To wash a judo gi, the rule is short: cold or 30 °C (86 °F), turned inside out, no fabric softener, then air dried. The dryer is cotton's worst enemy and the main reason gis end up too short. Wash it after every session, no exceptions, because a damp gi sitting in a bag becomes a hygiene problem for the whole mat.
Why you wash your gi after every practice
A judo gi soaks up your sweat and your partners' sweat. It rubs against a mat that dozens of bare feet cross every day. Grappling sports know skin infections that spread through contact, such as ringworm, all too well. A clean gi for every class is basic judo etiquette, the same as trimmed nails. Coaches are right to be strict about it.
If you train two days in a row, two gis beat one gi washed in a rush the night before. Thick cotton dries slowly. A gi that is still damp when you leave for practice will smell after fifteen minutes of effort.
Washing a judo gi in the machine: the right settings
Temperature
Cold or 30 °C is enough for a gi worn normally. Going to 40 °C (104 °F) now and then helps with a very dirty gi, at the cost of a bit more shrinkage. Beyond that, you are gambling with the size. If you bought a new, non-preshrunk gi at your exact size, wash it cold the first few times. If you bought it slightly big on purpose, a first warm wash will bring it in. Our judo gi size chart explains how much room to leave.
Cycle and detergent
- Turn the jacket and pants inside out to protect the weave and any embroidery.
- Use a gentle cotton or synthetics cycle with a moderate spin.
- Use regular detergent at a normal dose. Too much leaves residue that stiffens the fabric.
- Skip fabric softener. It coats the fibers and ends up trapping odors.
- No bleach on a blue gi. On a white one, it yellows the cotton over time more than it whitens it.
Blue gis
A new blue gi bleeds dye. Wash it on its own the first few times, or your white T-shirts will turn sky blue. After a few washes, the color settles. If you own both colors for competition, our article on blue and white judogi rules explains when you wear each.
Drying is where it all happens
Air dry your gi, laid flat or on a wide hanger. Avoid folding it over a thin line: the lapel keeps a crease and dries badly there. The lapel is the thickest part, and it holds water the longest.
Direct sun does no harm to a white gi. On a blue one, it fades the color over time, so dry it in the shade. A radiator works but stiffens the cotton.
As for the dryer, the short answer is no. A single hot cycle can take several centimeters off the sleeves. If you really have no other option, a low-heat cycle on a gi that is already almost dry limits the damage.
When the smell will not go away
A gi that still smells after washing almost always has the same story. It sat damp in a closed bag, and bacteria had time to settle into the thick lapel.
To rescue it, soak it for an hour in cold water with a cup of white vinegar, then wash as usual. A little baking soda in the drum helps too. If the smell comes back after the next session, the routine needs to change. Take the gi out of your bag as soon as you get home, even if you only wash it the next day.
The bag itself needs regular washing. A damp bag re-contaminates a clean gi. Our judo competition bag checklist includes a separate pouch for the used gi.
The belt you never wash: tradition or bad idea?
Tradition says you never wash your belt, so you do not "wash away" the work you have put in. The story also goes that black belts were once white belts darkened by years of use. It is a nice image. It belongs to legend more than to the history of the judo belt color system.
Our view: a belt touches the mat, your opponents' hands and your sweat. Wash it. Not after every session, which would be pointless and wear it out fast, but regularly, by hand or cold in the machine inside a mesh bag. A stiff new belt also softens in the wash, which makes tying a judo belt easier for beginners.
The "never washed" rule holds up as a symbol. It does not hold up as hygiene in a club where children share the same mat.
BJJ gis: same principles, a few extra constraints
Brazilian jiu-jitsu players spend more time on the ground, face against the mat. Their gis take the same routine. BJJ pants are often thinner, and sewn-on patches handle hot washes poorly. Our BJJ gi buying guide covers the differences in cut and fabric.
For families: get a second gi
Buy a second gi from the second season onward if your child trains more than once a week. It does not need to be new, since many clubs run used-gi swaps at the start of the season. You get the peace of mind of a gi that is always dry, and the first one wears out half as fast.