1. Use white vinegar for washing your dirty clothes.
Bacteria builds up on your clothing and even though you give your clothes a good wash in hot water, you’d be hard pressed to eradicate the smell that manifests during training.

Solution:
Along with your cup of detergent, add a cup of white vinegar. It’s cheap to purchase at your local grocery store. Vinegar does a great job at killing bacteria as well as deodorizing your grappling shorts, rashguards and gi’s.

 

 

 

2. Cut your fingernails and toenails.
Bacteria reside under the fingernails. When your training partner gets scratched by one of your nails, you are endangering them as that bacteria and germs weren’t meant to enter their body.

Solution:
Either have a pair of nail clippers handy or request your gym to carry nail clippers for their students to use.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Don’t wash velcro shorts with your rashguard.
Who likes spending hard earned money on the coolest rashguard, only to have the material ruined by the hooks of the velcro snagging the rashguard material?

Solution:
Wash your rashguards only with other rashguards or other non-velcro material clothing.

 

 

 

 

4. Use reusable or disposable plastic bags from Wal-mart to store your wet clothes after training.
During training you sweat, and a lot! Your sweaty training gear is going into your car trunk, gym bag, or back pack.
That’s an issue because that sweat and odor will transfer to anything it makes contact with. Ridding this next object of odor may prove difficult.

Solution:
Carry some disposable bags to store your wet and smelly gym clothes after training. Once home, toss that bag in the garbage.

 

 

5. Wear slippers, sandals, flip-flops, chanklas, when not on the mat.
In the gym, barefeet on anything other than the mats, are a no-no! You don’t want to grapple on the bathroom floor or the walkways. So why would you walk around barefoot, only to bring those germs on the mats?

Solution:
Slippers are cheap. 5 bucks usually. Get yourself a pair a slippers and treat the mat as a sacred place where no germs are allowed to enter.

 

 

 

 

6 Have some body wipes handy.
During the course of training, you will sweat, a ton.

Solution:
Have some Kennedy Industries or Defense soap body wipes on hand, to wipe off sweat, your feet, and any training equipment you will use or have used.

 

 

 

 

 

7. Blood on the mat needs cleaning. 
Scratches and bloody noses are inevitable in the gym. Blood should be addressed immediately.

Solution:
If blood gets on the mat, use a spray cleaner like Lysol All Purpose cleaner and some paper towels to clean the area or spots.
If you have an open wound, clean it and bandage it.

 

 

 

 

 

8 Take off any jewelry before training.
You could be the best at keeping yourself gym ready. But your training partners could be wearing jewelry that could be accidentally yanked out or could chip your tooth. That bites!

Solution:
Take necklaces, earrings, wedding rings, bracelets, etc. off before training. Train safely.

 

 

 

 

 

9. Wipe your feet before entering onto the mats.
When you first enter the mat, your feet will be dirty.

Solution:
Have some Kennedy Industries or Defense soap body wipes on hand to clean your feet before you start your training session.

 

 

 

10. Brush your teeth.

Yuckmouth. Smelly breath.

Solution:
Before you train, brush your teeth. You may not smell your lunch or your coffee, but others will. Worst case scenario, at least have a pack of gum or tic-tacs handy.