Tips for maintaining bogu in HK?

[kanyil]

Maintaining bogu used to be so easy. Back in Australia or Taiwan I'd just wipe it down after practice and hang it up outside on the balcony. No so in HK where I have to dry out my bogu inside the apartment (the smell's not too popular with the missus I might add).

For background information, HK is generally very humid, warm and overcast. The lack of space also leads to insufficient ventilation (unless you have a balcony, which I don't have and I understand is not all that common).

In HK, due to the lack of space and a balcony, I typically just wipe down the bogu with a dryish rag after practice and then hang it up to dry in the bathroom together with the ventilator and the dehumidifier on full blast. This generally works, but on some days it simply isn't enough and the bogu would get moldy, not the gentle "a few splotches" kind of moldy, but full on "rainforest with stylish hairs" kind of moldy.

Yesterday was one such day and I had to disinfect my men with alcohol wipes. Thanks to clarino and micro-punched palms, my kote fares a much better.

For anyone in HK (or who's had experience living with bogu in a place where it's humid, warm and without enough ventilation or sunlight), I'd be grateful if you could share your experience for maintaining / cleaning bogu?

Perhaps more alcohol is the key? It tends to be the solution of most other problems...

Thanks in advance.

[b8amack]

Not in HK personally, but living in a place with pretty humid summers, I've had exactly this experience. Alcohol helps with mould, but not with your equipment getting waterlogged. I've had to bite the bullet and just own more than one of men and kote (tare and do never seem to be an issue) and rotate. I'm guessing you practice most every day, and things just won't dry enough in 22-3 hours. I've seen some people on here recommend a hair dryer, but I have no interest in attempting that. Maybe it works.

[atgm]

What about a small UV lamp?

[Fonsz]

There was this trick that I saw somewhere here I think it was in the blog of Alex's brother.
You open the bogu bag just a little bit and put the mouthpiece of a hairdryer in it and leave it for some time. Apparently this is the next best thing in a humid environment.

[annoraderenart@]

You could try this. Take pantyhose and fill with cat litter. Cut and tie off. Put in your men. Perhaps 2 sections about 6 inches long would be good so you can "line" your men. My nephew does this for his track shoes. Even in humid South Carolina he usually has dry shoes the next morning.

[batusai.]

Maybe putting it near an incandescent light bulb might do the trick and spraying it with an anti mold spray.

[Tort-Speed]

'Have seen kote-dryers for sale, so maybe there's something for men?

[kanyil]

Thanks again all.

The cat litter thing's interesting. I might try that out sometimes.

I'm not entirely sure about the blow dryer idea, which (assuming it's set to cool) seems a tad bit aggressive on the deer-skin, though it might be okay for my clarino kotes. Besides, mixing hot blow dryer and sweaty bogu in a smallish apartment will probably be grounds for divorce or the wife laying the smack down...

[sobasan7]

as far as drying kote, you can try this out: ski boot dryer
i saw a few sensei using these at a kendo camp

as for the men i just aim fan on it over night, usually dry pretty quickly

i guess if you want to spend money one of these? helmet dryer

[alfanator]

I am dealing with the same issue here in Shanghai. Used to just crack my bogu bag open when i get home in Seattle and it airs out just fine. I had hairy mold growth when i did the same my first summer here.

I now lay out the kote and men in open airy area w/o direct sunlight and stuff a bamboo charcoal pouch into the palms of the kote. It helps the kote dry and reduces its fragrance. Found it in the laundry section of the local grocery store here, should be readily avaiable in HK.

For the men, i got one of those chin pads from onlinekendo and it does a good job absorbing sweat and i could wash it after each use. A tenigui on the chin would also work but they move around a little bit too much for me. I might get a pouch of charcoal for it as well, but it seems ok so far just airing out.

[kanyil]

Thanks all. All your tips have been most helpful.

In a rather bizarre turn of events, problem is now solved.

How? Bought a new flat with a balcony... Not sure it's easiest or the most practical solution, but it has certainly made the problem go away.

Now I just have to stop all the business trips to be in HK long enough to actually keiko!