# Washing gym clothes at uni



## PrideNeverDies (Sep 28, 2008)

Ok, need some help

As a uni student, Im now struggling to machine wash and dry my clothes & gi everyday (money)

How can i hand wash

My blue bjj gi

Plain black tshirts i use

Mma/basketball shorts

Plain black hoodies

How regularly should i wash them too ?

How to dry them since i live in halls and cant hang dry them


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## newguy (Nov 29, 2009)

never been to uni but I was a squaddie so if you want something washed fast you could try this. Put it on, take a bottle of fairy liquid to your shower and wash the gi while it is on you. Try and make the shower as hot as you can cope with. Then just give it a proper was once a week in the machine


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## Agentman (Jul 1, 2010)

Been at uni and had the same problem.

You can hand wash to a degree but I promise you that you will eventually get a somewhat stale aroma about you.

If you are going to handwash then I recommend using a bath and a proper washing powder because things like Fairy liquid or whatever will eventually damage your clothing.

Cleanliness of your training kit however is essential, first of all because no one wants to roll with a great smelly bastard but also because you dont want to find yourself with a fungal infection or similar because your clothes arent being cleaned properly.

I cant stress how important it is to make sure your training kit gets cleaned properly so you avoid things like staph and ringworm so you really need to find yourself either a washing machine or launderette - and if youre at university I'm not having it that you cant find one or the other. Handwashing wont really cut it I'm afraid.


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## PrideNeverDies (Sep 28, 2008)

Agentman said:


> Been at uni and had the same problem.
> 
> You can hand wash to a degree but I promise you that you will eventually get a somewhat stale aroma about you.
> 
> ...


I've been using machines for the last year at uni, just this year my loan is substantially less, which means I cant afford to keep going to the machines everyday

and equipment .. I used to put it in the freezer, then use fabreeze like spray to kill germs .. but this year have very little freezer space so cant do that


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## Agentman (Jul 1, 2010)

You dont have to go to the launderette every day necessarily. If you have a number of different training tops and shorts like me then use them all and then wash them altogether once you run out.

As for things like fabreeze - these products may have 'odor eliminating' ingredients but that doesnt mean that they kill germs, they just cover up the nasty smell. The only thing that kills bacteria of the sort that grows in dirty, sweaty clothing is high tempretures and anti-bacterial cleaning products. Dont mistake smelling clean for being clean - if you exercise then cover yourself in body spray that doesnt mean that your skin isnt teeming with bacteria does it?

As for the freezer technique, you are partially right but dangerously wrong with this method. Extreme cold can kill bacteria but I'm talking about the kind of cold that you find in the artic and your freezer simply doesnt go that low. Many bacteria when exposed to cold tempretures simply go dormant by producing a protective coating called a spore, they then reawaken when tempretures are more accommodating. Also viruses are PROTECTED by cold tempretures, not destroyed by them. You also tend to keep food in your freezer so I cant really believe that I'm having to tell you not to put your sweaty gym kit in it even if you ignore the science bit!

I have the advantage of a biomedical scientist as a girlfriend by the way, which is why i know all this!

Basically after eating, rent and utilities, cleanliness surely has to be the next important thing to spend money on. I know times are tough and money is tight as a student but there really isnt a quick fix or magic solution to cleaning your kit I'm afraid.


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## rsp84 (Dec 9, 2008)

If Im caught at the last min, I had wash with some anti-bact. detol soap, then with some shower gel with hot water as possible. Its a tough one, i wouldnt dream of washing my gi by hand. If your electric is including in the room, perhaps a fan on or an oil heater with clothes on a drying frame as oppossed to paying for it to be tumble dried.


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## Agentman (Jul 1, 2010)

I wouldnt pay for a tumble dryer under any circumstances, student or not.

Even as an ably employed adult I refuse to spend money on a tumble dryer and still employ a clothes horse or the airing cupboard as I did when I was a student.

Another money saving tip is for you and a pal to chip in together and do a joint wash in one of the big machines you find at the launderette.


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## PrideNeverDies (Sep 28, 2008)

Agentman said:


> I wouldnt pay for a tumble dryer under any circumstances, student or not.
> 
> Even as an ably employed adult I refuse to spend money on a tumble dryer and still employ a clothes horse or the airing cupboard as I did when I was a student.
> 
> Another money saving tip is for you and a pal to chip in together and do a joint wash in one of the big machines you find at the launderette.


I never have any freezer food, when i do eat, i prefer to get it fresh, and have a tesco 2 mins walk away .. and the way it worked out, i basically had a speerate fridge freezer last year just for me

Ok .. Ive ordered a drying frame off ebay .. Thinkg I'm going to get an electric heater too, to put next to the radiator , that will be good enough to dry right ? Another place for me to air out the sweaty clothes too before i put them in a bag

Ive been told, 40 cold for my gi

I'll have to clean every 2-3 days with machines, I sweat like a ****er in the sahara during training

How should I go about cleaning gloves, pads etc ?? Bare in mind Im a student , would an antic bac spray or something work ?

thanks btw

i kind of want to order this

http://www.simplygoodstuff.com/wonderwash.html


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## Agentman (Jul 1, 2010)

Your freezer method like Ive said just doesnt work for the most part so I'd stop using it and if you dont otherwise use the freezer I'd unplug it and save the money because some freezers use vast amounts of power.

Cleaning leather gloves, pads etc is tricky. They should be cleaned as soon after use as possible before bacteria has an opportunity to breed. You cant machine wash them, submerge them, nor can you use water which is too hot as this will cause the leather to warp, strong detergents can also cause damage.

I wipe mine down with warm water and use an anti-bacterial spray like lysol or Daktarin (actually used to treat fungal/bacterial skin infections). Leave to air dry.


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