Gi's And Bleach

Aardvark

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So I've always heard that you should never use bleach on Gi's as it weakens the fabric.

Has anyone regularly used bleach on theirs and how badly did it damage the gi?

One of my gis has gotten so rank that I'm considering pitching it outright, though it's still relatively intact. Even after washing it twice and hanging out in the sun to dry, it still reaks the second I start to sweat in it. Would nuking it with bleach cause it to tear apart in a couple uses/washes? A month?

Also, given the assorted skin infections I've been hearing about I'd probably be willing to reduce the life of a gi by say half to make sure anything living in a gi (other than myself) is dead. Hell, I'd probably be willing to replace my gi every month if this started showing up at any of the local gyms.

Thoughts?

-A.
 
soak it in washing det. for a few hours and then wash it. See if that helps and from here on out wash it every time or at least every other time and let it air out.

www.SSFgear.com
 
Weonlywonsixtwo said:
Yea at all costs DO NOT BLEACH YOUR GI!

Quite. If this was a gi I cared about, I'd agree. I'm just asking what happens if you do?
 
Aardvark said:
Quite. If this was a gi I cared about, I'd agree. I'm just asking what happens if you do?
The fabric falls to shit, if someone tries to gi choke you the collar will tear and so will the sleeves ect.
 
Wash one of your shirts with bleach. When you find a hole in it, it will give you the answer you're looking for.
 
Weonlywonsixtwo said:
The fabric falls to shit, if someone tries to gi choke you the collar will tear and so will the sleeves ect.

Yes. I know. I fully agree its dumb to do with anything you actually give a shit about.

But going back to my real question - how fast/badly will it degrade?

Will it die the next time you use it?

~10 washings in?

~50?

Now I'm tempted to actually bleach the damn gi and take photos before and after each washing and class.
 
I'm sure people here will appreciate that, if you have an extra trashy gi why not?
 
I don't think a small amount of bleach diluted in a washing machine full of water will hurt it too bad. Besides, if you are at the point that you want to throw it out, you might as well try bleaching it first. You may want to get some antibacterial Febreeze and try that before you go bleaching it, though.
 
Bob is right. bleaching it once won't hurt it that much (as long as you don't go stupid with the amount). I don't think it will do much for the smell. Soak it in wash liquid for a few hours and then was it in a little bleach. Let the machine run a little while with the bleach in it before you add the gi to the wash to help mix the water and bleach.

www.SSFgear.com
 
Soak it in OxyClean overnight with a bit of detergent. Make sure you dissolve the OxyClean in hot water before dropping the gi in. Once the powder has dissolved, add super cold water, then dump your gi in.

You can also use Rit's stain remover or whitener, which is also a non-bleach alternative.
 
I just tried this yesterday and it worked. Put your gi in a trash bag and turn the freezer setting down as low as you can and leave your gi in the freezer over night. It will kill all the little bac. that cause the BO. I did it with a nasty pair of wrestling shoes and they turned out great. See if it helps, can't hurt.

www.SSFgear.com
 
SSF said:
I just tried this yesterday and it worked. Put your gi in a trash bag and turn the freezer setting down as low as you can and leave your gi in the freezer over night. It will kill all the little bac. that cause the BO. I did it with a nasty pair of wrestling shoes and they turned out great. See if it helps, can't hurt.

www.SSFgear.com

I use to do that to my wrestling shoes in High School. My mother HATED it.
 
make a big tub of baking soda and water.. use alot of baking soda.
Soak the gi in it for acouple hours and then wash it with detergent... SHould get rid of some of the rankness.
 
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