How to care for your kendo do/gi/hakama

This is the third in a series of interviews with Mr. Tsuyuki Mikiya, president of Musashibo "Kensen," a cleaning service specializing in kendo armor.

Following on from last time's lesson on how to care for the tare, this time we will be learning how to care for the do, gi, and hakama.

Recently, my torso has been smelling pretty bad.

──Is the torso really that big?

Tsuyuki: "Your torso is pretty dirty too..."

Is it around the chest area?

Tsuyuki : "Yes, quite a bit. The inside of my chest. It must have been quite humid since I started wearing my jersey kendo uniform.

My breasts seem to be quite swollen and smelly.

In the past, it was the strings that smelled bad, but these days it's more common for the chest to smell bad.

I wonder if that's the case with sagging, too. If you wear a jersey kendo uniform, the hair will stick out.

The way to wash it is the same as for the dripping, just swirl some soapy water around the chest and torso and wash it with a sponge."

──Do you get requests to wash the front side of the body?

Tsuyuki : "The whole thing needs to be washed. The request was to clean both the front and the back.

First, soak it in soapy water for about 10 to 15 seconds.

Fiber and plastic bodies are fine, but bamboo and fabric bodies will definitely fail if soaked for too long,

Spray soapy water on the item for about 10 seconds, then remove it and wash it with soapy water, then do the same on the back.

With a bamboo body, there is a lot of dirt in the corners and between the bamboo pieces, so I wash that off with soapy water and a sponge. I try to wash the body for no more than five minutes in total."

Tsuyuki : Then, rinse. Don't put anything else on, just rinse thoroughly in the shower.

The torso may not seem too dirty, but the inside of the chest and the whole body are actually surprisingly dirty.

However, it can be cleaned quite easily with just a light wash using a mild soap.

In particular, with bamboo and fabric bodies, it is important not to wash them for too long, but to wash them thoroughly in a short amount of time. Do not spin-dry them, just dry them as they are.

──So far, you've mentioned soap when talking about washing the tail and the body, but is it okay to use the same soap for both?

Tsuyuki : "Yes. I'm fine."

What detergent should I use?

--So, what kind of detergents should you use that are actually found in ordinary households?

Tsuyuki : "If you have it, it's neutral soap. If you don't have it, dish soap might work, as it's surprisingly neutral.

Diluting it by half is enough. You only need a little bit to remove sweat and sebum. You don't need a lot.

However, soaps that contain fluorescent dyes are a big no-no. There are soaps that contain fluorescent dyes, which are like dyes that make the soap look white.

Also, anything that contains bleach is a no-no."

Tsuyuki : "The tricky thing is detergents that contain enzymes. It's best to avoid enzymes if possible.

There are quite a few soaps that contain enzymes, and while enzymes are certainly effective against sebum, they can cause damage to the deerskin.

So, I think it's fine to use soap that doesn't contain enzymes, bleach, fluorescent dyes, or fluorescent brighteners. The same goes for both the uniform and the hakama."

Correct washing method for judo uniforms and hakama

──So, how do you actually wash your judo uniform and hakama? I used to just throw them in the washing machine.

Tsuyuki: "I try to avoid using the washing machine as much as possible. Hand washing is best."

--For example, what about indigo-dyed kendo uniforms? Do you wash them by hand instead of in the washing machine?

Tsuyuki : "Hand washing is definitely the best. It lasts longer and the colour doesn't fade as much.

Use a small amount of soap. Soaps containing fluorescent whitening agents will make your clothes whiter, and soaps containing bleach are also a no-no, as they will also make your clothes whiter.

If possible, it's best to wash it by hand with a mild soap. You can also wash it in the washing machine, but

The areas that are rubbed or scraped tend to lose their color first, which can lead to uneven coloring."

──Even washing machines have a function to set the water flow to "weak," or not to run it too strongly, right?

Tsuyuki : Ah, that's right. If you're going to put it in the washing machine, fold it so that the dirty part is on the outside.

It's best to wash your kendo uniform in a net, keeping it still so that only the water around it moves.

It takes less than a minute to dehydrate it, about 30 seconds should be enough. If you dry it like that, the lines of the hakama will not easily disappear."

--I imagine that there are many people who, like mothers, don't have the time to hand wash each and every one of their judo uniforms, but even in that situation, how can you keep them as safe as possible?

Tsuyuki : "Put it in a net and use a weak current. I don't think it's necessary to do it for that long.

Leave it on for five minutes, then wash it off in about five minutes, then rinse for about five minutes, and I think that's enough to remove sweat and sebum."

──I also sometimes fold my cotton hakama and wash them in a laundry net, but the lines on the hakama don't disappear very often.

Tsuyuki : "That's true. But if you just put it in the washing machine without putting it in a net and let it run, you won't be able to tell where the wires went.

This would require re-pressing the lines again, which would be a hassle.

So, at home, we clean the fabric with one line before washing, then wash it by hand and press it again afterwards.

Especially when it comes to brand new hakama, and I'm asked to "just get the color off the surface," I first put it in a heat press for about five minutes to determine the lines.

Once the lines are set, the indigo residue on the surface is washed by hand. Then, by pressing it again, the lines of the hakama will remain.

It's good to get it right from the beginning. That's one way to do it."

Tsuyuki : So, even at home, if you press your shoes once when you first buy them and then wear them, it will make a big difference. This is while the basting thread is still attached.

Doing so will leave the lines of the hakama unremoved, which will be difficult to remove after you have put it in the washing machine.

If you turn it, the color will become uneven. We often get inquiries saying, "The color became uneven after the first wash..." and we try various ways to fix it.

Well, even if you wear them as they are, they will become more comfortable with use, but the color contrast will inevitably change at first.

So, whether you wash it by hand or in the washing machine, it's probably best to fold it and wash it gently.

That alone is enough to remove sweat and sebum. If you add soap, try to use a neutral soap as much as possible.

The most smelly way to wash your hands!

──Right now, I think that Kote is probably the most common piece of protective gear. What do you think?

Tsuyuki : "That's right. It's definitely a kote."

──What is the most important thing to pay attention to when washing your hands?

Tsuyuki: "The best is..."

Be amazed by the tips and tricks that only a professional can offer

This time, we were given an explanation on how to care for the do, judo uniform, and hakama.

Click here for the explanatory video → Torso part https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ki9aCai4U0

Dogi and Hakama Edition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33VdEPj_JSs&t=132s

At first, I was skeptical and wondered, "Is it okay to wash the body?", but I found that by shortening the soaking time in water and using different detergents, I was able to thoroughly wash body parts made of various materials.

Regarding hakama, I was also given some professional tips that were an eye-opener for me, such as the fact that it's a good idea to iron the lines of the hakama firmly as soon as you buy them.

Next time, we will show you how to care for your gauntlets, which are probably the dirtiest part of your armor! Stay tuned!!

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