Are you new to Jiu-Jitsu and wonder what you should do to stay clean after class? Maybe you’re curious about how you can improve your hygiene after class? Or worst, maybe you developed an infection or rash. Whatever the reason, this article will go over the 4 habits everyone should start after BJJ class!
As soon as the class is finished and you get off the mats it’s important to wash your hands, then remove and wash your mouthguard. After those first two steps, if your gym has showers take a shower, if not use a towel or face/body wipe to get rid of the sweat on your body. Finally, change into a new set of clothes to commute back home in.
Upon arriving home hang dry or wash your gear. And if you didn’t already have a shower, get a shower and use a body wash with tea-tree oil or anti-fungal soap.
Stay Clean With These 4 Habits After BJJ Class
- Wash your hands
- Remove and wash your mouthguard
- Shower, if it’s available. Otherwise, towel off
- Change into fresh clothes
The first thing you should do when you get off the mats at Jiu-Jitsu is to wash your hands. When your hands are clean take out your mouthguard so that you can wash it off. If your gym provides a shower take advantage of it! Otherwise use a towel to wipe the sweat off your body. Finally, change into fresh clothes, even if there isn’t a shower so you’re not sitting in your car with sweaty clothes soaking into your seats.
Importance Of Washing Your Hands After BJJ Class
Washing your hands is important because they’ve been all over the sweaty mats, grabbing your partner’s sweaty Gi, and have touched many other objects in the process of navigating the gym. It is possible to get fungus and infections on your hands, just like your feet if you’re not careful.
Additionally, when you take out your mouth guard it is much safer to use clean hands when reaching into your mouth. Plus, it’s just a good opportunity to sanitize your hands!
Why You Should Wash Your Mouth Guard
After washing your hands it is safe to remove your mouthguard. Rinsing and/or washing your mouthguard right after class will help prevent bacteria growth and reduce the chance of bad odor from building up in your mouth guard overtime. Don’t forget to dry it too!
Don’t use a mouthguard? Check out my article explaining why it’s a good idea to use a mouthguard in BJJ!
The reason why it’s a good idea to wash your mouthguard before storing it away is to keep it clean and fresh for the next time you train. It’s easy to forget about it once you get home and it’s tucked away in your gym bag.
The Benefits Of Showering After Class
The most important thing you can do after BJJ class is to shower! Whether that is at the gym or when you get home. If your gym provides a shower that you can use take advantage of it. When showering at the gym isn’t an option bring a towel to wipe the sweat off of yourself until you get home to have a shower.
All the sweat and grime on the mats get rubbed all over your body and your skin is the perfect place for bacteria to grow. When you shower with your sweat and dead skin cells are washed away, and open wounds are rinsed out. Wounds and dead skin cells can act as hosts and entry points for bacterial infections.
Furthermore, your pores open to release sweat from your sweat glands. When this occurs your pores can also become clogged from skin cells or remaining sweat. These clogged pores can lead to acne breakouts, blackheads, or whiteheads.
Alternative To A Shower If It Is Not Available Soon After Class
Some gyms do not have showers or you may not feel comfortable using them. When this is the case bring a towel or get face/body cleansing wipes to use after class to wipe yourself down. This does not replace the need for a shower but can help if you don’t have access to a shower for some time after BJJ class.
Wiping yourself after class will remove a lot of sweat that has accumulated on your body allowing you to put on fresh clothes and not have your sweat soak through them.
Sitting in your car or on the bus with sweaty clothes will allow the sweat to soak into the seat and cause a bad odor to develop and linger in your car (or bus).
Is It Worth Changing Into Fresh Clothes After BJJ Class?
Fresh clothes after BJJ class can help prevent pores from getting clogged, acne outbreaks, and bacterial infections. A new set of clothes will also reduce the amount of sweat that will be transmitted to your car, jacket, sweater, or hat.
Allowing sweat to soak into your other garments or seats will start to build up and create a bad odor within them over time. Additionally, you will not smell or be wet on your journey back home!
What To Do When You Get Home From BJJ Class
The first thing you should do after you get home from BJJ class is to hang your Gi to dry or wash it. Hanging it to dry will help it not build up a bad odor and if it is a white Gi drying it will reduce the chance of it yellowing.
My routine after class is to hang my Gi, t-shirt, and shorts on a drying rack and at the end of the week I have three dirty (dry) Gi’s that I can do a load of laundry with, alongside my shirts and shorts I wore underneath.
Back when I used to have only one Gi and needed it clean and dry for the next day I would hang my Gi over a radiator to help it dry quicker and spray it with an all-natural anti-bacterial/anti-fungal spray.
For the times I didn’t have my spray I would give my Gi a quick hand wash. And when it was too hot to have the radiator on I would hang my Gi over a dry rack near the window to get some sunlight.
And if you didn’t have your shower at the gym, this is a good time to have your shower!
Tips To Keep Clean After Class
- Shower or towel off before leaving the gym.
- Have a complete change of clothes for after class.
- Use a small dirty laundry bag for your sweaty clothes, instead of having them loose in your gym bag.
- Wash/dry your gear as soon as you get home.
- You can add a bit of borax to your laundry detergent to help kill bacteria and fungus.
- Using vinegar in your wash is an all-natural alternative to kill bacteria.
- Face/body cleanser wipes are a great way to stay clean if you cannot shower after class.
- Keeping a first-aid kit on hand is not only a good idea but can be used to clean fresh wounds.
- Shower after class.
- Invest in an antifungal soap or use a body wash with tea tree oil!
- Paranoid about getting infections on the mat? Try using defense wipes before getting on the mats.
Conclusion
The number one thing you should do after BJJ class to stay clean is to shower and use an anti-fungal soap. The second is washing your Gi before the next class. Not only is it courteous, but it also reduces the risk of spreading infectious bacteria to your teammates.
It’s important to wash your hands after class, rinse your mouthguard, shower (or towel off), and change your clothes to stay clean and hygienic after class.
Sources
Healthline: Does Taking a Shower or a Bath After a Workout Boost Recovery?
The Spruce: 6 Reasons To Add Borax To Your Wash Loads
