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How do astronauts clean the ISS?

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Saturdays mornings are devoted to cleaning the ISS. Astronaut Clayton Anderson has had first hand experience. See his answer How is the interior cleanliness maintained aboard the International Space Station? read more

After you change into something more comfortable (and clean), you realize the clothes you just took off could really use a good wash. Unfortunately, there's no washing machine within 250 miles. That's just a typical day of life onboard the International Space Station (ISS). read more

However, the Russian astronauts drink water processed from only shower runoff and condensate, skipping the urine (producing slightly less than that 3.6 gallons). Occasionally, the NASA astronauts will go over to the Russian side of the ISS and grab the Russian supplies of urine to process it themselves. read more

On the Russian Space Station Mir, that meant that cosmonauts generally had to wear their underwear for up to a week before it was time to put on a clean pair. On the International Space Station, things are a little bit better. read more

To clean up, the astronauts spray a liquid detergent called biocide on surfaces and then wipe it off. They use a vacuum cleaner to clean out air filters. The astronauts dispose of their food packages in a trash compactor under the shuttle floor. They clean utensils and trays with wet wipes. read more

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