The most important material that you will need to practice BJJ is actually a piece of clothing. It’s the BJJ Gi. If you’re new to the world of BJJ, then you’re just getting used to the gripping and pulling and pushing motions with this piece of clothing. However, if you have had at least one training session in BJJ – then you know about the fact that people sweat while practicing. All of your body will need to work like crazy – typically in a gym. It will get immensely hot after a while and you will start pouring sweat. The Gi will soak it in – and you will have to wash it afterward. This article will share some info with you about how best to wash your BJJ Gi.
Techniques of washing BJJ Gi
The smartest way to go about it so put the Gi into the washing machine right after you have finished practice. There is an important thing to note here – you should wash it at a low temperature. Don’t set the washing machine to wash the Gi with more than 30-40 degrees of warmth. There is an important reason as to why you shouldn’t do this.
Even though the Gi may look impenetrable to bullets at some points – it can still easily get damaged. An effective way to damage your Gi is by washing it with a high temperature. If you do this, then the collars may get damaged and this will necessitate the buying of a new Gi.
If your Gi is not white – then you have the added problem of it getting discolored over time. There is no way to prevent this process altogether – as time will definitely put a stamp on the Gi. But if you wash the Gi with very high temperatures, then you will exacerbate this problem. It’s a lot easier to get the Gi discolored if you wash it at high temperatures than if you wash it at lower temperatures.
Also, there may be a problem with the shrinkage. Some Gi models come pre-shrunk – with these, you won’t have to worry about the shrinkage problem. But if you use a regular Gi, then shrinking can be a real problem. So, in short, don’t wash the Gi in a washing machine at high temperatures. Of course, there is a flip side to this – the Gi that you have may be oversized for your needs. So, this means that you can shrink it in the washing machine. You’ll just have to bear the slight risk that the Gi will get damaged in the process.
You can also wash it by hand – even though this is not the most effective way to wash the Gi. It can also be time-consuming. But if you have the time to spare, then you can put the Gi in a big bowl with warm water. Use your hands to then wash it.
Drying the Gi
If you wash the Gi – then it means that you will also need to dry the Gi. And, believe it or not, there are ways to botch up this process, too. Many people don’t really think about it too much and they just throw the Gi over a direct hot source of heat. As you may have realized by now – this can damage the lining of the Gi over time. It’s also not recommended to put the Gi directly in the dryer. This too can damage the Gi over time.
What you’ll want to do is to put the Gi somewhere near the source of the heat – but not too near. In this way, the Gi will benefit from the warm air circulating around it and it will get dry. Just make sure that if you do this inside – open a window or a door to the outside. The reason for this is that the Gi can soak up a lot of moisture and water. The humidity of the air inside your home can get unbearable if you don’t allow fresh air to come in from the outside.
Dont overcomplicate…
The process of washing and drying your Gi is very simple. You shouldn’t overcomplicate things. However, there are some important details that you must be mindful of if you want to have a strong, durable, resistant, and clean Gi. If you follow the advice from above, then chances are that you will be able to use the Gi for years to come. If you fail to follow the advice – then it may get discolored or start show signs of damage. In all cases – you can’t hope to use a single Gi forever. It’s okay if the Gi gets damaged and discolored overtime. What you’ll want to do is to wash it and dry it in ways that will keep the Gi in a useful state for a long time to come.
Check also:
