When it comes to washing clothes, there is always a right way and a wrong way to do it. That’s because not every garment is made of the same fabric. This is also applicable for BJJ Gis. And most people who practice Jiu-Jitsu don’t know how to wash their white Gis. If you are one of them, well you are in the right place.
To wash a white BJJ Gi, remove the stains first, turn the Gi inside out, and put it in the washer. Then select the cold water in the washer, add fabric brightener along with detergent, choose a gentle washing setting, and start the washing process. To remove stains, you can use fabric stain removers like white vinegar, Oxiclean, lemon juice, etc.
In this article, I will provide a step-by-step guide on how to wash white BJJ Gi and remove stains from it. I will also provide some extra tips on keeping your Gi bright white and more. So, keep on reading.
How Do I Wash My BJJ Gi?
Take off your Gi and start washing as soon as you are done with your Jiu-Jitsu class. The longer sweat, bacteria, odor, and blood stay on the fabric, the harder it will be to get rid of them. Follow the steps below to properly wash your Gi:
Step 1: Remove Stains
Get rid of the stains on your Gi before the wash. Use a fabric stain remover for this purpose. Before using such a product, check the label to make sure you are using the right type of stain remover for your Gi.
Also, follow the instructions that come with the product to find out how much you should use and how long you will have to leave it on the stain.
Step 2: Turn Your Gi Inside out
Turn your Gi inside out before the wash to preserve the patches, and prevent colors from fading away.
Step 3: Put it in the washer
Choose the cold water setting on your washer. If you don’t have this setting on your washer, choose the coolest temperature available. Start washing the cloth by choosing a gentle wash setting.
While washing your Gi, it is recommended to use organic or mild detergents to avoid any sort of fabric damage. Also, don’t use too much detergent. Using too much detergent and not rinsing it out completely can cause mold growth on your Gi. Add fabric brightener along with detergent to the water
Step 4: Let it Dry
After washing and rinsing, air dry your Gi. Avoid damp areas for drying your clothes. You can use a dehumidifier or a small fan to speed up the air-drying process. This way, your Gi will stay safe from heat damage.
Note: It is always recommended not to mix your Gi with other clothes when washing. If you do mix it, make sure all the clothes have the same color and are made of the same fabric. Also, avoid using bleach when washing your Gi altogether. This is to prevent the fabric from damaging.
How Do I Keep My Jiu Jitsu Gi White?
After an intense workout session, a Jiu-Jitsu Gi can retain dirt, oil, sweat, and odor. As a result, your white Gi will become yellowish in time. Many people use chlorine bleach to keep their fabric white. But in the case of Gi, it is a bad idea. Chlorine bleach will weaken the fabric and over time, the Gi will tear.
But fortunately, there are many alternative fabric whiteners that you can use to keep your Gi white and maintain its pristine condition. These whiteners have no negative side effects on the fabric. These fabric brighteners are given below:
Baking Soda
Baking soda has good whitening properties. That’s why it is used in everyday household cleaners and whitening toothpaste. And you can use it to whiten your Gi. Add ½ a cup of baking soda into the wash along with your regular detergent for a brighter and whiter Gi instantly.
Vinegar
This is one of the ingredients that you can find in any household kitchen. And it is a great alternative to bleach to whiten your Gi. Just add three-quarters of a cup of vinegar with your regular detergent to the wash.
Borax
You can find borax in any supermarket’s laundry aisle. It has long been valued as a laundry brightener. You can mix about half a cup of borax with the regular detergent and use it to wash your gi. Borax will clean any type of stain from your laundry, thus making your Gi as white as it was when you purchased it.
Hydrogen Peroxide
You can add ½ a cup of hydrogen peroxide to your wash as well as your regular detergent. And your Jiu-Jitsu Gi will come out as white as ever. Hydrogen peroxide has very good whitening properties and is very effective in removing stains from fabric.
Sunlight
Believe it or not, sunlight is one of the best and easiest tools that you have available to whiten your Jiu-Jitsu Gi naturally. After washing the fabric, just hang it to dry in the sun. You will be amazed at how effective this whitening method is.
For the best result, use any of the fabric brighteners I’ve mentioned above during your wash and then dry your Gi out in the sun.
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How Do I Stop My Gi from Shrinking?
Most of the Gis that you can find in the market are made of cotton fabrics. Cotton has the tendency to tighten/shrink when wet. The shrinkage will be more in case you use hot water to wash your Gi rather than cold water.
Hot water weakens the fabric. As a result, your Gi will last much shorter than you think. To deal with this shrinking problem, use cold water. And avoid using dryers altogether. Air dry your Gi.
Another thing, after washing and rinsing your Gi, pull the sleeves tightly and use something like clothespins to keep them taut. If you don’t have one, hang the Gi facing down and put some weight on each sleeve. By doing so, gravity will prevent your Gi from shrinking.
Also, while buying Gis, get one with longer sleeves (or even a size larger) and then pre-wash it using hot water. This will shrink the Gi to the right size. Once it has been pre-shrunk, always use cold water to wash it. After each wash, your Gi will still shrink some, but the shrinking rate will not be as much as one that hasn’t undergone the pre-shrinking process.
How Do You Get Blood Out of a White Gi?
Getting blood stains out of any fabric is a challenging task. The same is also true for Gis. If the bloodstain is fresh, immediately soak the stained area in cold water. This will loosen up most of the stain. Never use hot water in this case because this will just make the bloodstain set in.
Now scrub the stained area until most of the blood is out of the Gi. Use detergent or soap to wash the stained area to get rid of the stain completely. Make sure that you’ve got rid of the blood completely before drying your Gi. Because heat will set the bloodstain, and you will be stuck with a permanent blood spot on your Gi.
For older bloodstains, ammonia water solution works best. Mix an equal amount of water and ammonia together and apply the solution to the stained spot. Let the ammonia sit for some time and then scrub the spot to get rid of the blood. After getting rid of all the blood, wash the Gi following the same steps mentioned before.
Final Thoughts
If you want to keep your BJJ Gi in its pristine condition, it is important to take care of it. And washing and drying the Gi using the correct method is part of this process. Your Gi is an important part of your Jiu-Jitsu training. So, make sure to take care of it properly.
Hopefully, through this article “How to Wash White BJJ Gi and Remove Stains” I hope I been of any help. Stay safe. And thanks a lot for stopping by!