Hygiene Policy
At QW, we pride ourselves on fostering a safe, clean, and respectful training environment for everyone. As our community grows, maintaining excellent personal hygiene is essential for the health, safety, and comfort of all members.
Martial arts training involves close contact, making hygiene critical not only for your health but also for the well-being of your training partners. Proper hygiene helps prevent skin infections, reduces odors, and enhances the overall experience for everyone on the mats. Respecting these guidelines shows care for both your training partners and our shared space.
Not washing your gi sets, rash guards, tights, gloves, shin pads and wraps can cause sweat and bacteria to get trapped in the material. This not only damages your gear, but fungus and bacteria thrive in unwashed fabrics and surfaces including our skin creating a hygiene concern for the whole academy. Here are some basic hygiene practices to include in your training routine.
Hygiene Guidelines for training:
1. Shower Before and After Class
- Before Class: Arrive freshly showered to start your session clean and ready to train. This is especially critical if you have done any type of training before class.
- After Class: Shower immediately after training to remove sweat and bacteria. If showering right away isn’t possible, using wet wipes to wipe down your entire body is a good alternative to keep you infection-free until you shower at home.
2. Always Wearing a Rash Guard
- A rash guard protects your skin and reduces the risk of infections and skin abrasions from constant rubbing against your gi, mats and your training partners gi.
3. Keep your Feet Clean
- Shoes must be worn on common non-training surfaces ALL THE TIME. Ensure your feet are clean before stepping onto the mats.
- Please make use of the foot spray and the QW floor mats in front and around the mats to wipe your feet before stepping onto the mats.
- These steps help maintain a clean training environment.
4. Trim Your Nails
- Keep your fingernails and toenails trimmed and clean. Long nails can accidentally scratch or injure your training partners, increasing the risk of infections.
5. Use Deodorant
- Remember to use deodorant, especially if you know you struggle with body odour. On the other extreme please be mindful about using perfume and cologne. These scents can be very overwhelming in close counters for your training partners.
6. Clean Uniform & Equipment
- Long-sleeved rash guards and leggings/tights are recommended under training shorts and gi’s to reduce skin-to-skin contact and minimize infection risk.
- Store sweaty and used uniforms in a separate bag inside your training bag to prevent bacteria and odor buildup.
- Always wash your gi, gloves, shin pads, hand wraps, and gi belt after each training session.
- Spray gear with disinfectant and leave it to air dry to reduce bacteria buildup. Mixture of white vinegar and essential oils (eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree and lemongrass are great options).
- If training multiple times a week, 2-3 sets of uniforms are essential to allow proper washing and drying.
Laundry Tips for Odor Removal:
- Air and dry gear inside out before washing to lift odors and kill bacteria.
- Spray gloves and shin pads with a mix of white vinegar and essential oils (eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, or lemongrass) to prevent odor and bacteria.
- Add ¼ cup of bicarbonate soda and use white vinegar as fabric softener to enhance washing and help with odour control.
These simple steps help maintain clean, odour-free gear and reduce the risk of bacteria buildup.
7. Know When to Stay Home
The risk of infection in contact sports, including staph and the flu, increases significantly without proper personal hygiene. Any skin issues (rashes, pimples, boils, or cuts) should be addressed before training. Students with open wounds, even minor ones, must refrain from training unless the wound is properly disinfected and securely covered. Even small skin abnormalities can become sites for infection and may be contagious. If training with a bandage, ensure it is firmly secured to prevent it from coming off during training, which could increase infection risk.
Staphylococcus aureus, a common bacterial infection in the sport, is highly contagious. If you suspect a staph infection, consult your coach and seek medical attention for proper diagnosis and treatment. Maintaining a clean diet while on antibiotics will aid in recovery. To reduce the risk of staph, avoid training with open wounds and ensure they are kept clean until fully healed.
Additionally, if you are experiencing flu symptoms or feeling unwell, please stay home and refrain from training until fully recovered to prevent spreading illness to others. Remember the 4 R’s: Rest, Rehydrate, Recover and Return.
8. Know When it’s Time to Let Go
We all have our favourite gi or rash guard and those gloves that we have had forever. But like most items, your gear has a shelf life, both in wear and tear as well as smell. When your white gi is a constant shade of cream or grey no matter how many times you wash it or that amazing rashie always has a slightly ripe smell, I hate to tell you but it’s time to let it go and replace it. No need to panic though, we have the perfect replacement for your favourite gi, rashie or gloves. Go over to our shop to find that new favourite.
9. Smokers: Be Mindful
- If you smoke, please avoid doing so immediately before class.
- If you must smoke, we ask that you shower and brush your teeth before coming to train. This ensures a more pleasant experience for your training partners.
These hygiene practices are about creating a clean, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone. As a community, we share a responsibility to maintain the integrity and safety of our training space. By following these simple guidelines, we can ensure that QuanWessels Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu & Mixed Martial Arts Academy remains a place where all our students and coaches can train comfortably and confidently.