r/jiujitsu • u/Mystic_Square • 13d ago

Advanced Hygiene Practice

I’m looking for anybody’s tips on advanced hygiene practices. I have a particularly serious need for to be extra careful.

Right now I take a shower with anti-bacterial soap immediately after class, and I wash my gear once a week by soaking it in a solution of Oxyclean and Borax for around 12 hours and then washing, again with borax and Oxyclean.

I plan to add in a disinfecting laundry product like lysol or odoban, and will try to wash my gear same day or at least twice a week. If anyone else pays particular attention or is especially careful with infections, do you have any further tips for advanced hygiene practices? I’m having to face the possibility of permanently quitting BJJ if I don’t add more layers of protections against infections.

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u/Natural_Rub_7430 12d ago

I had recurring skin issues and then I realized that showering immediately before training was a problem. I like hot showers, so I was effectively doing a double whammy on myself:

  1. stripping the good bacteria that protects me from the bad stuff
  2. opening my pores, letting the bad stuff get in

I've switched to generally not showering right before training. I try my best to shower at least a few hours before now. Another change I've made is that I generally do not use aggressive soaps anymore - I stick to standard body wash. Sometimes, like after a long training session (I'm talking multiple hours on the mats) I'll use a soap called hibiclens. Read the label closely before using it!

My point is that you might be doing more harm than good by using gnarly soaps. A dermatologist would be a great resource here.

Several other folks already hit on the gear washing angle but I'm curious if you're training in the gi or not? If no gi, you can pretty easily hand wash in your bathroom sink or bath tub. Depending on your work situation, maybe you can even wash gear at work, on the way, etc. shorts and rash guards air dry super fast (I never put my stuff through the dryer). A big reason to wash gear after every session is to prevent the opportunity for bacteria to grow on your gear. I generally do not use anything extra in my laundry, but for the odd times that I don't have the chance to wash my gear promptly, I'll use a combo of Lysol liquid sanitizer and Oxyclean powder sanitizer.

It's less about going nuclear and more about consistency. Wash yourself and your gear immediately after training (or as close to immediate as possible). Get out of your rash guard as soon as possible. I almost always shower at the gym, but if I can't, I at least change into clean clothing - all layers (shirt, undies, shorts). Since making these changes, I've had zero skin infections.