How to wash the gi so it lasts (and how much it shrinks)
There is one thing all the manufacturers agree on, and it is the one almost nobody follows: the gi does not go in the tumble dryer.
BJJ Square · Updated on 08/11/2026
The kimono is the only technical garment that somebody pulls on with all their strength for an hour, three times a week. How you wash it decides whether it lasts you two years or five — and, less obviously, it also decides what size it will be in a month's time.
The rules the manufacturers agree on
- Cold water, or in any case never above 40°. Heat degrades cotton and can ruin the collar.
- Air drying. All three manufacturers we consulted advise against the tumble dryer, unless you are using it deliberately to shrink the gi.
- No bleach, under any circumstances.
- No fabric softener: it forms a film that, instead of removing odours, seals them into the fibre.
- Wash after every session, inside out.
Note One manufacturer also advises against drying in direct sunlight, which bleaches and weakens the fibres. The opposite advice — hang it in the sun because UV disinfects — comes from another manufacturer. There is no agreement on this point: these are commercial recommendations, not verified protocols.
How much it really shrinks
It depends on the fabric and on how much it was pre-shrunk at the factory. The figures declared by manufacturers:
- Pearl weave: 3-5%
- Gold weave: up to 10%
- Ripstop: 1-2%
- Models declared “fully pre-shrunk” stay around 1-2%
On a gi for somebody 175 cm tall, 5% is not a detail: it is the sleeves going from legal to out of measurement for the competition check. And most of the shrinkage happens in the first three to five washes, so the gi you buy is not the one you will have in a month.
Careful ⚠️ These percentages are manufacturers' declarations, not independent measurements. They hold as an order of magnitude, not as a guarantee: if you are at the edge of a measurement limit, leave yourself margin.
The smell, and why it comes back
It is not sweat: it is a bacterial biofilm that settles into the seams and feeds on sebum and dead skin cells. That is why it comes back even after washing, if the garment has spent hours in a closed bag. On synthetics — rash guards and spats — the problem is more stubborn, because the fibre repels water but holds on to oils.
- Do not leave it in the bag. That is where the biofilm forms, not in the machine.
- Soak in white vinegar diluted in cold water, half an hour or a little more, before the normal wash.
- Or bicarbonate of soda directly on the garment. ⚠️ But not the two together in the same cycle: they neutralise each other.
- No fabric softener, ever.
How many gis you need
One is enough as long as you train twice a week. From three sessions upwards it becomes a practical problem, not one of comfort: a 450-gram cotton kimono does not air-dry in twenty-four hours, and the tumble dryer is precisely what you should not be using. And if you compete, the second gi is needed in any case, because at a competition a wet or smelly kimono can be turned away at the check.
Note How long a gi lasts, nobody knows precisely: the figures that circulate — “one to three years” — come from commercial articles, not from measurements. What breaks first, on the other hand, is fairly consistent: the shoulder, knee and collar seams.
There is a health reason for washing often too, and it concerns skin infections: you will find it below, in the guide about the belt.
Frequently asked questions
- What temperature do you wash a BJJ gi at?
- In cold water, and in any case never above 40 degrees according to the manufacturers' instructions: heat degrades cotton and can ruin the collar.
- Can you put the gi in the tumble dryer?
- It is advised against by every manufacturer we consulted, because it accelerates shrinkage and ruins the fibres. The only exception is somebody using it deliberately to shrink a kimono that is too big.
- How much does a gi shrink?
- According to the figures declared by manufacturers, a pearl weave shrinks by 3-5%, a gold weave by up to 10%, a ripstop by 1-2%. Most of it happens in the first three to five washes.
- How do you get the smell out of a kimono?
- With a soak in white vinegar diluted in cold water, or with bicarbonate of soda, but not both in the same cycle because they neutralise each other. Avoid fabric softener, which seals odours into the fibre.
- Are one or two kimonos enough?
- One is enough if you train twice a week. From three sessions upwards you need two, because heavy cotton does not air-dry in twenty-four hours and the tumble dryer is advised against.
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