Washing Gi???

Question

Today I enrolled in a karate school and got my gi and everything. Mine is REALLY stiff so that my sleeves, pants, everything has a giant crease that I can't get rid of. Is there any specifics when washing a gi? Like should I use hot water or cold? Softener/ bleach? I have no clue.

Answer 1

It really depends on the type of GI and quality it is.

if it is an inexpensive one than wash it as you will either hot or cold but remember if it is 100% cotton it will shrink on you esp in hot water and NEVER wash your OBI your belt unless you absolutely have too.

I own several GI's for a reason. One for workouts that are not very expensive and can afford to be ripped or torn and stained etc. Then I have my tournament GI which is very expensive $300 Mitsobosi Gi that is a heavy duty Gi with lots of strength, power, snap and finesse to it. It looks awesome and fits awesome compared to an inexpensive one that can sort of just hang on you like a rag esp after sweating a lot in it.

LAST I have my ceremony Gi that I use only for ceremonies, events, promotions, seminars. It is not as expensive as the Mitsobosi but is more than the standard $50.00 gi also. it is still a heavy weight GI but not of the same quality of the other. It runs about $100. It is almost as good as the Mitsobosi but I know it will not have the life span of it for sure.

so with the first i use any kind that is best for cleaning it for class so long as it does not shrink it on me, then with the medium level one I wash as needed so say I have had four times in one year to wear it i will wash it once in cold water so not to shrink it and with nothing else with it. i wash the GI alone not with other clothes.

THe expensive one is a whole other matter. I not only rarely wash it for it is used only for tournaments and those days are over for me now being retired, but when I did I washed it rarely unless it needed it. i kept it real creased and firm so when i threw a punch you could hear it snap across a gymnasium floor and all could hear it. I also NEVER use a DRYER with this one either, it hand drys ONLY. The other two I will use a dryer with softener on the cheap one and no softener on the medium one. The expensive one is ALWAYS hung and dried naturally and them pressed to military standards. It had to be perfect for competitions so my Kata sounded like Lightning striking and it kept the eyes of the judges on me because of it too helping me score more points. IN some cases I have been known to HAND CLEAN the Mitsobosi Gi!!

SO i hope that helps you. you may have just started and have only ONE now so depending on how much you spent and its major use would determine to me how I washed it. If you stick with it and like it you will end up with more than one and most want a better quality one than the first one the second time around.

Good luck and enjoy your journey and lessons into the world of Martial Arts kohei!!

Answer 2

wash alone. minimal soap. do not use bleach. cold water. gentle cycle. after five minutes of washing turn machine off to soak the gi for about half an hour. turn the machine back on. do not use fabric softener. drip dry on a clothesline outdoors. remove under the sun promptly. Good Luck

Answer 3

Gi's are 100% cotton and will shrink. Think of them like a pair of jeans. The more they are worn the softer and more relaxed they become. Washing them won't work them in.

You should use cold water and regular detergent, a small amount of bleach is ok but poor it into the water before you put your gi in I use Shout stain remover for the sweat and blood stains on mine and it works perfect, rather than bleach. You shouldn't use fabric softener as it wears out the material faster.
Then hang to dry, as the dryer will definatly shrink it. If you have ever hung anything heavy cotton like denem out to dry you will know that it can become stiff. Sometimes 5 minutes on the air fluff setting in the dryer helps after it is dry.

There is no secrate other than that the more you use it the faster it will get worn in.

Answer 4

Wash you Gi in cold water and drip dry to minimize shrinkage. Borax is a great additive to keep it white..as will a couple drops of bluing or blue food coloring added to your wash water.(keep it to a couple of drops only.)To get rid of those creases, wet a pressing cloth or a piece of clean cotton...(old T shirt is good for this) with vinegar. Place it over the crease and use your iron...this will remove creases you do not want. Do not use liquid softener. After it is completely dry, put it in the dryer with a softener sheet for a few minutes to remove any static. Gis get a lot of wear and tear. You do want to protect the integrity of the fabric to keep it from tearing or wearing out. If you attend class several times a week. Get two so you can rotate them. Get the best quality you can afford. Keep your Gi clean...there is nothing more distracting than a dirty smelly Gi.

Answer 5

I would wash it in cold water, no bleach. The reason why I say that is it sounds like you have a heavy weight canvas or heavy weight cotton uniform. Both shrink the hotter you wash and dry them just like jeans so keep that in mind. Also canvas does not do well with bleach so look at the tag and it should say cotton or canvas. I usually toss a sheet of fabric softener in the dryer and dry mine about half or three forths and then hang them to dry the rest of the way. You will probably wear it out washing and drying it faster than wearing it so once you get going you might want to get a second one and then it is less washing and less wear and tear on them and easier on you.

Answer 6

I wash mine in hot with a little bleach and detergent. The instructions said no bleach, but you know how it smells after class. I haven't had any problems and I've been using my 2 for over a year now.
I hang mine dry when I can, but I use the dryer a lot.Supposedly hanging to dry will make them last a lot longer. You do want to keep some stiffness though-- it adds "snap" to your punches and kicks, especially impressive to judges during a test.

Invest in a high quality Adidas uniform when you can (about $50). It makes all the difference in how you feel and how you move, in my opinion.

Answer 7

I only wear a white GI when grading or getting graded, but I wash mine in cold water and a cup of bleach.

Answer 8

just pop it in the white wash.

Period
a gi is always stiff when it's new, I always advise beginning students to just soak it in light warm water after buying. That'll usually solve most of the problem. However it requires a few washes before it'll be fully easy to wear.
BTW a gi is a cotton garment: COTTON SHRINKS, no matter what you do (unless you know of a way to remove sweat/blood stains in cold water)
our teacher always advises beginning students to buy one size too big and let it shrink to you. That way it'll never get too small.

Answer 9

Cold water, line dry. Otherwise they will shrink like nothing else. Bleach/softner to your heart's content, just don't dry it. Obviously, if there is any color on your gi (i.e. patches, screen printing, etc.), you won't use bleach.

Good luck in your training!

Answer 10

i think it can b washed in warm water,not too hot,and yeah bleaching powder is enough,this gi u talk about is forr rough purpose and i think u can do it as i say