How to Wash a Hadatai

Wash a Hadatai soon after you wear it. Sweat, skin oil, makeup, and dirt bond to the fabric when they sit.

Use a gentle method. Skip chlorine bleach and fabric softener. Both can damage the suit.

The below checklist is the tldr, short version. The sections after it cover stain types, removers, washing, drying, and stains that remain in more detail.

Quick care checklist

• Wash your hadatai sooner rather than later if possible.
• Use a good, modern detergent meant for synthetic fabrics, ideally free of optical brighteners.
  • Tide Free and Gentle (Liquid Form) is probably the best option
• Deal with stains promptly, before washing pre-soak stained areas with a bit of detergent and let it sit for a bit.
  • Massaging the stain or using a gentle brush can usually help loosen the stain.
  • If the stain doesn't come out, consider using a stain remover, letting it sit as per the instructions, and washing it out prior to the main wash.
• Hand wash, or use a cold gentle machine cycle.
  • If machine washing, place each hadatai in its own mesh laundry bag.
• Wash separately from rough, dark, or heavily soiled garments.
• Never use chlorine bleach or fabric softener on a hadatai.
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Air dry away from strong heat and direct sunlight.

Want suggestions on what to use? Jump to detergent guidance or stain remover guidance.

Common Hadatai stains and how to target them

Stain removers are helpful, but often a good laundry detergent already has a rather optimized blend of compounds to help break down stains.
Before jumping straight into a stain remover, try soaking the stained area with a bit of detergent and let it sit for 30 minutes or so.
A bit of gentle agitation with a toothbrush or similar can also help loosen the stain.
Aggressive rubbing can roughen the surface, we just want to work it in not scrub the stain out.

If that didn't work, consider the following:

Most modern stain fighters use various enzymes and surfactants to break down specific types of stains. Enzymes usually target specific types of stains, so often you find a mix of multiple enzymes in a single product. Knowing what you're trying to target is key to solving the right type of problem.

For the purposes of most hadatai stains, we generally want a stain remover that contains Protease and Lipase enzymes, with other enzymes being a bonus to help with other types of stains. They aren't magic, but they can help with some stains in times of need.

Apply the product as directed. Gently work it into the fabric with gloved fingers or a soft brush like a dedicated spare toothbrush. Let sit as per instructions, rinse out of the fabric, and proceed with the main wash.

Sweat, skin oil, and dirt

Solution: Use a stain remover containing Protease and Lipase enzymes.

Common Hadatai stains include sweat and skin oils that hold dirt in the fabric, especially around the hands and feet.

Darkened soles caused by accumulated dirt, treating them promptly reduces the chance of a lasting stain.

A normal wash alone may not remove oily buildup without spot stain treatment, as the same properties that make sweat wicking fabric function also tend to hold onto sweat and oils. For more nerdy information, see this paper on stain removal from moisture-wicking fabric during home laundry.

Bodily fluids

Rinse with cold water and check the care label before treatment. Protein stains may respond to a protease-based product, but follow its directions and test for colorfastness.

Makeup stains

For oil-based makeup, a color-safe product containing lipase may help. Check the product directions and test first.

Food stains

Solution: Varies

Food stains contain different combinations of starch, protein, fat, and plant material:

• Starchy foods and sauces benefit from Amylase
• Protein based foods benefit from Protease
• Fat based foods benefit from Lipase
• Fruit stains benefit from Pectinase

You might not have access to the perfect enzyme for the job, but you can usually target at least one component to do better than nothing.

Stain Remover Recommendations

Availability and formulas vary by region, but some common options include:

• Puracy's Laundry Stain Remover

  • Contains Protease and Lipase enzymes, as well as Amylase, Pectinase and mannanase enzymes for various food stains.

• 365 by Whole Foods Market Stain Remover

  • Protease and Amylase. Also contains Lipase, Pectate Lyase, and Mannanase for food stains.

• Berkley Green Baby Fabric Stain Remover

  • Lipase and Protease, amylase and mannanase for food stains.

• Zout Triple Action

  • Contains Protease and Lipase, as well as Amylase enzymes.

• Lion brand "Top Nanox for collars and sleeves"

  • A concentrated Japanese stain remover marketed for collar and sleeve oils, availability outside Japan may be limited.

note

Know another well-documented option in your region? Please open an issue. The additional resources include another product list.

General-purpose options

These products may rely on protease, other enzymes, oxidizers, or surfactants rather than lipase. Check the current formula and choose for the stain you have.

• Tide OxiPro Stain Remover - Grease Stains

  • Lipase but no protease. Good for sebum based stains.

• OxiClean Max Force Spray and Max Gel

  • Formula includes protease, amylase, mannanase, surfactants, and oxidizing ingredients.

• Shout Active Enzyme "Triple-acting" stain remover

  • Formula uses protease and surfactants. "Triple-acting" is more a marketing term than any meaningful triple action.

• Carbona Bio-enzyme Stain Remover

  • Formula uses protease and surfactants.

Non-recommended options

Some products are unsuitable for Hadatai fabric or less targeted to common oil-based marks:

• Dove soap

  • Hand and beauty bars are formulated for skin, not laundry. They can leave conditioning ingredients or residue and are harder to rinse consistently than a textile stain product. They also just plain do not work great for hadatai stains.

• Liquid (chlorine) bleach

  • Can damage and discolor a Hadatai, avoid it.

• Oxygen bleach powders (ie oxycleanOxyclean, Resolve, oxi-type powders)

  • Good for oxidizable stains (grass, blood, coffee, fruit juice, antiperspirant, etc) but not much for most common hadatai stains. Notably many include optical brighteners which can cause shifts in color over time.

• Any "white revive" or "white boost" products

  • Optical brighteners, avoid. Pointless for hadatai, will cause shifts in color over time.

• Stain sheets or color catchers

  • These are intended to capture loose dye, not actually removing existing stains. Washing the Hadatai separately is more relevant here.

• Shout Advanced Grease Busting Foam

  • Solvent-based foam may affect dyes or finishes. Avoid.

Most stain removers you can usually google "product + ingredients" to find out what they contain. If they're ambiguous, its probably a mediocre formulation.

Washing

Detergents

Hadatai owing to being synthetic blends are not as sensitive to detergents as some fabrics, but that doesn't mean you should throw it in with other clothes.

The ideal detergent is one that works well on synthetics and doesn't contain optical brighteners.
Tide Free and Gentle in Liquid Form, also called "Hygienic Clean" in some regions is probably the best option for most people. It's highly available, formulated very well for synthetics, doesn't contain optical brighteners, allegedly hypoallergenic, and isn't overpowering with fragrance.

At risk of sounding like a tide shill, their formulations do tend to lead in comparisons by the likes of The Wirecutter's, Consumer Reports', and Project Farm's among others.

Some alternative suggestions from other brands in no particular order are:

• ECOS Hypoallergenic Laundry Detergent with Enzymes
• Puracy Laundry Detergent
• The Unscented Company Plastic-Free Laundry Detergent Pacs
• EcoMax Heavy Duty and Sports formulae
• Mrs Meyers Clean Day Detergent
• Wishing Well Laundry Detergent
• Koala Eco Laundry Wash
• Aldi's Tandil Premium Free & Clear
• Purex Free & Clear

Woolite is sometimes a popular recommendation in kig circles, but is not recommended. As the name suggests, its formulated for wool fabrics, not designed for dealing with synthetic fabrics like what Hadatai are made of. Woolite wont damage hadatai, it just wont be nearly as effective at cleaning them. It is free of optical brighteners at the very least.

Detergents to Skip

Due to optical brighteners (OBAs), skip:

• Tide powder versions, owing to the optical brighteners they contain
• Gain powder detergents, for similar reasons
• Just about any "whitening" or "brightening" products

Hand Washing

Hand washing gives you direct control over agitation and is a conservative choice for delicate construction.

Use only a bit of detergent in cold water, rinse until the water is clear, and do not wring or stretch it. To remove excess water, lay it flat on a clean towel and roll the towel gently.

Machine Washing

Use a cold gentle cycle and the detergent's dosage for a small, lightly soiled load. Put each Hadatai in its own mesh laundry bag to reduce snagging and twisting.

Avoid washing with other dirty clothes or items. With another hadatai or shapewear is usually fine, but be mindful of the potential for dyes or stains to transfer form one item to another.

Rinsing Suggestions

An extra water-only rinse can help when detergent remains in the fabric.

"Rinse aid" products like "Tide Clean Boost" or "P&G Rinse and Refresh" can help improve the rinsing process even further.

They are not fabric softeners, but essentially citric acid based products that help remove any remaining detergent from the fabric.

You also can technically make your own easily by mixing citric acid with water. Google "citric acid laundry rinsing" if you want to try it out and save money while getting better laundry results, or to learn more about why any of this is a thing.

Drying

warning

Leave the Hadatai to air dry. Do not put it in a clothes dryer. If you absolutely need to use a dryer, use the lowest possible heat setting to avoid damaging the fabric and avoid using any dryer sheets or similar products.

Dry the Hadatai with good air circulation and support its weight so the wet fabric does not stretch. A drying rack is preferable to a narrow hanger.

To speed drying after hand washing, briefly roll it in a clean towel to absorb water. Do not wring or twist it.

Post Wash Care and other tips

Depilling

Pilling may develop at high-friction areas such as hands, feet, and joints. A fabric depiller can help reduce them.

Avoid velcro-type fasteners, they are a hadatai's worst enemy.

The case for multiple Hadatai

Some performers keep separate Hadatai for active convention wear and controlled photoshoots. Basically having a hadatai set aside for their most pristine, controlled photo shoots, and at least one other for cons or any shoots in the outdoors.
Having multiple for cons can be useful too if you are hoping to kig multiple days in a row, although hand washing and drying is always an option to keep odours at bay.

Also worth keeping in mind, if your hadatai does get damaged, having a backup avoids having to put kigging on hold until you can get a replacement, although that might be a bit obvious.

When stains remain

If theres stains that just wont come out, all feels hopeless, and you're ready to throw it away theres one last resort that might be worth a try.

An intensive treatment can be done using a combination of Lipase, Oxygen Bleach, Ammonia, and Detergent products over several hours to try to strip all that you can. This is more of a last resort than a regular cleaning method, but it might be worth a try if you've exhausted all other options.

Additional Resources