How Do Astronauts Wash Their Clothes in Space? Here's the Answer

Jakarta – Life as an astronaut in space is full of challenges, they adapt to an environment where every action from eating to sleeping, takes on a new dimension. 

But, have you ever wondered how astronauts clean their clothes in space? you probably find the answer surprising. 

They wear their under clothes, and everything else until they cannot take the dirt and smell anyone. Then, they throw them away and they do not do laundry. 

NASA wants to change that - if not at the International Space Station (ISS), then the moon and Mars. This would mean the end to throwing away lots of dirty clothes every year. 

Up to now, they simply had to put them with other waste in old supply ships to burn up in the atmosphere. NASA is working with the US company, 

Procter & Gamble (P&G), to learn how best to clean astronauts' clothes in space. They could use the clothes for months or even years, just like on Earth, as reported from the VOA site. 

P&G announced Tuesday that it will send Tide detergent and dirt removal experiments to the space station later this year and next year. The battle against dirty and sweaty clothes in space has begun.

It is not a small problem, especially as the U.S. and other countries plan to establish bases on the moon and Mars.

Throwing clothes away is wasteful

NASA remarked that rocket storage space is small and costly. So, why waste it on new clothes if they could keep their old clothes looking and smelling fresh? An astronaut needs 68 kilograms of clothes in space per year. 

Mark Sivik is a chemist specializing in fabric and home care technology for P&G. The clothes would use a lot of storage space, especially on a three-year Mars mission, he said.