As the title says really. Obviously washing the gi after training is essential for general hygiene as well as reducing infection risk but what about your belt?
i wash my blue belt probably once or twice a month; i wash my gi after every single session. but i don't tell anyone at my gym. it's an odd thing, but a lot of bjj guys never wash belts. it's a thing apparently. if you want, wash it. but don't tell anyone, lol.
I don't wash it as often as I wash my gis (which is always), but you should definitely wash it periodically. I also use an antibacterial cleaning spray regularly to kill anything that might be growing on it.
Somehow, some people in martial arts hold the obi/belt as sacred. The gi was a workout garment. In fact, it was merely a piece of cloth to hold the garment in order. Would it seem more logical to wash anything as this would be a way to care for it? Wash anything as who would want a dirty, smelly, bacteria infested item around?
Wash your belt every now and then. A dirty nasty belt is dirty and nasty. And if it begins to fray and fall apart, replace it. Keep your gear in good repair.
Belt wash once or twice a month should be standard, it takes about four or five years of use and washing before it frays.
Belts are made from cotton - the same material as your gi; so they can both harbour the same nasty germs, and probably in equal measure. Wash your belt after every class. When it falls apart, buy a new one. The cost of a new belt and electrical tape (if you have stripes) is only a few quid.
I've heard of people who don't like to wash theirs, hence the question. Something to do with bad luck or washing away the knowledge or some sort. Certainly makes sense to wash it.
I wash mine after every training session. I've gotten enough skin infections to want to keep things as clean as possible for both myself and my training partners. Like Chadderz said, if you're washing your uniform anyway, why not wash your belt along with it? Most people carry their clean uniform and belt together in their bag; if you haven't washed your belt then it's just rubbing all kinds of nastiness into your nice "clean" gi.
Well those people should be flogged. The reasons I don't wash mine every session: - they take the best part of a week to dry - they would fall apart inside a month if you washed them three times a week - you can't put anything else in with them because the colours run like nothing else I've ever washed (even worse than red hand wraps). Might as well put a vial of dye in with the detergent But I do try to kill anything on them with an anti-bacterial spray. I just use stuff designed for carpets or furniture (test on a small area of your belt first in case it stains the belt).
The people who say it's "disrespectful" to wash your belt are the same ones who say it's "disrespectful" to take water breaks during class. Not smart at best; dangerous at worst.
Since the subject has come up-is there a "proper" way to wash an aikido/iaido obi? Mine didn't come with instructions about that and I've never thought to ask. (mine is black with white stitching, if colour is important)
Stick in your washing machine with your gi. My Mrs. has washed her white belt after every BJJ session for the past two years (that's 6 days a week, consistently). Apart from the belt looking worn and a bit grey, and replacing a few of the stripes with fresh tape now and then, it's fine.
Just keep in mind that it might shrink (mine lost around 10 cm ) and that the colored ones lose their color (so don't wash a red obi with a white gi, unless you want to train in pink ).
You know, I've only seen one reddish iaito obi. I've also seen green and blue, but the commonest seems to be black.
Certainly this one's solved by using multiple gi's? What sort of dyes does your gi use that it's still that un-colorfast even after extended use and washing?
