, arm pit, crotch areas on your Gi.
Depending on your washing machine: pre-soak or rinse without spinning in the vinegar + warm water. Let it sit and drain. (If I get home at 10pm I’ll let the vinegar work until i get up in the morning)
Then, add a cup of baking soda to the load and a small amount of detergent. (Too much detergent that doesn’t get rinsed out is what collects additional funk.)
Wash heavy with warm water. Use the second rinse if your machine has it.
If your gi is still a little funky, repeat the process. If it starts out the worst thing ever, seriously soak it in the vinegar. If you don’t want to do this whole process every time, do it every third wash and wash it heavy with Tide Sport in between, but again, don’t use too much detergent and rinse an extra time. Get vinegar and baking soda from a price club if you can. I get huge things of baking soda for pool maintenance for under $10, and the vinegar is equally cheap. If you get a brand new Gi, washing it in vinegar first will help set the color better.
If you have any questions just ask, or Google how to refresh old dingy cotton towels.
Editor’s note: There are tons of smelly pellet laundry additives that you can get as well to keep you smelling fresh as a daisy while rolling.
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