On the Care and Feeding of One’s Gi

Dear Aikidoka,

1. As Aikido is an intimate art and sport, and because Gis are made of absorbant cotton (with some parts being layered and/or quilted), it is best to wash your Gi after every class.
2. Washing in cold is best to keep your Gi from shrinking, but warm is OK too. Washing in hot water is pushing the envelope unless you need to shrink a new Gi to make it fit better.
3. To keep the string in the pants from getting lost inside the seam, tie the ends of the string together in a knot BEFORE you put them in the washing machine.
4. Generally, the belt of the Gi is not washed, but you can make a stiff belt relax by doing so. If you have a coloured belt and you must wash it, make sure you wash it with like colours.
5. It is best to allow your Gi to air dry, especially when new, to prevent severe shrinkage (unless of course you need to shrink it to make it fit better).
6. After the first half a dozen washings, you should be able to throw your Gi in the dryer without experiencing any major shrinkage.
7. When drying your Gi, make very certain it is thoroughly dry, as it can mildew if not dried completely. (If this happens, try the lemon juice trick below). In the summer you can hang your Gi outside or in a sunny window, but in the cooler parts of the year, you will likely need to dry it in the dryer to keep it from smelling funky.
8. If you carefully fold your Gi right out of the dryer, you can easily get away without ironing it. If you need to iron it, a spray bottle of warm water is helpful in addition to the steam setting on the iron.
9. The average life expectancy for a Gi is 3 to 5 years depending on care and feeding and on how acidic your sweat is, because over time it will literally dissolve the fabric!
10. THE LEMON JUICE TRICK: Over the course of time your Gi can develop an unpleasant odour even if you follow the above instructions. The most effective way to alleviate this problem is to soak your Gi in a normal sized washing load of water with one cup of lemon juice added (ReaLemon brand works fine) for 30 minutes to an hour and then run it through the washing cycle as normal with your regular detergent. Lemon juice is more gentle on the fabric than is bleach and it is also easier on noses afterwards. You can do this once a year just to keep your Gi fresh, as it does not hurt the fabric.
    

Happy Gi care and see you all at class!

Sincerely,
Christle Lowe