How to manage dirty clothes in space?

[Darnok]

11 hours ago, fredinno said:

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

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

But it wouldn't be any different than interview made on beach during summer?

It would be easier to get rid of only underwear than entire clothes set.

51 minutes ago, kerbiloid said:

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.

At least two, one as backup. Largest problem would still be water, I wonder what weights more water needed to make laundry or clean clothes delivered from Earth?

[RainDreamer]

Paper clothes sounds like a good idea. Easy to recycle and can be made with greenhouse. I guess it is just the matter of how durable we can make those to be, since not sure if people want to wear clothes that can rip at any moment. And if they do, they they prob won't need clothes.

[kerbiloid]

Water is a very simple entity and can be regenerated in different ways, physical and checmical.
(Sublimated solid waste - also. They can just burn the wastes in oxygen into H2O, CO2 and N2)

Enough "Tide" would be a problem. Probably, ozone or something would be used instead.

Edited February 10, 2016 by kerbiloid

[p1t1o]

 

16 hours ago, radonek said:

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.

Paper slurry cycle should be wet and aqueous through most parts

 

1 hour ago, kerbiloid said:

Enough "Tide" would be a problem. Probably, ozone or something would be used instead.

Ozone is just a bleaching agent and can be quite reactive - Soaps can be synthesised from fats/fatty acids+hydroxides, if there is not enough fat to be recycled from food and other waste (eg: sweat), I'm sure a reasonable synthesis can be done from hydrocarbons, and hydroxides are a simple and useful class of chemicals which can also be regenerated in various ways. Some soap may also be reclaimed after use as it is not consumed in the cleaning process.

 

Don't we all turn into "things" when passing through the Van Allen belts anyway? And he just goes naked....

https://thefilmmonster2.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/fftvspot-142157.png

 

[magnemoe]

On 8.2.2016 at 7:28 AM, Temstar said:

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/

This, simple enough, on something like an Mars mission with spinn habitat you would probably prefer an normal washing machine. 

Now an low tech way to do it is to shower with clothes on, wash clothes, take them off, wash yourself, twist off the clothes after you are done inside the shower bag while its draining, then find an place to dry the damp clothes. I guess they use something like exercise clothes who don't hold much water. 
Downside is that this will use 2-3 times more water than an normal showering. 

[lugge]

I don't get one thing: why is it bad to use more water?

A spacecraft is a closed system. No water is lost.

Of course you need more or stronger machines for recycling the water. But these machines should already be redundant.

[kerbiloid]

Ultrasonic cleaning

[p1t1o]

11 minutes ago, lugge said:

I don't get one thing: why is it bad to use more water?

A spacecraft is a closed system. No water is lost.

Of course you need more or stronger machines for recycling the water. But these machines should already be redundant.

Because then you need a greater mass of water (and associated equipment) contained within your closed-cycle, and we all know how astro folk feel about adding mass to a space program.

[Temstar]

39 minutes ago, lugge said:

I don't get one thing: why is it bad to use more water?

A spacecraft is a closed system. No water is lost.

Water reclaiming systems are not 100% efficient, and they're pretty big and bulky to start with just to process the urine and water vapour in the air on ISS.

[fredinno]

10 hours ago, RainDreamer said:

Paper clothes sounds like a good idea. Easy to recycle and can be made with greenhouse. I guess it is just the matter of how durable we can make those to be, since not sure if people want to wear clothes that can rip at any moment. And if they do, they they prob won't need clothes.

You can't recycle those or make them, as that would require so much mass, you might as well add a few washing machines.