How to Wash a BJJ Gi and Rash Guard

The short answer

Wash your gi and rash guard after every training session, and dry them completely before you wear them again. That’s the CDC’s advice for athletes: wash and fully dry your uniform, towels and clothes after each use, using a dryer rather than air drying.¹

A gi that sits damp in your bag until tomorrow isn’t just smelly. It’s a warm, sweaty place where germs from the mat can hang around.

Why a sweaty gi matters

Grappling means long stretches of skin and fabric pressed against other people and the mat. Staph and MRSA spread through contact with infected skin and with things that have touched it.⁵ Ringworm, a fungal skin infection, spreads through skin contact and shared items like towels.²

Fabric can hold on to bacteria. In a lab study, staph (including MRSA) and similar bacteria survived for at least a day on every hospital fabric tested, including cotton and cotton-polyester, and some lasted more than 90 days.³ Your gym bag isn’t a hospital lab, but the lesson carries over: dirty fabric doesn’t clean itself.

How to wash your gi

• Take it out of your bag as soon as you get home. If you can’t wash it right away, hang it open instead of leaving it balled up and wet.
• Wash it after every session, even a light one.¹
• Turn it inside out and use your regular laundry detergent.
• Follow the care label for water temperature, since it’s written for that fabric.
• Dry it all the way through. A dryer is the CDC’s pick for athletic gear.¹ If the label calls for low heat, use low heat and run it until the thick collar and lapels are fully dry.
• Wash your hands after handling dirty gear.¹

If your gi still smells after washing, treat it as a sign to change something: wash it sooner after class, don’t pack the machine too full, and make sure it’s bone dry before it goes back in your bag.

Rash guards, spats and shorts

Treat no-gi gear like underwear: one wear, then into the wash. Rash guards and spats sit tight against your skin for the whole session, so they collect a lot of sweat.

Most are made from synthetic stretch fabric, so check the label before you use high heat. Whatever setting you use, make sure they come out completely dry. Never pull a damp rash guard back out of your bag for a second round.

If you train twice in a day or compete at a tournament, pack a spare set and a separate bag for used gear. That keeps sweaty clothes away from clean ones, and you never have to pull on something damp.

Your belt, bag and the rest

Whatever the tradition at your gym, your belt touches your hands, your gi and your training partners every session. It’s worth washing on a regular schedule, too.

• Wipe down or wash knee pads, headgear and other gear often, and let them dry before reuse.⁴
• Empty your gym bag after every session and let it air out.
• Bring your own towel, and don’t share towels, clothing or razors.¹
• Wear sandals or shower shoes off the mat and in the locker room.²

Gyms have a part to play, too. The CDC advises cleaning shared equipment after each use and focusing on surfaces that touch bare skin every day.⁴ For more, see what athletes shouldn’t share.

Take care of your skin, too

Clean gear only helps if your skin gets the same care. Shower with soap as soon as you can after training.¹ Cover cuts and mat burns with a clean, dry bandage until they heal.¹ If a wound can’t be kept covered during training, the CDC advises sitting out until it can.⁴

Check your skin after class, especially on your face, neck and arms. Our guide to wrestling skin infections covers the rashes and sores grapplers see most.

A few other habits help. The CDC advises keeping your skin clean and dry, keeping fingernails and toenails short and clean, and changing socks and underwear every day to help prevent ringworm.²

When to see a doctor

Skip training and see a doctor if you notice any of these:

• A bump or sore that is red, swollen, warm, painful or full of pus⁵
• Redness that is spreading, or red streaks moving away from a cut
• Fever or chills along with a skin problem⁵
• A cluster of blisters, or an itchy ring-shaped rash

If you have a fever with fast-spreading redness or feel very ill, get urgent care or call 911. Don’t squeeze or drain a bump yourself. Tell your coach, too, so the gym can clean up and your training partners can watch for signs.¹