How to Wash a BJJ Gi Without Shrinking It (2026)
Short answer on how to wash a BJJ gi without shrinking it: wash it inside out on a cold cycle with a normal dose of regular detergent as soon as you get home, then hang it to dry out of direct sun. Skip hot water, skip bleach and keep it out of the dryer unless you actually want it smaller. Even done right, a cotton gi can still shrink about an inch, so buy with that in mind.
Last updated: October 31, 2026. By Chris, who runs Martial Arts Rankings and writes about BJJ training and gear. The shrink numbers below come from gi makers’ own care pages (Fuji and Hyperfly) and the hygiene advice comes from the CDC, all linked below.
Every new white belt hits the same wall. You buy a crisp gi, it fits perfectly, you wash it once and suddenly the sleeves end somewhere around your elbows and the pants look like capris. Meanwhile the purple belt next to you says he has machine dried the same gi for six years with no problem. Both things can be true, and the difference comes down to cotton, heat and the label.
How Do You Wash a BJJ Gi Without Shrinking It?
Wash it inside out in cold water on a normal or gentle cycle, use regular detergent at the normal dose, then hang it to dry in the shade. Heat is what shrinks cotton, so keeping the water cold and the dryer off is the whole trick. Wash it after every single class, not every few.
Here is the routine, step by step:
- Get it out of the bag fast. A wet gi zipped in a gym bag overnight is how the smell starts. Hang it or wash it the same day.
- Turn the jacket and pants inside out. It protects the outer weave and patches, and gets the sweatiest side the most contact with water.
- Untie the pants drawstring and pull it snug inside the waist, or tie a loose knot so it does not wrap around everything else in the drum.
- Cold water, normal cycle. Cold is the main shrink control. A gentle cycle is fine too.
- Regular detergent, normal dose. More soap does not mean cleaner; extra detergent can stay in the thick weave and hold odor.
- No bleach on a colored gi, and check the label before using it on a white one (Fuji says do not bleach at all).
- Hang dry out of strong sun. A hanger or drying rack in a ventilated room works. A thick pearl weave jacket can take most of a day, so a second gi helps if you train daily.
Does a BJJ Gi Shrink in the Wash?
Yes, a cotton gi shrinks, and even pre-shrunk ones are not shrink proof. Fuji says its preshrunk gis shrink up to one inch when washed cold and hung dry. Hyperfly says its non pre-shrunk gis can shrink 2 to 5 inches in length with hot water or machine drying.
The fabric matters more than the brand. Heavy pearl weave and single weave cotton jackets shrink the most. Ripstop pants and lightweight ripstop jackets shrink less, and Hyperfly says its ripstop style Starlyte “will minimally shrink even if machine dried”. Polyester or blended gis barely move. Sleeves and pant length usually shrink more than width, which is why the first wash can turn a perfect fit into a short one.
How Much Will Your Gi Shrink With Each Washing Method?
Expect up to about an inch with cold water and hang drying, and anywhere from 2 to 5 inches in length with hot water or a hot dryer, based on gi makers’ own numbers. Most shrinkage happens in the first few washes, then it slows down. Fabric type changes everything, so treat these as ranges.
Here is the BJJ Gi Shrink Table, built from Fuji’s and Hyperfly’s care notes:
| How you wash and dry | Typical shrink (cotton gi) | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Cold wash, hang dry | Up to about 1 inch (Fuji and Hyperfly) | Your default for every wash once the gi fits |
| Cold wash, dryer on low for a few minutes, then hang | Small and hard to predict; usually more than hang drying alone | When you need it dry by tomorrow and the label allows it |
| Warm wash, hang dry | A little more than cold | A deep clean on a white gi that has gone gray |
| Hot wash and hot dryer | 2 to 5 inches in length (Hyperfly, non pre-shrunk gis) | Only when you are trying to shrink a gi that is too long |
| Ripstop or polyester gi, any method | Minimal | Lightweight travel gis and hot climates |
Should You Wash a New BJJ Gi Before Wearing It?
Try it on before you wash it, then decide. Fuji only accepts returns on gis that have not been washed or worn for practice, so the first wash ends your chance to swap sizes. If it fits well, wash it cold and hang dry. If it is long, a controlled hot wash can bring it in.
If you compete, check the fit against the IBJJF uniform rules before that first wash: sleeves must come to no more than 2 cm from your wrist with the arm extended straight out in front, and pants must reach no more than 2 cm above the ankle bone. Shrinking can take a legal gi out of spec. A gi that is already a touch short on day one will only get shorter.
How Do You Shrink a Gi on Purpose if It Is Too Big?
Shrink in small steps: a hot wash, then a short tumble on medium heat, then try it on. Repeat only if it is still too long. A hot dryer is a one way door, so going slowly beats ending up with a gi two inches too short that nobody at the gym will buy.
If only one part is too long, treat that part. Some people shrink just the pants by washing them hot on their own and leaving the jacket on the cold routine. Pant legs and sleeves can also be hemmed by a tailor for less than the cost of a new gi, which is the safer route for an expensive competition gi.
Can You Put a BJJ Gi in the Dryer?
Only if you are fine with it shrinking or the label says it is safe. Most gi makers say hang dry because dryer heat is the biggest cause of shrinkage. The CDC, on the other hand, tells athletes to completely dry uniforms in a dryer after each use to help prevent MRSA.
That looks like a contradiction, but the CDC also says to follow the clothing label. A practical middle ground for people who worry about skin infections: wash every gi after every class, dry it completely and fast in a ventilated spot, never put it back in a bag damp and use a low dryer setting on a gi that has already finished shrinking or on a ripstop gi that barely moves. Our BJJ ringworm guide covers the skin side in more detail.
How Often Should You Wash Your BJJ Gi?
After every single training session, no exceptions. A gi soaks up sweat, skin cells and whatever your training partners brought in, and bacteria love a warm damp jacket. Wearing the same gi twice without washing is the fastest way to become the person nobody wants to roll with.
If you train often, the easy fix is owning at least two gis so one can dry while you wear the other. The belt is the odd one out: plenty of people never wash theirs, but it touches the same mats and partners, so give it a cold wash and hang dry regularly too. You can also see our guide on how often to train BJJ to figure out how many gis your schedule actually needs.
Why Does My Gi Still Smell After Washing?
Usually because it sat wet too long before washing, did not dry fast enough after, or has detergent and body oil built up inside the thick weave. Cold water alone cannot always shift that buildup. The fix is to wash sooner, dry faster and occasionally give it a deeper soak.
Try these in order:
- Wash it the same day, every time. Do not leave it in the bag or the washer overnight.
- Use a little less detergent, not more, and add an extra rinse if your machine allows it.
- Soak it for about 30 minutes in cool water with a cup of white vinegar or a scoop of baking soda, then wash as normal. Do not mix vinegar with bleach.
- Dry it somewhere with real airflow, near a fan or outside in the shade.
- Use a sports detergent made for synthetic and sweat odors if the regular stuff is not cutting it.
Can You Hand Wash a Gi Without a Washing Machine?
Yes. Fill a tub or large bucket with cold water and a little detergent, soak the gi for 20 to 30 minutes, scrub the collar, armpits and knees, then rinse until the water runs clear. Squeeze, do not wring, and hang dry. It works, but heavy gis get very heavy when wet.
Hand washing is the realistic option when traveling or in a small apartment without a machine. Rolling the wet gi up inside a big towel and pressing on it removes a lot of water and cuts drying time. A laundromat on a cold cycle is also fine; just skip the commercial dryers, which run hot.
How Do You Keep a White Gi White?
Wash it promptly, use cold or warm water, and treat stains like blood or grass before the wash with an enzyme stain remover or a soak. Avoid chlorine bleach unless the label allows it, since it can yellow cotton and weaken the weave. An oxygen based whitener is usually the gentler choice.
Blood is the classic BJJ stain. Rinse it with cold water as soon as you can, because hot water sets it. Collar sweat lines and gray knees come back slowly, so a monthly soak with an oxygen whitener does more than one aggressive wash. Wash whites separately from a new blue or black gi for the first few washes, because dark gis can bleed dye.
What Washing Mistakes Ruin a BJJ Gi?
Hot water, hot dryers, chlorine bleach, leaving it wet in a bag and fabric softener are the big five. Heat shrinks it, bleach weakens cotton, and damp storage breeds smell. Softener can leave a slippery residue and make the weave less absorbent, so most gi owners skip it entirely.
Two smaller ones: washing a brand new dark gi with whites, and drying a heavy jacket in direct sun day after day, which can fade colors and stiffen the cotton. If you are still shopping, our guide to the best BJJ gis and gi brands is worth a look before buying, since fabric choice decides how much care a gi needs.
FAQ: Washing a BJJ Gi
How do you wash a BJJ gi for the first time?
Try it on unwashed first, since many brands refuse returns after washing. If the fit is right, wash it inside out on cold and hang it to dry. If it is too long, wash it hot and dry it on medium for a short time, then check before shrinking it more.
Does a pre-shrunk gi still shrink?
Yes, a little. Fuji says its preshrunk gis shrink up to one inch when washed cold and hung dry. Pre-shrunk just means most of the shrinking was done at the factory, not all of it, and heat can still take more.
Can you wash a gi with other clothes?
Yes, with normal laundry on a cold cycle, but keep new dark gis away from whites for the first few washes because dark dye can bleed. Avoid washing a gi with towels or anything with zippers that can snag the weave.
Should you wash your BJJ belt?
Yes. The tradition of never washing a belt is a myth that some people take seriously, but the belt touches the same mats and partners as the gi. Wash it cold and hang dry it, ideally inside a mesh bag so it does not tangle.
Should you use fabric softener on a gi?
Most people skip it. Softener can leave a coating in the thick cotton weave that traps odor and makes the gi less absorbent. If the gi feels stiff after hang drying, a few minutes on a no heat air setting or a quick shake out works better.
