I want people to know that kendo sashes can also be washed.

This time, we asked Mr. Tsuyuki Mikiya, president of Musashibo "Kensen," a cleaning service specializing in kendo armor, to tell us how to care for kendo armor.

There are many useful things to know, such as how drippings can get surprisingly dirty, and how to wash and dry them.

Dripping cleaning is surprisingly common

──Among the protective gear, which is most commonly washed? Men and Kote?

Tsuyuki : "I think there are roughly the same number of men and kote in roughly the same proportions. There may be slightly more kote."

─ ─Isn't there too much body and tail?

Tsuyuki : "But that's why it sags quite a bit. You might think that sagging is okay, since it doesn't come into direct contact with the skin. But surprisingly, it sags quite a lot. I think people are actually quite concerned about sagging."

──What areas do most people want to wash?

Tsuyuki : "The tare is pretty much the belt area, or the area that touches the stomach. For those wearing tracksuit kendo uniforms, this is where sweat inevitably gets. Unlike the men and kote, the tare doesn't have any dirt or sebum directly on it. It's not very noticeable, but it's surprisingly dirty. It's like, it's invisible to the eye, but it's surprisingly dirty."

──It is said that it seeps through the hakama.

Tsuyuki : "That's right. It penetrates. There's no sebum in it, but I think it penetrates quite a bit of sweat."

--What do you do when washing it?

Tsuyuki : "Sprinkle soapy water on the obi and leave it."

How about the table part?

Tsuyuki : "The outer surface of your face depends on your personal habits, but this is the area you touch. If you look at yours next time, you might notice that it has changed color a little, or that there is oil in this area."

--I see. I touch it quite a bit too.

Tsuyuki : " If you look carefully you can see the degree of dirt, but generally speaking it doesn't seem to have changed much.

Also, a lot of kids spill their energy drinks here, and sometimes their name tags leave a beer-like mark here (laughs)."

──Are there a lot of those kinds of tare?

Tsuyuki : "If sports drinks contain amino acids or other substances, they can harm the dye and cause discoloration. People wonder, 'Did someone spill juice on it?'"

How can I remove such dirt?

Tsuyuki : "I'll also spray it with soapy water. It's the same with this."

--What about the string?

Tsuyuki : " The strings are also quite dirty. You can brush the strings or scrub them with a scrubbing brush.

Lightly shake some mild soapy water on it. Then, immerse the whole thing in it. It's the same as for the kote and men.

──The basic rule is to wait until everything is finished?

Tsuyuki : " That's right. Once you're done, rinse it off. If there are any areas that are a little dirty, lather them up with a sponge and gently rub them over."

──Is it really necessary to massage it or anything like that?

Tsuyuki : "No, it's not. Sweat penetrates only the inner part of the hand, so you need to massage it while washing and let the water drain out. I think you don't need to massage the rest of the hand."

──So there's no need to massage it?

Tsuyuki: " That's right. It's not like spilled food, for example. It's not like there's oil or stains from spilled food, it's just sebum and salt."

--As long as you soak it and the soapy water soaks in...

Tsuyuki: " That's right. If you can just encourage the process of removing the dirt, it will be clean enough."

-- I don't know if it's still the case now, but in the past, when a number was written on the sword during a promotion examination with chalk or something, it seemed like it wouldn't come off for a while...

Tsuyuki: That's right. The only way to do it is to knock it down (laughs).

But again, you just need to rub it gently, swish it around and let it soak, and the dirt will start to float up, so just lightly rub it with a sponge.

Then, wrap it evenly in a towel and dehydrate it for one minute.

──And then dry it in the shade...

Tsuyuki: " That's right."

──Which is better: a sponge or a brush?

Tsuyuki: " It's a sponge.

I only use the brush when there is a lot of oil on the chin or cheeks of the face, and I apply a little soap and gently remove it quickly."

──Can brushing too hard cause damage?

Tsuyuki: " When it gets rubbed, it goes into a state called 'whitening', and the small folded fibers start to come out."

──It kind of loosens you up.

Tsuyuki: " That's right. If you do that, it will look white. Even though the color doesn't come out, the fibers will stand up, or rather, they will become more visible."

--Like fluff?

Tsuyuki: " That's right. It's like a pile of fluff. If you do that, it will look white, which is called the 'bleaching phenomenon'. To avoid that, a sponge is better.

Only when you feel that the dirt is a little too strong can you use something like a toothbrush or a scrubbing pad to gently and quickly remove it.

If you pour lots of water on it at that time, it will flow away quickly.

On the other hand, I was a little afraid of rubbing the dirty stuff inside, so I poured water over it and let it wash in.

It feels like it's just flushing. It feels like using a certain amount of water to flush it.

This is the best way to get rid of the odor and prevent the dirt from re-adhering, so it's best to flush it out as much as you can."

How should I dry my armor?

--How should I dry it?

Tsuyuki : "I'll hang the drippings out to dry like this."

--Would clothespins be okay?

Tsuyuki: " You can use clothespins, or do it like this so that the shape doesn't get distorted."

──Is the string hanging loose?

Tsuyuki: " It's quite loose. But if you iron the strings at the end, it will look neater and it will tighten up nicely."

--You said that the masks are hung from the mengane, but what about the kote? Is it better to leave them there? Or would it be better to hang them?

Tsuyuki: " No, it's better to hang the kote as well. Whether the tube is on top or bottom."

-- I had the impression that if the kote-gashira was down, the water would just accumulate underneath...

Tsuyuki: " I don't think that's the case... It's fine if you set it up like this. Basically, as long as it's the most wind-friendly, I think it doesn't matter what direction it's facing."

──You could also clip the kotehimo with clothespins.

Tsuyuki: " That's true. Also, if you have a hanger like this, that would be fine too."

──"Then, if you hang it on both sides..."

Tsuyuki: " Right. On both sides. I wonder if this is okay?"

──This might be the easiest to understand. Dry the other side in the same way...

Tsuyuki : "That's right. There's no problem at all with drying it like this."

Has your torso started to smell lately?

──Is the torso really that big?

Tsuyuki : " Well, the torso is pretty good too..."

──Is the torso around the chest?

Tsuyuki : " That's right. The inside of my chest is quite..."

Recently, even my torso has started to smell!

This time, we will explain how to care for dripping.

Click here for the explanatory video → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeUpFhh-1gw

Having your tare cleaned like this will allow you to approach practice with renewed enthusiasm.

Next time, we will continue to hear from Kensen's President Tsuyuki.

The next topic is " How to care for your do, gi, and hakama ."

Stay tuned!!

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