How to manage dirty clothes in space?

[RainDreamer]

 

So I just watched the video below:

It is said that on the ISS, dirty clothes are considered trash, because they don't wash them. Instead those are packed with other types of trash and will be disposed like trash. I understand that wasting water for washing clothes is not desirable, and the facilities that will be needed to wash clothes in microgravity isn't easy to make either. But in long term mission like going to mars, if we can't recycle even our clothes, then the amount of spare clothes can be needless mass.

So perhaps we can design some form of self-cleaning clothes, or clothes that are extremely easy to clean without the need of water? There is also the possibility of just, well, being naked for the whole mission and skip this whole clothing business, though I wonder if we will get down to it.

[KSP Bro AE]

The shirt could be made of nylon, and the parts that would need to be washed (armpits and all of the outside) could be covered with something like cellophane wrap. The dirt could be wiped right off.

[Temstar]

Yes, NASA thought the same thing so they commissioned a company to build them a prototype space washing machine for the ISS:

http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/spaceflight/life-in-orbit/dirty-clothes-nasa-plans-introduce-washing-machine-space/

[kerbiloid]

Just keep the cabin temparature +35°C and no more clothes problem: only a shower and a water cleaner (which is anyway onboard).

[Temstar]

3 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

Just keep the cabin temparature +35°C and no more clothes problem: only a shower and a water cleaner (which is anyway onboard).

Wait, are you suggesting they should aim to not wear clothes at all in space?

[kerbiloid]

15 minutes ago, Temstar said:

Wait, are you suggesting they should aim to not wear clothes at all in space?

[vger]

A nudist space craft is an option, but then you're going to have to spend more energy to keep the ship warm, so do you really save anything?

 I vaguely remember something about a way to get dirt off of certain types of fabric using nothing but high frequency vibrations.

If the material were engineered right, static might be another option.

[kerbiloid]

Usually the problem is how to cool the ship, not how to keep it warm.

Btw: and of course, magnetic slippers.

Edited February 8, 2016 by kerbiloid

[StarStreak2109]

Well I guess a "standard" washing machine as we have down here is out of the question. I'd say a clever combination of some high-tech fabric being dirt-repellant and some clever device, which can clean this fabric with the least possible amount of water should be required. Then recycle the used water by removing dirt and detergent and use it again...

Shame I'm no engineer and tinkerer, this might be a worthwhile project...

[kerbiloid]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvTkefJHfC0

[sevenperforce]

Hey, we DO need a way to make space seem sexier to the general public...

[Spaceception]

Instead of designing washing machines that operate in microgravity (And everything else that would be much harder in microgravity, like toilets), how about we just put a centrifuge in there? Over time it'd be cheaper, and the Astronauts would actually be able to WALK when they get back onto Earth, instead of being carried out like babies.

[HebaruSan]

I tend to see the ISS's (lack of) self-sufficiency as a measure of how close we are to being able to set up any kind of permanent off-world colony. Adding more specialized modules over time to meet the needs currently handled by launches from ground is such an obvious and practical path, since you can enumerate what those needs are (anything that goes in the supply or trash vehicles), rank them by difficulty, focus on one at a time, test on ground first, and test in a well-understood orbital environment starting a few hours after launch.

A space-laundromat is one obvious next step to figure out. So is some kind of greenhouse/kitchen. Power, basic life support, and heat seem to be mostly worked out at this point (which is not to say "easy"). What other big gaps are there currently?

[fredinno]

 

8 hours ago, Spaceception said:

Instead of designing washing machines that operate in microgravity (And everything else that would be much harder in microgravity, like toilets), how about we just put a centrifuge in there? Over time it'd be cheaper, and the Astronauts would actually be able to WALK when they get back onto Earth, instead of being carried out like babies.

A centrifuge is more expensive.

7 hours ago, HebaruSan said:

I tend to see the ISS's (lack of) self-sufficiency as a measure of how close we are to being able to set up any kind of permanent off-world colony. Adding more specialized modules over time to meet the needs currently handled by launches from ground is such an obvious and practical path, since you can enumerate what those needs are (anything that goes in the supply or trash vehicles), rank them by difficulty, focus on one at a time, test on ground first, and test in a well-understood orbital environment starting a few hours after launch.

A space-laundromat is one obvious next step to figure out. So is some kind of greenhouse/kitchen. Power, basic life support, and heat seem to be mostly worked out at this point (which is not to say "easy"). What other big gaps are there currently?

That's what the HAB module, now cancelled, was for. Now that the ISS is finished, I doubt many more new modules will be attached.

[GoSlash27]

You could expose the trash to vacuum, which would freeze-dry it and kill all the microbes. I bet that would be a fine way to wash clothes in space.

Best,
-Slashy

[p1t1o]

On 2/8/2016 at 5:56 AM, KSP Bros said:

The shirt could be made of nylon, and the parts that would need to be washed (armpits and all of the outside) could be covered with something like cellophane wrap. The dirt could be wiped right off.

Oh god that sounds awful! Welcome to sweaty hell.

Edited February 9, 2016 by p1t1o

[Tex_NL]

9 hours ago, GoSlash27 said:

You could expose the trash to vacuum, which would freeze-dry it and kill all the microbes. I bet that would be a fine way to wash clothes in space.

Best,
-Slashy

Inventive 'solution' but there are a few issues that will remain. (pun intended)
Many microbes can survive vacuum or extreme cold. Especially when they are only exposed for a limited time.
Freeze-drying might get rid of liquid contaminants but what about the non-liquids? Salts and other solubles will remain.

For long duration missions you would eventually want some sort of artificial gravity like a centrifuge. It makes life for the crew a lot easier and will prevent muscle and bone loss. A lightweight stock washing machine will be just as mandatory as a shower and a toilet bowl.

[p1t1o]

Paper scrubs.

Used clothes are put into a digester which reduces the clothes to a slurry.

Slurry is filtered/treated/sterilised/centrifuged to separate solids, aqueous and/or oily waste. 

Fresh water is reclaimed from aqueous waste and remaining solids/oily waste - harvested for useful materials? Eg: Fertiliser for plant growth, or salt, an important dietary supplement.

Paper fibres are washed and treated and re-formed into fresh clothes.

 

Non-expendable clothing will eventually wear out requiring storage of a supply of replacements (possibly problematic if we are talking several years worth).

Also slurry can be used to make other things, such as curtains, blankets, spill-containment, and probably other, more imaginative things.

 

[radonek]

11 hours ago, GoSlash27 said:

You could expose the trash to vacuum, which would freeze-dry it and kill all the microbes. I bet that would be a fine way to wash clothes in space.

So, should I give my laundry long ride in dryer, then put it in moistureproof wrapping and into freezer? Chmmm… Also, you lose water instead of reclaiming it.

2 hours ago, p1t1o said:

Paper scrubs.

Used clothes are put into a digester which reduces the clothes to a slurry.

Slurry is filtered/treated/sterilised/centrifuged to separate solids, aqueous and/or oily waste. 

Fresh water is reclaimed from aqueous waste and remaining solids/oily waste - harvested for useful materials? Eg: Fertiliser for plant growth, or salt, an important dietary supplement.

Paper fibres are washed and treated and re-formed into fresh clothes.

 

Non-expendable clothing will eventually wear out requiring storage of a supply of replacements (possibly problematic if we are talking several years worth).

Also slurry can be used to make other things, such as curtains, blankets, spill-containment, and probably other, more imaginative things.

I think you want to see this: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/11/the-next-revolution-will-not-b.html

[p1t1o]

1 hour ago, radonek said:

I think you want to see this: http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2013/11/the-next-revolution-will-not-b.html

I was thinking a more quick-and-dirty, bulk-chemical process (read: cheap, robust and easy to fix) for space applications, but that surely is an imaginative use for 3d printing. There are some cool advances being made towards the printing of biological substrates as well (Think organ printing).

[Frybert]

15 hours ago, GoSlash27 said:

You could expose the trash to vacuum, which would freeze-dry it and kill all the microbes. I bet that would be a fine way to wash clothes in space.

Best,
-Slashy

 

[radonek]

1 hour ago, p1t1o said:

I was thinking a more quick-and-dirty, bulk-chemical process (read: cheap, robust and easy to fix) for space applications, but that surely is an imaginative use for 3d printing.

Sure, references article is aimed at different usage. But I meant to combine it - take a measure-print-use-discard scenario as Charlie had it, but use reclaimable material and run it through cleaning process like you proposed. I guess it  is too complicated cycle for simple moon or Mars mission anyway, but would be nice for larger self sufficient base. IMO biggest hurdle (and it applies to your paper slurry idea too) is that material should not be flammable and reclaiming cycle should not utilize hazardous chemicals.

[Darnok]

How about use underwear only?

Also Stargate wins again

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/stargate/images/8/80/Thor_0014_ss.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140225141646

because it is easier to clone your body than invent self cleaning clothes

[fredinno]

9 hours ago, p1t1o said:

Paper scrubs.

Used clothes are put into a digester which reduces the clothes to a slurry.

Slurry is filtered/treated/sterilised/centrifuged to separate solids, aqueous and/or oily waste. 

Fresh water is reclaimed from aqueous waste and remaining solids/oily waste - harvested for useful materials? Eg: Fertiliser for plant growth, or salt, an important dietary supplement.

Paper fibres are washed and treated and re-formed into fresh clothes.

 

Non-expendable clothing will eventually wear out requiring storage of a supply of replacements (possibly problematic if we are talking several years worth).

Also slurry can be used to make other things, such as curtains, blankets, spill-containment, and probably other, more imaginative things.

 

I don't anticipate this until at least a few decades and significantly more research into being self-sufficient in space.

2 hours ago, Darnok said:

How about use underwear only?

Also Stargate wins again

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/stargate/images/8/80/Thor_0014_ss.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140225141646

because it is easier to clone your body than invent self cleaning clothes

Good luck during the public videos. Also, that is usually the most sweaty part, so you still need a way to clean it.

[kerbiloid]

Oh, an idea!

What if wash the clothes not once per year, but twice per week?
Then a centrifugal washing machine would be not 4 m in diameter, but just as a usual washing machine.
A ship of Hermes or Endurance size can easily contain one of such machines.

Disinfection is quite simple, btw: gamma-rays are used to sterilize the food since 1950s if not earlier.

So, a clothes-line (with pins) around the reactor will make the washed clothes dry, warm and disinfected.

Edited February 10, 2016 by kerbiloid