Have you ever wondered how Astronauts wash their clothes in space or how they manage to do their laundry on a dark spacey day? Well, they don’t! Astronauts do not have the luxury to wash their clothes after they wear them for a day or two, they take limited pair of clothes with them in space and then end up repeating the same clothes for several months until their mission is over and they are back on Earth. There are multiple reasons for them to do the same and one of the biggest reasons is conserving their preciously limited water supply.
Having said that, what if this was to change, forever?
Tide, the American laundry detergent brand, marketed by Procter & Gamble is working on making a fully degradable laundry detergent for space. The company has reportedly teamed up with NASA to develop its first laundry detergent for Space. As mentioned in a report by Engadget, the said degradable laundry detergent should be able to take care of the stains and odor while working perfectly in a limited close loop water system that is installed on the International Space Station.
This is an incredible association between Tide and NASA that will cater to the needs of astronauts to wear fresh stain-free clothes. “Mission PGTide” is what this association is called and according to sources, the trials will not take that long after the product is ready for testing. According to reports, NASA will send Tide’s upcoming fully degradable laundry detergent aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in 2022 where the detergent company will aim for ingredient stability in space along with the efficacy of stain removal ingredients and techniques using Tide’s pens and wipes, according to a report by Engadget.
Tide’s degradable laundry detergent that apparently is built for working with a closed-loop water supply is water-conserving and degradable at the same time, does it ring a bell? Well, the Space detergent can be used down here on Earth as well and its implications are better than what is currently available in the market. Tide’s laundry detergent for Space would be more environmentally friendly on Earth and the company should launch its product in the consumer markets as well. Water is one of the most essential resources on Earth and Tide’s laundry detergent for space will help in conserving water and will save the environment by being fully degradable.
Why didn’t Tide think of it before? Did they know it all along? If they could make a fully degradable detergent for space, why did they not make one for consumers on Earth?
In my opinion, things have to change around here and environment friendly is the new cool, Tide and all other companies should change their business approach and launch products that make the world a better place.
