Maintaining a clean uniform

[pdg]

OxiClean claims on its website that the "bubbling" that goes on when its sodium percarbonate interacts with water (to release oxygen) serves to "lift the stain" away from the underlying fabric. I strongly suspect that's just hype. The mechanical action of bubbling is meager compared to the mechanical action of your machine's tumbling drum, so I don't know what a little bubbling is going to accomplish. The only reason that bubbling is important is because it's the outcome of the chemical reaction that releases the oxygen

If the bubble forms between the stain forming compound and the fabric fibres then the mechanical force is far greater (and in a more advantageous direction) than the tumbling action of the drum.

Whether that actually happens with any of these products I just can't say, I have no evidence



I have had a thought though - ultrasonic?

 

[Gwai Lo Dan]

Generally, if you wash the uniform after EVERY class (please don't be the guy who waits until you think it stinks - your partners thought so 3 classes before you did) and make sure it dries fully (whether you hang it to dry or use a dryer), it will stay fresh and clean looking.

Yes, wash your uniform immediately after class. Personally I wear an undershirt too, and never have the yellow stains that others have.

 

[WaterGal]

Other brands like Oxi-Clean?

Yeah, the Oxi-Clean blue gel is great. I always recommend that to our students.

 

[Tez3]

I have had a thought though - ultrasonic?

I have an ultrasonic cleaner for my gum shields. Cat hates the noise it makes though.

 

[Dirty Dog]

Wash your dobak with a good detergent after every class. Not a few days after. Right after.
And hang it up. A dobak that's all wrinkled from being in your bag looks nasty. There is a traditional method of folding the dobak that works well.
Depending on the material, bleach may cause yellowing.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best way to remove blood. Trust me on this. I'm willing to bet money I've got more experience getting blood out of clothes than anyone here.
Buy a new dobak. They can be as low as $20, so buy several.
If your school allows colors, use them. Nothing shows ick as much as white.

 

[mrt2]

[QUOTE="gpseymour, post: 1898933, member: 27826"

Generally, if you wash the uniform after EVERY class (please don't be the guy who waits until you think it stinks - your partners thought so 3 classes before you did) and make sure it dries fully (whether you hang it to dry or use a dryer), it will stay fresh and clean looking. Keep a stain stick or similar near the laundry area, and treat any stains as soon as you get home.

As others have said, have more than one uniform. I usually only had two in my bag - my primary (the newest) and one of my old ones, in case the primary didn't get cleaned in time - and maybe one or two other old ones lying about at home. Having more than one will avoid the temptation to wear the dirty one if you forget to wash.[/QUOTE]
I realized quickly when I came back to MA that I needed more than one uniform. Honestly, I don't know how I did it back in the day. Pretty sure I only washed my uniform once a week, but I trained 2 to 4 times/week, so I must have just stunk the place up.

Once the weather gets above 50 degrees, I like to hang dry my uniforms out in the sun. I do the same with my cycling gear, and I swear clothing that is hung dry outside seems to smell better.

 

[mrt2]

Wash your dobak with a good detergent after every class. Not a few days after. Right after.
And hang it up. A dobak that's all wrinkled from being in your bag looks nasty. There is a traditional method of folding the dobak that works well.
Depending on the material, bleach may cause yellowing.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best way to remove blood. Trust me on this. I'm willing to bet money I've got more experience getting blood out of clothes than anyone here.
Buy a new dobak. They can be as low as $20, so buy several.
If your school allows colors, use them. Nothing shows ick as much as white.

On my second class, there was a fellow wearing black pants with his white uniform. So I asked if this was allowed. Not until you reach the rank of black belt. So, stuck with white pants for awhile.

 

[Dirty Dog]

On my second class, there was a fellow wearing black pants with his white uniform. So I asked if this was allowed. Not until you reach the rank of black belt. So, stuck with white pants for awhile.

I don't think that's uncommon. It's how we do it. Geup ranks wear all white. Chodanbo can wear the black collar. Dan holders can wear whatever they want. A lot chose to wear black pants with a white top. I wear black pants with diamond pattern tops in various colors.
So there's your best reason to promote; you'll get to wear a dobak that's easier to maintain.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I have 'handwash' on my washing machine which along with a washing liquid designed for wool does the trick without shrinking. use it for my Guiding uniform tops which are horrendous for shrinking width ways and stretching in length so they end up looking weird.

Similar setting on mine - it doesn't let the temp get even to "warm", I think.

I could train after donating blood because I am not a 'bleeder', takes hours to get blood out of me so they usually take some and let me go off to my cuppa and biscuit.

I don't usually bleed easily (actually fairly low blood pressure), but when stuck in a big vein, it comes out fast. It usually takes me only about 10 minutes (maybe less, but it seems about that), then I have to sit there and have a snack and fluids before I stand, or I'll fall down. And apparently I don't coagulate well enough to seal the needle wound firmly in the few hours I gave it. I changed the color of almost the entire inside of my uniform sleeve by the time someone noticed.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Other brands like Oxi-Clean?

yes.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Wash your dobak with a good detergent after every class. Not a few days after. Right after.
And hang it up. A dobak that's all wrinkled from being in your bag looks nasty. There is a traditional method of folding the dobak that works well.
Depending on the material, bleach may cause yellowing.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best way to remove blood. Trust me on this. I'm willing to bet money I've got more experience getting blood out of clothes than anyone here.
Buy a new dobak. They can be as low as $20, so buy several.
If your school allows colors, use them. Nothing shows ick as much as white.

If anyone else here has more experience getting blood out than you do, I don't want to know.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I realized quickly when I came back to MA that I needed more than one uniform. Honestly, I don't know how I did it back in the day. Pretty sure I only washed my uniform once a week, but I trained 2 to 4 times/week, so I must have just stunk the place up.

Once the weather gets above 50 degrees, I like to hang dry my uniforms out in the sun. I do the same with my cycling gear, and I swear clothing that is hung dry outside seems to smell better.

It probably does smell better. A couple of actions going on (TrueJim probably understands some of this way better than I do). One is UV from the sun, which I understand has some sanitizing and/or deodorizing effect. The other is that, instead of partly perfumed air inside a stuffy dryer with stale lint in the nooks and crannies, you're drying it with what is probably much better-smelling air outside.

 

[frank raud]

Tie dye it so so no one can tell.

Only works in BJJ.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Only works in BJJ.

I could see me sporting a greyscale tie-dye gi. Or black and red. I'm conservative like that.

 

[skribs]

You guys are all treating the symptoms, not the root cause of the problem. The problem shouldn't be how to keep the uniform clean, but how to keep it from getting dirty in the first place. If you're worried about sweat stains, then just don't train hard enough to sweat in your uniform. Then you don't have to worry about it!

 

[JR 137]

Wash your dobak with a good detergent after every class. Not a few days after. Right after.
And hang it up. A dobak that's all wrinkled from being in your bag looks nasty. There is a traditional method of folding the dobak that works well.
Depending on the material, bleach may cause yellowing.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best way to remove blood. Trust me on this. I'm willing to bet money I've got more experience getting blood out of clothes than anyone here.
Buy a new dobak. They can be as low as $20, so buy several.
If your school allows colors, use them. Nothing shows ick as much as white.

Peroxide works very well. While I most likely don’t have as much experience with getting blood out as you do, I have a ton of experience with it from working as an athletic trainer.

The best stuff I’ve come across is called Blood Buster. It’s an enzymatic cleaner. I had a soccer player who’s white home jersey was saturated in blood (he needed 38 stitches along his eyebrow for reference). I put it in a plastic bag immediately and forgot about it, until 2 weeks later when the coach asked if I had the jersey for the next day’s game. I soaked it overnight in a 5 gallon bucket with blood buster and detergent. Threw it in the washing machine, and it was like it never happened.

I’ve sprayed just about every uniform with blood on it in my 15 or so years, and it’s worked every single time. I doubt there’s a single athletic training room that doesn’t have a bottle of it somewhere.

Edit - it’s almost as good on cotton, but every now and then there’s a feint hint of a blood stain. Treat and wash it again without throwing it in the dryer in between, and it’s all good. Peroxide hasn’t worked as well in my experience. I’ve used it every time I didn’t have Blood Buster immediately handy.

 

[paitingman]

Wash your dobak with a good detergent after every class. Not a few days after. Right after.
And hang it up. A dobak that's all wrinkled from being in your bag looks nasty. There is a traditional method of folding the dobak that works well.
Depending on the material, bleach may cause yellowing.
Hydrogen peroxide is the best way to remove blood. Trust me on this. I'm willing to bet money I've got more experience getting blood out of clothes than anyone here.
Buy a new dobak. They can be as low as $20, so buy several.
If your school allows colors, use them. Nothing shows ick as much as white.

what to heck is a dobak?

 

[paitingman]

As far as being clean, just wash it when you should!
For stains, there are great detergents everywhere.

I have always let my uniforms hang outside to dry on a really sunny day. Stains fade really nicely that way as well.

 

[mrt2]

You guys are all treating the symptoms, not the root cause of the problem. The problem shouldn't be how to keep the uniform clean, but how to keep it from getting dirty in the first place. If you're worried about sweat stains, then just don't train hard enough to sweat in your uniform. Then you don't have to worry about it!

True, and a well worn sweat stained uniform is something that shows commitment, or maybe your individual body chemistry. That said, nobody wants to see a blood stain on your uniform.

 

[JR 137]

what to heck is a dobak?

Korean for gi or dogi. The uniform worn in TKD.