Important rules on how to wash kimonos for judo, karate and other martial arts

A special type of sportswear, without which it is impossible to imagine martial arts training, is a kimono.

This lightweight clothing, made only from natural fabrics, does not restrict movement, is comfortable to wear and resistant to wear.

The secrets of proper washing will help you preserve the original appearance of your clothes longer. We will tell you in the article how to wash a kimono (for judo, karate) in a washing machine and by hand.

Is it possible and how often?

Kimonos are washed frequently. The thing is that clothes soaked in sweat don’t smell very nice and look untidy.

Machine wash no more than once a month (this will help maintain the strength and structure of the fabric).

Washing secrets

You can wash a kimono either by hand or using a washing machine.

The only thing that, regardless of the choice of washing method, is necessary:

• strictly adhere to the temperature regime (no more than 40C),
• never wash white and colored kimonos together,
• Wring out sportswear as carefully as possible.

Ignoring these simple tips may cause final damage to the product.

In the washing machine

To maintain the shape and tightness of sportswear It is necessary to adhere to a clear sequence of machine washing steps:

1. Before loading clothes into the washing drum, get rid of stubborn dirt.
2. The required temperature is set: for natural fabrics - no more than 35-40C; for sportswear made from mixed fabrics, a temperature of 40-50C is allowed.
3. Powder is poured into a special compartment. For white kimonos, use liquid detergent in combination with oxygen bleach. Special powders for colored fabrics are ideal for colored sportswear.
4. Set the required washing mode: delicate or synthetic.
5. Spin - no more than 500 revolutions (if the kimono is made from mixed fabrics). For natural materials, machine spinning is prohibited (the function is disabled).
6. The prepared clothes are carefully folded and loaded into the washing drum (the colored belt is washed separately).
7. After washing, sportswear should be immediately taken out and hung to dry.

Hands

Delicate, gentle hand washing will help quickly return the kimono to purity and freshness without compromising the shape and color of the product.

Algorithm of actions:

• a basin or bathtub is filled with warm water (temperature no higher than 40C), liquid detergent or powder is added;
• a dirty kimono is turned inside out and immersed in a soapy solution for several hours;
• then wash the product with gentle, squeezing movements, paying special attention to the fabric on the collar, cuffs and armpits;
• the washed product is thoroughly rinsed two or three times until the soap solution is completely removed from the fabric;
• The kimono is carefully wrung out and hung out to dry.

Do I need to soak?

If sportswear is very dirty, it should be soaked before the main wash.

White sportswear is soaked for half an hour in a soda solution. (2 tablespoons of soda are dissolved in 10 liters of water).

How to clean a belt?

An integral part of a martial arts fighter's costume is a belt. Depending on the level of skill, a belt of a certain color is selected.

Don't ignore belt care, since a dirty element of a suit against the background of a snow-white kimono spoils the overall impression of the fighter’s appearance.

The easiest way to wash a white belt is. It is placed in a special net (or pillowcase) and loaded into the drum of the washing machine along with the kimono.

Colored belts are washed according to the following scheme:

1. Warm water (no more than 40C) is poured into a basin and powder or liquid detergent for colored fabrics is added.
2. The belt is immersed in a soapy solution and left to soak for ten to fifteen minutes.
3. Afterwards, the belt is thoroughly wrinkled, and if necessary, especially contaminated areas are treated with a brush and laundry soap.
4. The washed belt is rinsed in clean running water and hung out to dry.

Bleaching the kimono and belt at the same time. This will help avoid a situation where individual parts of one martial arts suit differ in shade.

How to remove various stains?

The recipe for getting rid of it depends on the type of stain itself.

1. Sweat stains from colored fabric will help remove the vodka solution (vodka and water are mixed in a 1:1 ratio). It is enough to soak the dirty item in the prepared solution and leave for half an hour. Afterwards the product is washed in the usual way.
2. Delete blood stains from white Hydrogen peroxide will help the kimono. It is enough to moisten the stain generously with peroxide, wait until the reaction occurs, and remove the stain with a cotton sponge.
3. Get rid of grass stains Laundry soap will help. Rub the dirt with soap and leave it alone for ten to fifteen minutes. Afterwards the clothes are washed in the main mode.
4. Get rid of yellow spots Hydrogen peroxide and ammonia will help (mix in equal proportions). The resulting solution is diluted in water (3-4 spoons per 10 liters), in which the kimono is soaked. After an hour, the clothes are washed as usual.
5. If a rust stain appears on a white item after washing, lemon will help remove it. You need to wrap a piece of lemon in gauze and a paper napkin, apply it to the stain and press with a hot iron.

How to return the color?

You can return the original whiteness and freshness in the following ways:

1. Soap the fabric with laundry soap and leave the clothes alone for two hours. The product can then be washed as usual.
2. Hardwood Ash - an excellent folk remedy for bleaching natural cotton and linen.

   The ash is poured into a gauze bag and placed in the drum of the washing machine along with dirty clothes.

3. Saline solution will help quickly restore the whiteness of a cotton kimono. In 10 liters of oxen, dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt, and place the product in the resulting solution for half an hour. Afterwards, the clothes are washed in the usual way.
4. A solution of hydrogen peroxide (2 tbsp), ammonia (1 tbsp) and water (10 l) helps to cope not only with the gray tint of a washed item, but also with old stains. The kimono is immersed in the prepared solution, left for forty minutes, after which it is washed by hand or in a machine.

How to remove the smell?

A kimono soaked in sweat begins to smell unpleasant. One proven method will help remove the smell of sweat: just soak the clothes in water with vinegar (2 tablespoons of vinegar per 10 liters of water). After soaking, the clothes are thoroughly rinsed and hung out to dry.

The following recommendations will help minimize the appearance of unpleasant odors:

• after each workout, the kimono must be removed from the bag and laid out to dry;
• after each workout, clothes must be rinsed under running, cool water;
• Drying in the cold will help quickly get rid of the unpleasant odor of sweat, even without washing.

How to dry?

It is strictly forbidden to dry a kimono made from natural fabrics in an automatic machine, twist it too much, or stretch it. From such actions, the fabric stretches and loses its shape and original appearance.

Basic drying rules:

1. Immediately after machine washing, clothes must be removed from the drum and hung out to dry. Delay can lead to the formation of creases and folds on the fabric, which will be very difficult to get rid of.

   Also, leaving a damp kimono in the washing machine for a long time can cause a very unpleasant, musty odor to appear, which can only be removed by repeated washing.

2. Wet clothes are gently shaken and hung out to dry in the open air, in a dark, well-ventilated place.
3. It is forbidden to dry a kimono on a radiator or near an open fire.

Sportswear made from natural fabrics takes a long time to dry, so you should be patient and have a second set of replacement uniforms for training.

Adviсe

Recommendations for caring for the product are as follows:

1. It is strictly forbidden to wash kimonos in hot water.When exposed to high temperatures, the product may shrink in size.
2. Adding conditioner to the water during rinsing will help make the fabric soft and pleasant to the touch.
3. Do not soak a kimono in hot water. Under the influence of high temperatures, dirt is further absorbed into the fibers of the fabric, and sportswear takes on a gray tint and a washed-out appearance.
4. Regardless of the composition of the fabric, automatic drying for kimonos is not acceptable.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Conclusion

Regular, proper care of your kimono will help maintain its original appearance for a long time.