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?

露木"There are roughly the same number of men and kote in roughly the same proportions. There may be slightly more kote."

─--Isn't there much body and tail?

露木"That is,Dripping does happen quite often. You might think that dripping is "okay, it's fine" because it doesn't come into direct contact with the skin. But surprisingly, dripping is quite common. I think people are actually quite concerned about dripping."

──What areas do most people want to wash?

露木"The tare is almost entirely the obi, or the part 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.

露木"That's right. It penetrates. There's no sebum in it, but I think sweat penetrates quite well."

--What do you do when washing it?

露木"Shake the obi part with soapy water and leave it."

How about the table part?

露木"The surface of your skin is something that people touch, depending on their habits. 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.

露木"If you look closely you can see how dirty it is, but generally speaking it doesn't seem to be that different.

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?

露木"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?

露木"I'll pour soapy water on that too. Same with this."

--What about the string?

露木"The string is also quite dirty.You can brush the string part or scrub it with a scrubbing brush.

Lightly shake with mild soapy water.Then, just slam the whole thing in. It's the same as kote or men."

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

露木"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 in.

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

露木"No. Only the inside of the hand is permeated with sweat, so I massage it while washing.Just keep pouring water over it and let it out. I think it'll be fine without having to rub it."

──So there's no need to massage it?

TsuyukiThat's right. It's not like spilled food, for example, there's no oil or stains from spilled food, it's just sebum and salt."

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

TsuyukiThat'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...

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

But again, you just need to rub it lightly, 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...

TsuyukiI agree."

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

TsuyukiIt'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?

TsuyukiIf it gets rubbed, it will turn white, and the small folded fibers will come out.

──It kind of loosens you up.

TsuyukiThat's right. If you do that, it will look white. Even though the color won't come out, the fibers will stand up, or rather, they will become more fibrous."

--Like fluff?

TsuyukiThat's right. It's like fluffing. If you do that, it will look white, which is called "whitening." To avoid this, a sponge is better.

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

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?

露木"I'll hang the drippings out like this."

--Would clothespins be okay?

TsuyukiYou can use clothespins, or do it like this so that it doesn't lose its shape."

──Is the string hanging loose?

TsuyukiIt's a bit loose. Then, if you iron the strings at the end, it will look neat and tidy, and it will tighten up nicely."

--The mask is hung from the men-gane, but what about the kote?Should I leave it there or hang it up?

TsuyukiNo, it would be better to hang the gloves as well.Whether the tube is up or down."

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

TsuyukiI don't think that's the case... even if you set it up like this. Basically, as long as it's the easiest way for the wind to get in, it doesn't matter what direction it's facing."

──You could also clip the kotehimo with clothespins.

TsuyukiThat's right. Also, if you have a hanger like this, that would be fine too."

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

TsuyukiRight. On both sides. Is this shape okay?"

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

露木"That's right. There's no problem at all if you hang it out to dry like this."

Has your torso started to smell lately?

──Is the torso really that big?

露木"No, the torso is pretty good too..."

──Is the torso around the chest?

露木"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 theme is "How to care for your do, judogi and hakama".

looking forward to! !

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