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Hygiene for Kids

What you need to do before and after every class, and why it matters for everyone on the mats.

The Most Important Thing First

Section titled “The Most Important Thing First”

If your child has a contagious skin infection, they do not come to class. No warnings, no exceptions. This policy exists because skin infections spread fast in a grappling environment, and one infected student can affect the whole class in a matter of days.

GJJ cleans the mats. But mat cleaning alone doesn’t stop transmission once an infected person is actively training. You are the first line of defense.

Skin Infections

Section titled “Skin Infections”

The three infections to know about:

Ringworm is a fungal infection, not a worm. It shows up as a circular, red, scaly patch on the skin. It itches. It spreads through skin-to-skin contact and contact with infected surfaces. It’s very common in grappling environments and very treatable with antifungal cream, but your child must stay home while it’s active.

Staph (Staphylococcus) looks like a red bump, pimple, or boil, often with a white or yellow center. It can become serious if untreated. If you see something that looks infected and isn’t clearing up, see a doctor.

Impetigo is a bacterial skin infection that appears as red sores that rupture, ooze, and crust over. Most common around the nose and mouth, but can appear anywhere. Highly contagious.

What to do: Check your child’s skin after every class. Run your eyes over their arms, legs, neck, and torso. If something looks off, keep them home and get it checked before they return. If you’re unsure, call the gym. We’d rather you check in than have someone come in with an active infection.

If your child has a chronic skin condition like eczema or psoriasis, let a coach know. We’ll note that it’s not contagious and your child won’t be asked to sit out because of it.

GJJ’s policy mirrors the adult policy: training with a known contagious skin infection results in immediate removal from class. We don’t do warnings on this one.

Nail Trimming

Section titled “Nail Trimming”

Both fingernails and toenails must be trimmed and filed before class. This is not optional.

Long nails scratch training partners. Jagged nails catch during grappling and can tear, which hurts your child as much as their partner. If a coach spots long or sharp nails when your child arrives, they sit out until the nails are trimmed.

Make nail trimming part of your pre-class routine. Check the night before, or during the drive, or when you arrive. A nail trimmer in your gym bag solves the problem before it becomes one.

Fingernails and toenails both. Toenails get overlooked most often, and they’re a problem too.

Gear Washing

Section titled “Gear Washing”

Wash everything after every single class. No exceptions.

Grappling gear that sits unwashed in a bag overnight becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus. The same warmth and moisture that made your child sweat during class keeps working after they leave the gym. This is how gear starts to smell, and it’s also how skin infections spread: a kid puts on gear that has ringworm spores or staph bacteria from last week, and now it’s on their skin before class even starts.

The routine is simple:

  1. When you get home, gear comes out of the bag immediately.
  2. It goes in the wash that night or the next morning. Not later.
  3. Wash with a regular detergent. For extra protection against fungal infections, adding an oxygen bleach (like OxiClean) to the wash helps kill what regular detergent misses.
  4. Air dry or machine dry on low. High heat degrades elastic and compression fabric faster.

If gear smells even after washing, the bacteria are already embedded in the fabric. See the adult Hygiene Rules page for deeper guidance on washing routines and rescuing gear that has gone funky.

Before Class

Section titled “Before Class”

Clean child. Your child is going to be in very close physical contact with other kids for 35-50 minutes. Whatever is on their skin, their hands, and their feet is going on everyone else. No mud on their feet, no food on their clothes, no paint on their skin.

If your child came straight from soccer practice or yard work, they need a quick wash or at minimum a change of clothes and clean feet before class.

No jewelry. Remove all jewelry before arriving: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, rings, hair ties with metal clasps. This is a safety hazard for your child and their training partners. Check before you leave the house. See Your Child’s First Class for the full pre-class checklist.

After Class

Section titled “After Class”

Shower as soon as you can. This is the single best thing you can do to prevent skin infections. Regular soap is fine. If you want extra protection, washing with an anti-dandruff shampoo containing zinc pyrithione before soaping up kills the fungus responsible for ringworm.

Don’t let your child sit in sweaty gear. If they can’t shower right away, change them out of their training clothes and let the gear air out. A damp rash guard in a closed bag is exactly the environment skin infections thrive in.

GJJ keeps Defense wipes in the bathroom. If your child can’t shower immediately, they can use one to bridge the gap. They’re free and available after every class.

The Short Version

Section titled “The Short Version”
  • Check skin after every class. Stay home if anything looks infected.
  • Trim fingernails and toenails before class. Both.
  • Wash gear after every use. Not eventually: that night or the next morning.
  • Come to class clean. No mud, food, or paint.
  • Shower after class as soon as possible.

These habits protect your child, and they protect every other kid on the mats.

Resources

Section titled “Resources”