Care Guide: Muay Thai Shorts

Whether you train or just watch Muay Thai, you will probably recognize the gear that practitioners wear. Gloves, shin guards, hand/ankle wraps, and short shorts. 

Muay Thai shorts are a staple of the striking art.  Shorter than conventional shorts to allow for better hip mobility and high kicks, they are usually made from nylon or satin. Satin is preferred by most due to the material being both more comfortable and durable than nylon. For these benefits, satin Thai shorts usually come at a higher price than nylon shorts.

Like any piece of equipment or apparel, Muay Thai shorts need to be cleaned after they are worn to help prevent bacterial infections. So how should you clean your Thai shorts? 

Hand Washing

Washing your Thai shorts by hand can allow you to wear them a lot more before you have to replace them. When you hand wash the shorts, extra wear and tear caused by rubbing against other clothes in a laundry machine is eliminated. Less friction and abrasion means the material will take less of a beating in the wash, which is great news for you. In addition, washing by hand can ensure a more thorough cleaning, compared to a machine wash. 

The only potential downside is that this takes more effort and time than a machine wash

Washing machine

Compared to washing your shorts by hand, throwing them in the washing machine is much more simple and convenient. Both time and effort can be saved and used doing something else. While your shorts may encounter more friction rubbing against other clothes in the washing machine, there is a way to minimize this: putting your Thai shorts in a machine-washable laundry bag. 

Washable laundry bags are usually made out of a mesh material, with holes (in a netting design). This allows the contents of the bag to air out when not in the wash and still be cleaned when in the machine, all while reducing the amount of abrasion from other clothing in the wash.

Whichever method you choose, make sure to use soap/detergent or baking soda or vinegar (see links below for more information on laundry with baking soda or vinegar). DO NOT bleach the shorts - this will cause the colors to gradually fade away.

Drying

Air drying your shorts is the easiest and safest method. Hang them up, leave them in a ventilated area, and they will usually dry pretty quickly.

Putting them in a dryer may cause tearing of the material’s fibers over time, which will cause the durability of the shorts to gradually decline from that point forward. The integrity of the material’s structure will be compromised if the fibers start to tear, which can be seen if big tears or holes appear in the shorts. Machine drying your Thai shorts may also cause them to shrink, so go with the surest option - air drying.

Make sure to check any tags to see if there are any notes from the manufacturer, regarding laundry care and washing instructions.

https://www.thespruce.com/use-baking-soda-in-laundry-2145765 

https://www.thespruce.com/baking-soda-and-vinegar-for-laundry-7556401 

Thank you for reading - we hope this care guide for Muay Thai shorts was helpful!