On an AV set, there is a commercial cleaning agent that makes a costume or bedding instantly reusable between takes. Where a costume cannot be swapped, such as a school uniform or sailor uniform, a crew member sprays it on and wipes it off quickly. That set supply is called setto-zai.

Setto-zai (Japanese: 切除剤) is the industry nickname for the commercial cleaning agent used on AV sets to immediately remove bodily-fluid stains, semen from ejaculation, fluid from squirting, sweat, and makeup, from costumes and bedding. This entry covers its on-set use, its place in the industry, and its relation to hygiene management.

Overview

Setto-zai is a commercial product characterised by a spray or mist container, a compound surfactant formulation for protein, lipid, and pigment stains, and a quick-volatilising recipe that does not interfere with shooting. On an AV set, swapping a costume between every scene is hard given time and budget, special costumes such as sailor uniforms and school uniforms may have no spare, and props such as bedding and sofas are reused; setto-zai is established in the trade as the cleaning material that answers these conditions.

Etymology

The origin of the name is unclear. Suggested derivations are an agent that “cuts away” stains, and an industry slang turn on the word shimi (stain). In writing it is often rendered “stain remover,” and on set the nickname and the plain term are used in parallel.

On-set use

Typical use runs as follows: a shooting assistant or costume handler carries it at all times; it is applied immediately after ejaculation or bukkake scenes; the agent is sprayed on a specific part of the costume, left briefly, and wiped off; and where the stain will not lift, a spare costume is used or the take is redone. In longer shoots such as cuckold or first-person sex filming scenes, stains on bedding, sofas, and floors are also dealt with on the spot. Balancing hygiene with shooting efficiency is part of the crew’s work.

Place in the industry

Setto-zai is one of the behind-the-scenes set supplies that rarely surface in public view. Studios, production companies, and shooting studios order it in bulk as a consumable supplied by specialist vendors in commercial lots. Distribution outside the industry is limited, and household products are sometimes substituted, but on set the commercial product is preferred for its balance of speed, volatility, and gentleness on fabric.

Relation to hygiene management

Use of setto-zai forms part of the on-set hygiene regime. Since the AV protection law took effect, securing performer safety has been mandatory, and set operation including the hygiene of costumes and bedding is formally required. Pre- and post-shoot health checks, on-set disinfection and cleaning, and costume hygiene together form an operation that minimises the physical burden on performers, with setto-zai a standard basic supply within it.

See also

• AV shooting
• AV production company
• AV genre
• AV director
• Bukkake
• Creampie (nakadashi)
• AV protection law