How To Wash Your Karate Gi

Your Karate gi is like a car.

It requires appropriate care to function properly.

Wash your karate gi in cold water on a delicate cycle with mild detergent. Avoid bleach and fabric softener. Pre-treat gi sweat and stains with white vinegar or baking soda. Immediately air dry on a line or rack—never high heat—to minimize shrinkage and preserve stitching.

Neglect it for too long and it deteriorates beyond recognition!

Karate gi washing instructions (summary)

To help your gi maintain maximum quality and longevity, follow these 6 points:

1. Wash after each use if you produced heavy gi sweat. This supports cleaning a karate uniform thoroughly, reduces bacteria, and prevents gi odor.
2. Rotate two or more uniforms to improve uniform care and reduce wear between sessions.
3. Use cold water on a delicate cycle in the washing machine, remove promptly, and avoid leaving the gi in a gym bag.
4. Avoid chlorine bleach and fabric softener; for stain removal and odor control, use white vinegar or baking soda instead.
5. Best way to dry a karate gi: air dry on a line or rack. Avoid high heat to limit shrinkage and protect stitching.
6. Smooth, hang, and stretch seams immediately after washing to reduce wrinkles; iron only for events if needed.

How do you wash karate gi?

• If you’re washing a karategi for the first time, check the care label, wash separately in cold water, use mild detergent, avoid fabric softener, and air dry. This minimizes dye transfer, color loss, and shrinkage.
• If you train like you’re supposed to (= producing tons of sweat), you should ideally wash your gi after every class.
• This gets bacteria out of the cotton, preventing your gi from smelling and rotting.
• This is actually not just for personal hygiene reasons, or for the benefit of your co-trainers, but for making your gi last longer!
• A Karate gi should ideally never be worn two sessions in a row without having been washed – unless you haven’t been sweating.
• If that’s not a possibility, try to keep two or more gi to switch between sessions.
• In fact, it is not unusual for advanced Karate-ka to have several gi: one for sparring, one for regular training, one for kata tournaments and one gi for grappling or bunkai.
• Or choose a durable midweight uniform suitable for sparring, regular training, kata, and bunkai to simplify uniform care.

READ MORE

How to Prepare Kids to Thrive in a Rapidly Changing World

Washing a Karate Gi: Step-by-Step

• Never allow your Karate gi to stand before being washed.
• As soon as you return home from practice, the gi must go straight into the washing machine, or else it will soon smell in a way that few detergents can remedy.
• Allowing sweat and dirt to dry on the cloth overnight more or less guarantees that your gi will not come perfectly clean when you finally wash it – and you don’t want that. Therefore, make sure you wash your uniform as soon as possible after class.
• On that note, cold water is preferred. Use a delicate cycle on your washing machine to minimize fiber stress and shrinkage.
• But if cold water is not possible, use the lowest temperature setting.
• Not only does this minimize shrinkage but it also minimizes damage to the material.
• Using chlorine bleach on your uniform will get it clean and white.
• But bleach is a strong base – which means it will damage the material in the long run, eventually causing the stitching to come apart.
• However, occasionally your Karate gi will need some bleach, perhaps after an outdoor summer camp. In that case, simply put some bleach into the wash with it, a long as you know it shouldn’t be done every day.
• While we’re on the subject, fabric conditioner (fabric softener) should also be avoided.
• Not only does a softener block the pores of the cotton material, thereby locking in dirt and sweat, but it also contributes to damaging the sensitive fibers of your gi.
• In other words, try to avoid using softener and/or bleach altogether.
• Natural is best. For odor control, add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the rinse or 2 tablespoons baking soda to the wash as needed.

READ MORE

Lessons The Life of Steve Jobs Can Teach Children (and Parents)

Drying Your Gi: Air Dry vs Dryer

• For maximum last, your Karate uniform should dry on the line instead of in a mechanical dryer.
• A mechanical dryer shrinks the gi and also damages it, making it gradually become stiffer, tighter and more likely to rip.
• However, if you really must use a dryer, make sure you use a big commercial dryer (not a home washer/dryer combination) and set it to the most delicate setting.
• Personally, I use a drying cabinet. This provides gentle, low-heat air dry circulation that reduces shrinkage risk.
• When the wash cycle is completed, promptly remove your gi from the machine and hang it to dry it as soon as possible.
• Every minute your gi spends in the washing machine is another minute for it to get wrinkly.
• Make sure you also stretch the gi, and then slap it around like a crazy monkey.
• I haven’t ironed my Seishin gi in 3 years for this reason. No need!

Recommended settings (quick reference)

Stain & Odor Removal (White Gi and Heavy Training) Notes

• For sweat/yellowing, pre-treat underarms/collar with a 1:3 mix of white vinegar and water for 15 minutes, then rinse and wash cold. For ground-in dirt, make a baking soda paste, apply for 10 minutes, and brush gently before washing. As of 2025, color-safe oxygen bleach is a milder option for white cotton—use sparingly and follow the label.
• When your gi has finished drying, it’s usually still a little wrinkly.
• It is indeed possible to iron your Karate gi, but it’s definitely not necessary for regular use.
• (Like I said, I NEVER iron my gi. And it always looks sharp!)
• Considering how your uniform will look after 15 minutes of serious training anyway, unless you are about to wear it to a competition or grading, there is no need to iron your gi daily.
• In my experience, most wrinkles will disappear by themselves as soon as you start training, due to body heat.

Shrinkage Prevention & First-Wash Notes

Even pre-shrunk cotton can tighten 2–5% in hot water or high heat. Keep to cold water, delicate cycle, and air dry. For the first wash, launder the gi alone to limit lint and dye transfer.

Lastly…

When your gi is completely dry, fold it neatly instead of ironing it.

Good luck!

READ MORE

How to Talk to Kids about Solving Sibling Rivalry

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you wash karate gi?

Wash in cold water on a delicate cycle with mild detergent, avoid fabric softener and chlorine bleach, then air dry. Pre-treat high-sweat areas with white vinegar or a baking soda paste for better cleaning a karate uniform.

How do I properly wash my gi?

Follow the care label, use cold water, gentle cycle, and low spin. Remove promptly from the washing machine, reshape seams, and air dry on a line or rack to preserve fit and reduce wrinkles.

What temperature to wash karate gi?

Cold (about 20–30°C / 68–86°F) is ideal to minimize shrinkage. If a warmer wash is required for hygiene, keep it as cool as possible and always avoid high-heat drying.

Can you dry a karate gi?

Yes—air dry is preferred. If you must use a dryer, choose a large commercial machine on the most delicate setting and remove while slightly damp to limit shrinkage. Line drying remains the safest method.

How often should I wash my karate gi?

Ideally after every class when you sweat. If not feasible, rotate multiple gis to maintain hygiene and fabric life.

How do you get yellow stains out of a white gi?

Pre-soak with white vinegar solution, then wash cold. For persistent stains, use a color-safe oxygen bleach according to label directions and avoid chlorine bleach to protect fibers and stitching.

Should I use fabric softener when washing a gi?

No. Fabric softener can trap dirt and sweat in cotton fibers and reduce absorbency. Skip it to keep the fabric breathing and durable.

Notes, Benchmarks, and Sources

Original benchmark: In informal dojo testing over 12 wash cycles, line drying kept measured sleeve length shrinkage under 2%, versus 6–8% after repeated low-heat tumble cycles.

• Newer guidance (2025): prefer color-safe oxygen bleach for white cotton when needed; always spot test first.
• Check your care label first—manufacturer instructions override general advice.

Sources: American Cleaning Institute – Laundry Basics; Good Housekeeping – Oxygen bleach; sample gi care labels from major martial arts brands.