Cleanliness in Martial arts, boxing, wrestling clubs

gabgab

Hey everyone,

I am wondering if you could help me out. I am wondering what way people that run or are involved in clubs work on keeping the place hygienic and smelling clean?

Its a problem I have seen in a club where the mats seem to be holding a smell. What do people use to clean the mats?
How often do you clean them?

Any tips or tricks??

Jason Mc

we brush and mop the matts at least once a week

arybvtcw0eolkf

I'm just finished a night shift & hitting the sack so excuse the quick reply.

First and foremost should be absolute awareness of personal hygene and respect for the equipment people are about to use and the partners they're going to train with, some clubs are excellent with this but unfortunetly most in my experience fail miserably.

An example recently, during this hot spell the lads were complaining in one club where I train.

One guy was bitching at the end that he's only washed his Gi THREE WEEKS AGO!.. :eek: (and fun enough I had rolled with him the night before and was tapping out do to his BO and not his sub's!).

So you can have the cleanest equipment on the planet but it'll all fail if people are allowed train manky.

Other than that little rant..

Regularly wipe down with good mild disinfectant's, and immediately wipe clean/disinfect blood spills and treat blood injuries before coming back onto the mat.

When I was kickboxing I used fabreeze in my gloves to keep them smelling fresh and always washed my hand wraps after each session, but thats just a personal preference of mine.

But really, cleanliness should start with the club members.

.

YamaMotoYama

There is a great podcast for BJJ called the FightworksPodcast.com - they do lots of segments on this. Its crazy the amount of people that get infections etc from just training with people who skimp on Persil!

arybvtcw0eolkf

YamaMotoYama wrote: »

There is a great podcast for BJJ called the FightworksPodcast.com - they do lots of segments on this. Its crazy the amount of people that get infections etc from just training with people who skimp on Persil!

There's an excellent particular posted here and in the SD&MA forum (Wayne1 and myself posted it separately) on a particularly nasty infection doing the rounds in Japan and the USA - I've tried looking for it here and my forum and can't find it.

On judoforum.com there's also a few very informative threads on cleanliness and infections.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Here's one particular on an infection doing the rounds in Japan.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6072282.ece

gabgab

Thanks so much for the replies lads,

What would you think about a club having a board or poster up with the following:

They would be seperate posters, but would it be a good idea? I have only recently had my eyes opened up to Martial arts and think they are wonderful but I have very littl knowledge,

Top 5 things not to do during a MMA class

• Grab peoples clothes
• Grab someones head
• Be surprised when you get tapped like a type writer :D

This is what you will feel like during a class and afterwards:
Nervous: perfectly acceptable and to be expected. Its not ballroom dancing but rest assured that we have no ego's and nobody is going to specifically try and hurt you. If this does happen, talk to me about it

(dont know much more here)
Cleanliness and what we expect from you:

• Extremely short finger and toenails
• Spotlessly clean training gear
• Turning up to train in gear that you have rolled in the night before and then sat in your bag is unhygienic and will not be tolerated

gabgab

Opal Zealous Mesquite wrote: »

Here's one particular on an infection doing the rounds in Japan.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6072282.ece

Scary stuff, I will have a look at the judoforum.com

YamaMotoYama

Staph Infections is the biggy going around -
http://www.medicinenet.com/staph_infection/article.htm

Nasty!

Hephaestus

Opal Zealous Mesquite wrote: »

One guy was bitching at the end that he's only washed his Gi THREE WEEKS AGO!.. :eek: (and fun enough I had rolled with him the night before and was tapping out do to his BO and not his sub's!)

There's a dirty little fooper in my club just like him.
He stinks so bad that I do everything possible to avoid rolling with him.


On another note, are anti-bacterial shower gels of any use in avoiding potential infections + any recommendations of any particular brands?

muckwarrior

Opal Zealous Mesquite wrote: »

When I was kickboxing I used fabreeze in my gloves to keep them smelling fresh

Does that actually work? My gloves stink and I'm not sure it'd be a good idea to wash them. Was thinkin about getting some of that anti bacterial shoe stuff to spray in them. Anyone any recommendations?

roo1981

Hephaestus wrote: »

On another note, are anti-bacterial shower gels of any use in avoiding potential infections + any recommendations of any particular brands?

Tea Tree oil works wonders from what I hear, not sure how easy it is to pick up over here though...Id imagine if most chemists would have it...

Roper

I'm not sure where I heard it but I'm fairly sure that the vast majority of mat infections are not picked up on the mat, but are in fact carried on the clothing.

I suppose if you think about it it might make sense. Staph flourishes in moisture, the mats dry out between uses, but sweaty gear left in a bag remains damp. I have no problem telling someone that their Gi mings or that their rashguard is fit for the washing machine or the bin.

Raze_them_all

roo1981 wrote: »

Tea Tree oil works wonders from what I hear, not sure how easy it is to pick up over here though...Id imagine if most chemists would have it...

Tea tree oil is faily easy to pick up, It's more used for treating wounds and keeping them clean, alot of people with body piercings use it

arybvtcw0eolkf

Roper wrote: »

I'm not sure where I heard it but I'm fairly sure that the vast majority of mat infections are not picked up on the mat, but are in fact carried on the clothing.

I suppose if you think about it it might make sense. Staph flourishes in moisture, the mats dry out between uses, but sweaty gear left in a bag remains damp. .

I've read the same thing, and that brings me back to my original point about personal hygene being an absolute.

At risk of sounding like I'm plugging Judo there is some excellent reading on Gi hygene on judoforum.com

I'm sure we all know a few muck birds training around/with us <yuke> :mad:

.

arybvtcw0eolkf

muckwarrior wrote: »

Does that actually work? My gloves stink and I'm not sure it'd be a good idea to wash them. Was thinkin about getting some of that anti bacterial shoe stuff to spray in them. Anyone any recommendations?

Its worked for me, however I never let my gloves get to the stage where they're stinking so I couldn't honestly say.

If I was to hazard a guess I'd say you might just about mask it, however contrary to what some people believe sweat doesn't smell!. Its the bacteria & cloth when mixed with smell which sweats.

Maybe its time for a new pair!.

(Sorry for not using multi-quotes).

NilByMouth

Opal Zealous Mesquite wrote: »

Here's one particular on an infection doing the rounds in Japan.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6072282.ece

:eek:thats nasty

muckwarrior

Opal Zealous Mesquite wrote: »

Its the bacteria & cloth when mixed with smell which sweats.

That's why I was thinking something anti-bacterial would be best.

Opal Zealous Mesquite wrote: »

Maybe its time for a new pair!.

Probably is tbh, but I don't want the same thing happening to a new pair.

Derek Coleman

January this year I got a Staph (MRSA) Infection in the side of my head under my hair. Hospital for a week and out of work and training for 3 months due to all sorts of side affects from Anti Biotics.

Anyway.... I got it from the velcro on gloves scratching my head while I was in the clinch and the gloves must have been carrying the virus. I think Staph can live on a surface for months. Its a tough little fecker.

Even if You are the cleanest of clean people you can still catch anything anywhere off anyone. It can transfer from mats to gloves.

Roper

What he just said. Everyone should wear some tube bandage over their velcro. I neglect it a lot but it should be done. I once got a scratch on my eyeball!

Dyr

Hephaestus wrote: »

There's a dirty little fooper in my club just like him.
He stinks so bad that I do everything possible to avoid rolling with him.

I've seen one fella who reeks so bad that I've sprayed deodorant at him everytime he was within six feet of me, the smell even lingers when he leaves..:eek:

My gloves stink and I'm not sure it'd be a good idea to wash them. Was thinkin about getting some of that anti bacterial shoe stuff to spray in them.

I've the same problem with knee supports, the ones I'm wearing have metal insert yokes so I can't chuck em in the washing machine and if i hand wash them they never dry in time. I leave them out in the open air to dry them out and dose them in scholl foot powder. I hand wash 'em if I take a week off training. Should probably invest in a second pair but they're pricey.

Derek Coleman

Roper wrote: »

What he just said. Everyone should wear some tube bandage over their velcro. I neglect it a lot but it should be done. I once got a scratch on my eyeball!

That made me squint! That sounds fookin sore. I think Velcro on gloves is an under rated annoyance of this sport. ha. I do be scratched to bits after some good training sessions.

I'm a hygiene freak but if I allowed myself to think about the stuff I come in contact with from other people then I'd never touch anyone. I would almost sum up my view on hygiene as "A gym is as clean as its memebers."

pablohoney87

I picked up an infection rolling in a gym while i had a mat burn just after christmas. The doctor just told me to put fucidin on it and it cleared up. Left with a bitto scar.