Help me save my gi!

[Droogan Leader]

About 2 months ago, I went to train when I noticed that my favorite gi (my ISAMI Super Fly) had some weird orange-brown stains on both the jacket and the pants. My uniform had been recently washed and hung to dry outside, to which I then brought it inside and hung it in my bathroom.

Big mistake.

When trying to figure out what the hell caused these stains, I looked around until I found the culprit. The bathroom door is an unpainted wooden door that just barely swung open enough to touch my gi. My uniform must have been just damp enough to where the door stained it. I tested the door with a damp paper towel and sure enough, the damn door stained everything (my jacket, pants and even the belt).

I did what any laundry n00b would do when faced with difficult stains and turned it over to my mom. All she was able to do was fade the stains (which spread a little) and the patches are now goners. This is my favorite gi, and I would hate to toss it out because of some light stains, but they bother me to the point where I shouldn't wear it in class.

What are my last options? Dye it a different color? Is it possible to dye something white? What other stain removals have you guys found work on tough stains?

The gi is probably finished, but say it ain't so!

 

[beeran1]

I would rip the door off its hinges and set it aflame to teach it a lesson.

You sure you can't just wear the gi to train in? If bleach doesn't do the trick, I'm not sure what else you could do.

 

[theSkeptiks]

You can try washing it with OxyClean or there is a new TIDE Sport Liquid wash stain remover with febreeze that just came out.
Both of these options aren't bleach and won't hurt the gi or bleach the patches on your Gi.

If you decide to dye your Gi a new color, www.happykimonos.com will dye your Gi a solid color for about $100 I think. They also do tie-dyed colors, but that is disgusting!

 

[Droogan Leader]

I would rip the door off its hinges and set it aflame to teach it a lesson.

You sure you can't just wear the gi to train in? If bleach doesn't do the trick, I'm not sure what else you could do.

Check. I headbutted it (which unfortunately now left a crack in it :/)

You can try washing it with OxyClean or there is a new TIDE Sport Liquid wash stain remover with febreeze that just came out.
Both of these options aren't bleach and won't hurt the gi or bleach the patches on your Gi.

If you decide to dye your Gi a new color, Happy Kimonos will dye your Gi a solid color for about $100 I think. They also do tie-dyed colors, but that is disgusting!

I'll keep those in mind when I go to try again. I'm also worried there's not that many intense washes left before it becomes incredibly weak.

 

[Belatucadros]

Spray'n'Wash

ftw

 

[TheDonCorleone**]

Dude, it's a gi.

 

[Nathan LaMontagne]

Perhaps Dye It Blue?

 

[kzblock]

I was in a similar situation not too long ago. A friend of mine washed my white Keiko Limited gi along with his new-ish blue gi, and by the end of it, my gi was a lovely shade of baby blue.

I tried re-washing it, and I even tried using Tide with bleach. Nothing was making any appreciable difference, so I finally just decided to try straight bleach and water. After letting my washing machine fill up with water, I put in ~1-2 cups of bleach and let the gi soak for a while before washing it normally.

By the end of it, the gi was completely flawless. All of the blue was gone, and the gi was probably whiter than it was when I first got it. The fabric didn't seem any weaker or more likely to tear either, which was also a big concern. The coolest part, though, was that none of the colored parts of the gi got ruined/faded at all. The black trim on the gi top as well as all of the patches/embroideries were exactly the same as they were before washing it. It might have something to do with the fact that I used a relatively weak bleach solution, but I was certainly very happy to be able to salvage my favorite gi!

Hope this helps!

 

[redaxe]

Yeah, bleach works, just bleach it. Everyone says "NEVER bleach your gi" like it will destroy it or something, but once in a while won't hurt it. And if the gi isn't wearable now, you have nothing to lose. Just throw like half a cup of bleach in the wash (after the machine fills with water, not directly on the gi) and that should do the trick.

 

[hercheck]

some people care too much about things like this. some jack daniels spilled all over my white keiko raca pants and left a big brown stain all over the botton right leg. i washed it a few times and it still has and edge of brown but who cares? bjj is a dirty sport as it is. if all else fails cover the stain up with a patch

 

[akdms]

I'd dye it. I've though about dying my gi ever since I saw how this one turned out: MEERKATSU: In The Navy

I wouldn't spend $100 sending it into happykimonos.com -- Meerkatsu did his with three packets of Dylon, at about $2.50 a packet. Just make sure you wash it good after dying so it doesn't stain your partner's gis.