A New Way to Keep Clothes Clean in Space

Space travel has many challenges, and laundry is one of the oddest. Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) can’t wash clothes the way we do on Earth. Water behaves differently in microgravity, and loose droplets could damage equipment. Instead, they bring limited clothes, sometimes wearing the same underwear for days, then toss them into a ship that burns up in the atmosphere. A team of researchers thinks they’ve found a better way: a "plasma gun" that blasts cold plasma at fabrics to kill odor-causing bacteria. The device uses a mix of helium, air, and water vapor, creating a tiny pencil-sized beam that sterilizes small areas. If scaled up, it could even clean spacesuits and tools before missions to Mars. The idea sounds promising, but right now, it’s still in early testing.The technology relies on reactive oxygen species, like ozone, which attack bacteria without needing hot water or harsh chemicals. Early tests on small fabric samples showed it works well. But scaling it up is tricky. The current version treats only a tiny spot, and ozone can be harmful in large amounts. The team is working on a bigger, safer version with built-in filters to trap ozone before it escapes. Space missions are getting longer, and astronauts need solutions for everyday comfort. On Earth, we take clean clothes for granted. In space, fabrics trap sweat, skin cells, and bacteria, making them breeding grounds for microbes. A plasma cleaner could be a game-changer, but it’s not a perfect fix yet. For now, astronauts will still rely on disposable clothing. One big question remains: Will this actually work in real space conditions? The team plans to test a bigger version that’s closer to the size of a soda can. Until then, astronauts will have to keep burning their dirty laundry the old-fashioned way.