Space detergent launched by Tide at CES

Together with NASA, Tide has developed a detergent that is safe to use in closed water systems because it contains only biodegradable substances. 

In space, even the most basic things are often challenging, whether it's eating, going to the toilet or doing the laundry. The latter has been a major headache for scientists for years, because you can't use just any kind of material on an orbiting machine like the International Space Station. Astronauts are therefore forced to wear the same suit several times, and when it is deemed unwearable, they simply discard it and change into a new one.

Procter & Gamble, the company behind Tide, first talked last summer about working with NASA to develop a detergent that they claim is fully biodegradable, can remove stains and unpleasant odours, and works well in closed water systems. The launch of the product finally had to wait until January: the company is launching the For CES planned for the virtual exhibition, the P&G LifeLab-The development, which has been tested on the International Space Station since December, will be used to test how radiation and microgravity environments affect the detergent.

Procter & Gamble plans to bring the unique product to the consumer market by 2030, making it possible to eliminate the environmental harms associated with washing clothes. If all goes according to plan, a washer-dryer that could even work on the moon and Mars could be on the way.