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Watching The Force Awakens again, there is a scene where Finn is shown in a close-up. His Stormtrooper uniform is all bloodied and dirty:

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Then when he is rescuing Poe, his uniform is imaculate:

enter image description here

Being that Stormtroopers always seem to have immaculately cleaned uniforms, how are they cleaned and by whom? Are they just issued with new gear for each assignment?

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  • 5
    Autowash.... I now have an image of a rolling car wash. Stormtroopers step in, move through water jets, moving sponges, buffers, giant pipe blow dry, the works.
    – Radhil
    Apr 29, 2017 at 13:35
  • 1
    @Radhil, at Captain Phasma's ordersthen! LOL.
    – KyloRen
    Apr 29, 2017 at 13:36
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    By Sanitation. :-)
    – Essen
    Apr 29, 2017 at 16:19
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    Very well, thank you.
    – einpoklum
    Apr 29, 2017 at 17:47
  • I felt that my answer to this one was pretty comprehensive. Is there anything else you'd want me to address before considering an acceptance?
    – Valorum
    Oct 1, 2017 at 20:54

2 Answers 2

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The implication is that Stormtroopers are responsible for the superficial cleaning of their own gear. They certainly clean their own weapons, at least within their barracks, with teams of 'techs' taking care of any actual equipment malfunctions.

Finn knew the layout of the dark flood tunnels like he knew how to clean his rifle. He could travel through the maze with a blast shield over his eyes and still get where he wanted to be.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - Official Junior Novelisation

It's noted in the 'Official Star Wars Fact Files' that the armor itself is incredibly durable and more than capable of lasting for the lifetime of the soldier. Maintenance shouldn't be much more than simply wiping it clean with a damp and dry rag

"Combined with a helmet, this armour could be made airtight, providing limited protection in a vacuum. It was also durable enough to last for generations.

enter image description here

Star Wars Fact File:Vol.2, #13


Within the EU, we see clone soldiers cleaning their armour between missions.

Fi glanced into some of the rooms to check who might be awake and willing to chat, but the Delta boys were all out cold, not even snoring. Niner and Corr slumped in chairs in one of the alcoves with a plate of half-eaten cookies sitting on the small table between them. Darman was stretched out on his bed in the room he shared with Fi, apparently none the worse for his ordeal, and Ordo was curled up in the next room with a blanket pulled over his head. Odd: he always seemed to do that, as if he wanted total darkness.

There was no sign of Jusik or Etain. Farther along the passage, Fi struck lucky. Atin was sitting in the chair in his room, cleaning his armor.

Republic Commando: Triple Zero

and

“Not since yesterday.” Niner cleaned his armor. It didn’t matter how visible they were now, and he hated scruffy rig. Darman had stripped down his Deece and was wiping the ignition chamber more than it needed it. Fi wandered around the temporary camp, cradling his rifle, keeping watch.

Republic Commando: Hard Contact

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  • I knew you would find something for me. I could not find jack when I searched the web. Thanks again , UV!!
    – KyloRen
    Apr 29, 2017 at 14:28
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    Would point out that most soldier know how to clean and maintain their weapons, that is vital in the field to keep them working. It doesn't necessarily mean they do their own laundry. Apr 29, 2017 at 19:46
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    "More than capable of lasting for the lifetime of the soldier," especially since your average stormtroopers don't live very long ;-)
    – ThruGog
    Apr 30, 2017 at 2:34
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    @KyloRen "UV"? "Uncle Val"? May 1, 2017 at 16:31
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Note that Finn and his buddies are rookies and that it was Finn's first combat op. Most likely the other stormtroopers didn't see much action either, therefore their armor is brand new and clean.

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars we can see that their predecessors, who've spent a considerable amount of time in the field do indeed have worn and scratched armor.

enter image description here

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  • This isn't really related to how it gets cleaned, though.
    – Mikasa
    May 1, 2017 at 23:30

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