In a sport where you sweat a lot like BJJ, hygiene is paramount. You shower after every class and you wash your Gi often. But what about your belt? Should you wash it too? With all the grappling and tugging, the belt gets dirty over time.
Many BJJ players refrain from washing their belt for fear of losing the stripes. But careful washing in lukewarm water will ensure the stripes don’t fall off. Machine washing tends to shrink the belt, so it would be better to handwash it. And if you do lose your stripes, just put them back on.
But the question of washing your BJJ belt is deeply rooted in superstition. As we’ll see later, many players especially those who compete in tournaments are a little sketchy when it comes to washing their belt. So let’s separate fact from fiction, dispel the myths, and ensure you show up to class in a clean Gi with a clean belt as well.
Should you Wash your Belt?
That shouldn’t even be an issue at all. Do you need to shower? Yes, you do. Do you have to wash your clothes? Absolutely. Unless you want to repel people off wherever you go. So the answer to the question of should you wash your belt is you definitely have to.
Apart from the hygienic aspects we just mentioned, there really is no reason for you to walk around in a stained and smelly belt. It’s not just appearances, but it also poses a health risk. When the belt absorbs sweat, that makes it fertile grounds for germs and fungus.
Because of the intimate nature of BJJ where you get in contact with your opponent’s Gi and belt often, a germ-riddled belt can cause many skin diseases as well as respiratory ones. And it doesn’t take much friction to damage the skin of the player and transmit lethal germs inside their body. BJJ students go to the academy to learn about the discipline, not catch diseases.
And yes appearances matter. Just take a look at your teacher’s belt. Is it dirty or stained? Does it look like it hasn’t been washed in ages? Of course not. You should emulate your teacher in their adherence to good hygiene and go to class dressed in clean clothes. Your BJJ belt is no exception. It complements your whole image and instills confidence among your classmates.
Common Superstitions
But why do some BJJ players think twice about washing their belt? The answer to that, believe it or not, has to do with superstition. Now we all know that in competitions, players tend to go off the rails and associate certain objects with either good or bad luck. A certain player, for example, will not shave on the day of the tournament. Now, that player isn’t hoping to use their facial stubble to force the opponent into submission. It’s just superstition. The player associates an unshaved chin with luck. If they shave, they feel the universe isn’t on their side.
So what has washing the belt got to do with superstition? Well, for one thing, sometimes your stripes will fall off the belt during washing. Some players consider that a bad sign and it could mean they will lose the next match. Of course it’s easy to put the stripes back on the belt. But to the superstitious mind, losing the stripes is tantamount to losing the competition.
One can’t argue with superstition. So when a player values an unwashed belt and considers it a symbol of their fortitude and dedication. But what has a smelly belt got to do with one’s involvement in the sport? Nothing of course. But what has a black cat got to do with luck? Or why do some people avoid walking under a ladder or become jittery if they break a mirror? Superstition has no legs under the light of reason.
And let’s not forget that BJJ is built on skill and reason, not voodoo. You don’t go to class to learn to cast a spell. You go there to learn techniques that require using your skills. Whether your belt is tattered or your stripes are awry will have zero effect on the outcome of the competition.
Why you Need to Keep your Belt Clean
There are so many reasons, but we’ll just cover the main ones here. The first major reason why you need to keep your belt as well as your Gi clean at all times has to do with the health risks associated with dirty or stained belts. I think we can all agree that in these times, getting an infection is the last thing one would want.
More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. To get in contact with a dirty belt exposes you to a fungal infection that causes a rash and might develop into something more serious. Allergy and rashes are not to be taken lightly. An untreated rash could become more than just an inconvenience. The longer it goes without being looked into, the higher the chances it would take years to get it fixed.
Then there’s hygiene. Just think about it for a second. Every time you get on the mat and your belt touches an opponent, small skin particles and droplets of sweat get absorbed by the belt. With time and with lack of washing, that skin and sweat pile up increase and pretty soon you’ll be walking around carrying DNA footprints of every player you ever went up against on the mat.
As far as souvenirs go, dead skin should be the last thing you want to be wearing around your waist. And since you come in touch with that belt more often than your opponents and classmates, that puts you at a higher risk of catching something nasty like the ringworm. It is responsible for many health inconveniences that you’d rather go through life without.
How to Wash your Belt
Now that we have established the necessity for washing your BJJ belt, let’s talk about how you can avoid all those unpleasant side effects and keep a clean belt around your waist. Here are the best ways to go about it.
Handwash
When you ask a player why they don’t wash their belt, the first complaint they throw at you is that the belt shrinks with every wash. That may be true with machine wash which is why you need to need to switch to handwash instead. It might be a little bit of work, but the results are well worth the effort.
Don’t soak the belt since that will make it shrink. The idea is to dump the dirty belt in the pot using gentle detergent, give it a few squeezes and rubs then rinse it thoroughly. This will wash away not just the dirt, but also the odors of the detergent. You might want to use a softener to prevent that shrinking issue. It depends on the material the belt is made of.
Lukewarm Water
All mothers know that hot water causes clothes to shrink and wear out quickly. The combination of hot water and strong detergents is too much for the fabric to handle. First, the color fades, then the edges of the belt become tattered. This is why many players prefer a dirty belt over a worn-out one.
Cold water on the other hand doesn’t have the same destructive effect on the belt. If it’s winter and you’re not keen on putting your hands in icy water, then lukewarm water will do the job. As long as no steam comes off the pot, your fine and the belt is in no danger. Don’t use strong detergents. Shop for one more suited to delicate clothes. Also, steer clear from the dryer. It can put a strain on the belt material and speed out its wearing off.
The Stripes
Another problem with washing the belt has to do with the fragile stripes. It’s one more reason to opt for handwash over the washing machine. But even during handwashing the belt, the stripes tend to fall off. So what can you do about that?
Simple. Just put them back on. The stripes are not a permanent fixture anyway. As you progress with your training, you’ll earn more stripes to add to the ones already there. So don’t stress over the missing stripes.
Another thing to consider is that the stripes are taped. So while washing and ironing the belt, don’t give the stripes the rough treatment. I recommend you use waterproof stripes that don’t come off easily and don’t lose their color or shape when put into water.
A better way to keep the stripes on the belt at all times even during washing is to stitch them yourself. With a needle and thread trace around the edges and make the stripes a permanent part of the belt itself.