Keikogi & hakama cleaning

[olaf]

Since polls seem to be this week's fad on the forum, let me ask this one: how do you fellas take care of your keikogi and hakama? Specifically, how do you clean them?

Perhaps somebody can enlighten me on how I can clean the inside of my men too...(sorry, I don't live close to one of those bizarre men dry-cleaning services in Japan...)

[Ian Russell]

bogu maintenance (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=46) thread from a while back.

[stakenaka]

I clean my Hakama and Keikogi differently. I do clean my hakama in the traditional manner, but I usually buy cheap uwagi and throw them in the wash (without detergent of course) and dryer. It is a pain the butt to hand wash uwagi once a week.
The method of cleaning the men depends on how well you want to clean it.
To remove the salt stains, a damp cloth works. Lightly wipe the interior with the cloth.
If you really want to clean the interior of the men, LIGHTLY soak the chin rest, cheek guard and forehead rest with water (basically the big 'O' inside the men). Then squeeze out the water, which should have absorbed some of the sweat and salt that has been deposited. Repeat as many times as needed. The interior of the men where you place your face should be soft again. DO NOT DO THIS WITH ANY PLACE ELSE ON THE MEN, ESPECIALLY ON THE AREAS COVERED IN LEATHER.
To remove the smell, one thing that works that I think hasn't been mentioned in the other threads is scented dryer sheets. Place a few in the men and the smell should dissapear.

[Ian Russell]

I use Ivory as a detergent when washing clothes (need the unscented stuff due to baby) so it's pretty easy going on the cotton kendo uwagi. I just just stop the wash cycle at the beginning so the uwagi soaks in the water/detergent for a while and then I continue the cycle, it gets it clean and smelling better than when drenched in sweat.

[stakenaka]

It is very encouraging that no one has voted that they like salt stains. I would rather lose to good Kendo than from the lack of clean air, although this almost happened to me on several occasions. :)

[alexpollijr]

Hey

Do you wash once a week? I wash kendogi three times per week :p
Once per practice. Luckily I have three sets of training uniforms, so if they don't dry to the next practice it's ok. Down here it's pretty damp, so we sweat a lot. Hakama I wash once per two months I think :rolleyes:

For bogu, a well-aired place with lots of fresh air, some early morning sun and kenro spray (that deodorant spray for kendogu) works wonders for the men, and reasonably well on the kote.

Cheers

[stakenaka]

I do air out my keikogi after class. I find washing more frequently than once a week is a little excessive. However, if you share a room with someone, live in an area with excess humidty (where the keikogi won't dry out before the next practice), or other circumstances (lets not get in to that), I guess woud would have to wash it more often.

[eddiez]

If its a heavy practice week, I wash the whole shebang at least once a week. In any event, I use alot of Frebreze. The stuff works wonders. Spray it all over a somewhat stinky keigo, let air dry, and you're set to go. Still, can't do this all the time. Nothing works as well as a good 'ol soak in the tub.

[alexpollijr]

After each two to three hour practice my kendogi is so soaked and smelly that it HAS to be washed, no air can evaporate 2L of sweat

[stakenaka]

Given that you from come from Brazil (I start sweating even THINKING about that place, much less even thinking of doing kendo there), I think you have a pretty valid reason to wash your keikogi often! :)

[ben]

I only wash my (cotton) hakama about every three months. I think this is why I've been able to use the same hakama three times a week, 50 weeks a year for the last ten years and it still looks good. Washing generally wears clothes out more than use does (although sweat eats them away too).

Gi I rotate and let air dry between use. Direct sun kills bacteria very nicely. I wash them about once a month. They get a tiny bit stinky in that time but not crusty. It's also winter here and pretty dry.

b

[akihiro]

I generally machine wash keikogi and hand wash hakama.

A friend of mine used to clean his hakama using a washing machine and dryer. After one year, the hakama looked as if it was made of stonewashed denim!

[Kendoka]

Mitsoboshi, the gi and hakama makers recommend washing them in a large tub, like a bath, gently by hand with a little bit of soap or mild detergent, and only when they need it.

Air dry the gi and hakama between trainings and rotate (like ben) between sets (if you have more than one).

If you use a machine it will eventually fade the dye excessively on the pleats and also wear out the fabric that surrounds the hard thing at the back.

Richard

[inner_cent]

Waahaaa , I think I personally hold some sort of record.
I actually ahve tried not washing for amsot 6 months.
I normally just hangup and try to air them dry as soon as I get back home (I used to train 3 times or 4 times per week, so don't have time to wash them). It will be good if I actually managed to wash them 4 or 5 times per year .......

Anyway, normally, when I wash, I don't use very little amount of detergent. and quick rinse, i add some salt and venegar into a big tub of water, and soak the gi and Hakama in there for 10-15 minutes before spin them dry with washing machine. Then follow by hang them under a shade to dry them....

[KENSHIN]

Originally posted by inner_cent
Waahaaa , I think I personally hold some sort of record.
I actually ahve tried not washing for amsot 6 months.
I normally just hangup and try to air them dry as soon as I get back home (I used to train 3 times or 4 times per week, so don't have time to wash them). It will be good if I actually managed to wash them 4 or 5 times per year .......



what the hell!!!!:D

[Jklak]

Originally posted by inner_cent
Waahaaa , I think I personally hold some sort of record.
I actually ahve tried not washing for amsot 6 months......

I don' t believe you. Does n’ t your kendo fellows mention that they have need to smell clean kendogi? Why you don’t buy a duplicate par of hakama and kendogi? Kendogi and hakama would last much longer, as shoes, if they can rest clean in hanger for a while.

[olaf]

I don't think inner_cent is lying, Jklak. Especially with hakama, most of kendo apparel can actually go for a long time without washing.... if you take good care of it - air it out after practice, store it in a clean place, keep it nicely folded, keikogi and hakama remain looking (and smelling!) somewhat respectable.

There are, of course, certain individuals out there that sweat an extraordinary amount and have extraordinarily repulsive body odors...

When I first started Kendo, I don't think I washed my keikogi for at least a good half year...

[Jklak]

Originally posted by olaf
There are, of course, certain individuals out there that sweat an extraordinary amount and have extraordinarily repulsive body odors... Yes, it is my problem that I sweat an extraordinary amount and I can' get salt stains away with brush. Yes even my hakama is covered with salt stains after a week use. :-( . I think that indigo blot out some smells easily? I have once practise aikido with one lady and that was very unpleasant because her gi really stinks. So I don't want and need to judge everyone but is it an end in itself that kendo fellow should avoid washing his/her kendogi? If I would air out my underwear half year without washing I think that my family would have something to say for it. ;-)

[inner_cent]

Seriously, I did hold that record before.
In fact, my Gi has actually the window pattern at the back (for hanging on the window where it has grill). When Sun shine into the window, and I left there for a day to dry them, and now it ends up nice "checked" pattern at the back of my Gi.

I'm not exactly finding excuse to say that I'm lazy and not wshing my Gi. There is one period (I think it was the time when I just got into Kendo, and really addicted for training), i actually train 4 times, and work schedule is quite busy as well. So it's virtually impossible for me have time to wash and dry them before the next training (washing them will get more moisture into the Gi), so I just come straight home, hang it up and hope the air can dry them before the next training. If cannot air enough, I'll still wear them. I prefer to be call as a stinky than miss a training session.

(well, some people do call m stinky, but then,msot of the time when you go into Dojo to train, you cna only smell you Boguo, so you won't be able to smell your Gi).

The thing that stop me keep on extend the time of "unwash" record, its when one day, I forgot to take out the Gi and Hakama out of my Boguo Bag, and next day, i found million of mould spots start taking over my Gi and Hakama...... so Yep, Time to wash them .... (And I missed 1 training session :( )

[KhawMengLee]

hmmmnnn....gi is like a pair of jeans...the more you wear them, the more comfy they get. then when you wash 'em they become all starchy and rough...

Meng

[Jklak]

Originally posted by KhawMengLee
hmmmnnn....gi is like a pair of jeans...the more you wear them, the more comfy they get. then when you wash 'em they become all starchy and rough...Meng

I use softener when I wash my gi!

[inner_cent]

Actually, I found the more chemical you use to wash your Gi and Hakama, the shorter life span of your clothing. That si why I was always recommended by people to wash with very little detergen (and ensure is very mild).. and make sure ot soak in in some water with salt/vinegar to ensure the life span of the indigo dye.......
And like what Meng was saying, which is quite true. I much prefer my old Gi then my new one.....THe longer you wear, the comfy it is :P not to mention the smell :P .... Sweat, Indigo dye, humid air, Kendo kiai, Mould ... :P its all part of the smell and sound of Kendo ......

[Jklak]

Originally posted by inner_cent
Actually, I found the more chemical you use to wash your Gi and Hakama, the shorter life span of your clothing......
Not true. Chemicals do not cut cotton fibre. Usually washer does the damage to Gi or some other sharp object. It is more safely to Gi to wash it by hand. Washer is lazy way.

[alexpollijr]

My advice is:

Buy a second set of uniform at U$15 from Kendoshop.

Yer mates gonna love you for that :D

[Confound]

For a bunch of boys, you guys are really CLEAN! My students usually wash their hakama two or three times a year. Yes, you read that right. I've been doing my hakama once a month, but the dougi is done more often.

This week I'm going to try the local dry cleaner's services for my hakama, I haven't been able to iron the pleats to my satisfaction. one of the mama-sans (yes i know that's normally used for hostess bar owners, but they call themselves the 'mama-san gumi', so if they use it...) recommended a dry cleaner.

i guess it makesit sound even worse when i admit that we practice almost everyday. damn, we're dirty. my dougi doesn't really smell, but some of my students... they REEK! one of them can be smelled at LEAST 10 feet away, he has a fetid odour already, but the dirty clothes don't help.

(some of the older students wash more often, but the first years and secodn years don't.)
c

[KhawMengLee]

Heh, I used to read how Musashi didn't bathe because he feared being caught off guard...hmmnnn

Could this be the infamous "Battle Aura"?

Heh...*during shiai with an unwashed kendoka*

Sonkyo...

*Clean opponent catches a whiff*

*goes green*

*drops shinai*

*pases out from lack of oxygen*

*Shinai Hanase!*

Heh

Meng

[Confound]

meng, that is the truth behind the battle aura... it's actually a fetid stench.

c

[Santiman]

I do not mean to be a super-clean kendo guy but I usually immerse my keikogi in water on the bath tube after practice for a few hours. After that, I change the water and manually rinse the keikogi a few times and then I do one last water change. I let it air-dry under a ceiling fan.
Odor reality check: sweat will always smell; "dry sweat" clothing in particular. By soaking the keikogi in water for a couple of hours just right after practice it works as a solvent extraction but keep in mind that somehow some smell will remain. Occasional use of disinfectant spray has helped me keep stronger odor at bay.

[SanguineKendoka]

I hand-wash my gear about once a month. I wear a white gi though (sensei asks that anyone without a dan-grade wears white, so white it is) and nothing will drive you to the bathtub with mild detergent quicker than ugly nicotine-coloured sweat stains up the back and armpits of your jacket. :gasmask:

All in all, I can't wait to get rid of the bloody thing and get a blue one. Getting bogu-blue stains off the shoulders and sleeves is a nightmare.

[atgm]

Guys, this thread is 7 1/2 years old.

[rfoxmich]

Darn I wanted to check two of those:
I use a washer/dryer and fold as soon as I hear the done buzzer on the dryer but.. since I like old salt stains I don't do this very frequently... not to mention that too frequent washing will fade the colors. Did this with one hakama for about 15-20 years until I finally had to retire it because the material was beginning to tear ...along the fold lines from repeated folding.

[takeru]

In the shower I stomp on my folded hakama. I wash my keiko-gi lightly with soap, by hand. 2 days and it still hasn't completely dry.:square: At least once a week is enough.

[amatsuda]

For those that are interested, I created a pictorial of how I wash my Hakama and keikogi which was shared with my team that went to Atlanta.

I can keep it up for a little longer and it is located here for those interested: http://www.flickr.com/photos/96428810@N00/sets/72157627356925951/

It's just sad seeing people spend a lot of money on a new 8,000 to 10,000 hakama and to have it fade or turn purple within a year. Or, they put it in the washing machine and it looks like a circa 1980s acid wash jeans.

[yoda-waza]

Matsuda sensei, we hope you don't mind this but your instructions were regarded as being quite helpful to newcomers so we put them up on our website. (http://www.salinaskendo.org/Salinas_Kendo_Dojo/Resources_files/How%20To%20Wash%20Hakama.pdf)

[Dervish]

Is Woolite a good detergent to use for a kendogi? If so, about how much is good to use on one kendogi? I want to use just enough so it's clean and people don't think I'm trying to use smelly dogi waza on them. :)

[LarsCW]

I generally would use a detergent for black clothing and the hakama in a bag folded up the way I have it in my bogu bag. I would use a clothing hanger to dry it and then iron it with a protective cover over the iron.