A laundry expert tasked with cleaning the clothes of legendary musicians has revealed how Slipknot‘s outfits proved to be his biggest ever challenge.

Hans-Jürgen Topf is the founder of Rock ’n’ Roll Laundry, a German firm that provides fresh laundry for touring artists across the globe. Since founding the firm in the 1980s, he’s been tasked with providing fresh clothes for the likes of Beyonce, U2, Elton John and Madonna.

Although Topf has developed a reputation for exceptionally clean clothes and fast turnarounds, he says that cleaning Slipknot’s on-stage outfits proved to be exceptionally tough. Unsurprisingly, it’s all down to their penchant for fake blood and excessive gore during their live shows.


“When he is on tour, Topf begins almost every day by washing the performers’ clothes, which usually have to be air-dried with a small fan,” a profile with Topf in the New York Times revealed.

“The most soiled garments he ever handled, he said, were coveralls worn by the metal band Slipknot that had been sprayed with beer, cream and fake blood, and left in garbage bags for three days.”

Since starting the business over 30 years ago, Topf says that there’s been a huge change in the items that might be commonly left behind in the pockets of a rock star.

Although Topf “used to find drugs in the clothes all the time”, he’s now far more likely “to find an herbal tea bag.”


He’ll no doubt have his hands full once more when Slipknot finally return later this year. Earlier this month, drummer Jay Weinberg uploaded a photo of a bloodied drum snare – and said the band were making their heaviest album to date.

Frontman Corey Taylor has also said that the new record will be “one of the darkest chapters in Slipknot’s history” and “a cross between the first album and Iowa,”.