# So how does Superman clean his supersuit? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 16, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389 "2008-12-16T13:33:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/1 "2008-12-16T13:33:51Z")
Inspired by the beginning of last night’s _Big Bang_ ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/2 "2008-12-16T13:35:13Z")
In the sink with cold water and Wool-lite. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/3 "2008-12-16T13:48:05Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Inspired by the beginning of last night’s _Big Bang_ Well then you already know the answer. Superman can’t get his supersuit dirty, but if he does he takes it to a dry cleaner on Kandor. Sounds perfectly logical to me. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/4 "2008-12-16T13:59:42Z")
In the Silver Age, it didn’t get dirty, since it was kryptonian fabric (from his baby blankets). It was as invulnerable as he was, so dirt didn’t soak in. On occasion, he used his heat vision to burn off stains that stuck to it (invulnerable fabric, remember?). ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/5 "2008-12-16T14:06:38Z")
I would think a quick superspeed trip would either burn off or drop off any non-supersuit items. No need, just a super vibration would do it. In later supes versions the fabric is just fabric and the reason it is skin tight is a small aura from his body protects it. Somtimes it is destroyed, especially the cape, and he gets another. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/6 "2008-12-16T14:28:29Z")
Yeah, I hear those capes can be tricky. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/7 "2008-12-16T14:57:07Z")
I swear I remember him flying through the sun or something to clean his (indestructable) supersuit at some point. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/8 "2008-12-16T20:52:48Z")
In the mid-80s reincarnation of the Superman series, Martha Kent designs the Superman suit to be close fitting as she found when he was young that clothes right against his body did not get dirty. She speculated that he emitted some sort of energy field that kept the clothing clean, and resistant to damage. His cape, however, often needed repairs & cleaning. From “[The Death and Life of Superman](http://www.amazon.com/Death-Life-Superman-Roger-Stern/dp/055309582X)” novel by Roger Stern 1993, Bantam Publishing page 16: > [@](#): > > Martha had stitched up his first costume on her old sewing machine. > “I made the fit nice and snug,” she explained. “When you were a boy - just about twelve, I think – I started noticing that cloth right up close against you never seemed to tear or get dirty. Besides, it shows off your muscles.” (I happen to be just finishing the book, a novelization of a few of the comics in 92-93 during the Doomsday fight, and subiquent “death” of Superman, and was able to find the passage quickly) ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/9 "2008-12-16T21:03:09Z")
> [@shy\_guy](#): > > I swear I remember him flying through the sun or something to clean his (indestructable) supersuit at some point. In Elliot Maggin’s novel _Miracle Monday_, after spending an afternoon in his Fortress studying an extraterrestrial disease that causes normal human flesh to crystallize into salt, Superman takes a quick detour into the Sun to burn off any viral spores before returning to Metropolis. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/10 "2008-12-16T21:19:52Z")
My Silver Age recollections are that, when returning to Earth from a space mission, Martha’s little boy generally flew through the sun to make sure he didn’t bring back any extraterrestrial contaminants. An added benefit of this was that it really intimidated the rest of the Superfriends. 😉 Sadly, his similarly omnipotent buddy Vartox was not as careful. [QUOTE=Terrifel] [QUOTE=shy guy] I swear I remember him flying through the sun or something to clean his (indestructable) supersuit at some point. [/QUOTE] In Elliot Maggin’s novel Miracle Monday, after spending an afternoon in his Fortress studying an extraterrestrial disease that causes normal human flesh to crystallize into salt, Superman takes a quick detour into the Sun to burn off any viral spores before returning to Metropolis. [/QUOTE] Nitpick: That would have been in Superman: Last Son of Krypton. I am so certain because (a) I’ve only ever managed to get my hand on one of Maggin’s Superman’s novels–LSoK–and I remember that scene; and (b) I am an incredible geek. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/11 "2008-12-16T21:28:18Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Nitpick: That would have been in Superman: Last Son of Krypton. I am so certain because (a) I’ve only ever managed to get my hand on one of Maggin’s Superman’s novels–LSoK–and I remember that scene; and (b) I am an incredible geek. Oh yeah? Well if you’re such an incredible geek, then why didn’t you respond before me? What were you doing NOT answering questions about how Superman cleanses himself of Biblical disease? ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/12 "2008-12-16T21:30:54Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Nitpick: That would have been in Superman: Last Son of Krypton. I am so certain because (a) I’ve only ever managed to get my hand on one of Maggin’s Superman’s novels–LSoK–and I remember that scene; and (b) I am an incredible geek. I think you may be right. I have a copy of _Miracle Monday_ (who knows how it ended up in my childhood home since we weren’t large enough fans of the movies to want the associated novels), and I don’t recall that scene. But, it does teach us that psychics, like diabetics, may be revived by a refreshing glass of orange juice. Educational stuff, these Superman novels. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/13 "2008-12-16T21:32:06Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Oh yeah? Well if you’re such an incredible geek, then why didn’t you respond before me? What were you doing NOT answering questions about how Superman cleanses himself of Biblical disease? You saw the thread before I did, obviously. I’m not an OMNIPOTENT geek. Otherwise _Firefly_ would still be on the air, and James Marsters would be playing Spike in it, and Kaylee, Inara, & Mal would be in a three-way relationship. It saddens me that you did not respond to my Vartox crack, by the way. I’m actually crying. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/14 "2008-12-16T21:36:31Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You saw the thread before I did, obviously. I’m not an OMNIPOTENT geek. Otherwise _Firefly_ would still be on the air, and James Marsters would be playing Spike in it, and Kaylee, Inara, & Mal would be in a three-way relationship. > > It saddens me that you did not respond to my Vartox crack, by the way. I’m actually crying. 😃 I’m sorry. I have to admit, the Vartox reference flew over my head. What disease did he have? ---
**Author:** ![Apocalypso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Apocalypso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apocalypso)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/15 "2008-12-17T02:19:38Z")
Stolen from a MAD magazine Superman III send up, paraphrased from memory: What kind of razor does the Man of Steel use to shave? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/16 "2008-12-17T02:48:01Z")
[Super Soap.](http://www.supersoap.com/) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/17 "2008-12-17T05:24:02Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#): > > Stolen from a MAD magazine Superman III send up, paraphrased from memory: > > What kind of razor does the Man of Steel use to shave? I’ve seen him burn his beard off by bouncing his heat vision off a mirror. Of course, he could also pop off down to Kandor and find a barber. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/18 "2008-12-17T18:43:17Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > I’m sorry. I have to admit, the Vartox reference flew over my head. > > What disease did he have? It wasn’t a disease, actually. But in the first Vartox story I ever read, the Andromeda Galaxy’s answer to Superman was returning to his homeword and, unbeknownst to himself, was carrying some odd rocks that swiftly caused the entire planet to go kablooie. I can’t imagine Mrs. Kent’s boy ever doing that, as planets going boom was not a theoretical possibility to him, and he was at times obsessed with keeping Earth hale & hearty. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/19 "2008-12-17T20:22:22Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > It wasn’t a disease, actually. But in the first Vartox story I ever read, the Andromeda Galaxy’s answer to Superman was returning to his homeword and, unbeknownst to himself, was carrying some odd rocks that swiftly caused the entire planet to go kablooie. I can’t imagine Mrs. Kent’s boy ever doing that, as planets going boom was not a theoretical possibility to him, and he was at times obsessed with keeping Earth hale & hearty. In that story, he’s accidentally brought the same rocks to Earth but our kablooie was slower in coming because the oxygen concentration in our atmosphere is about a third that of Vart’s former home. He and Supes save the day. ---
**Author:** ![Rattlehead02](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rattlehead02/32/3944_2.png) [@Rattlehead02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rattlehead02)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2008, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389/20 "2008-12-17T20:40:17Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > You saw the thread before I did, obviously. I’m not an OMNIPOTENT geek. Otherwise _Firefly_ would still be on the air, and James Marsters would be playing Spike in it, and Kaylee, Inara, & **River** would be in a three-way relationship. > > It saddens me that you did not respond to my Vartox crack, by the way. I’m actually crying. 😃 Fixed it for you. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-does-superman-clean-his-supersuit/477389.md?page=2)