How do astronauts wash themselves?

Aboard the International Space Station, water doesn't flow: it forms beads that cling to skin, walls and equipment. A conventional shower would be impossible there, and dangerous for the electronics. Daily washing therefore follows a simple principle: get as little wet as possible and let nothing escape.

The crew draws hot water from a pouch fitted with a nozzle, applies it to a washcloth or towel, and washes area by area. The soap and shampoo used don't need rinsing: they're spread on, massaged in, then wiped off with a dry cloth that the ventilation will finish drying. Long hair is treated strand by strand. Pre-packaged wipes round out the routine for hands and face between washes.

Brushing teeth is conventional, but without a sink: the astronaut swallows the toothpaste or wipes it off in a towel. The mechanical razor is used with gel, the blade being cleaned on a cloth; the clipper, meanwhile, is connected to a suction device that captures hair before it scatters through the cabin. Nails are trimmed near a ventilation vent, so the clippings end up in the filters rather than floating around.

Every drop counts, because water must be launched from Earth or recovered on board. Humidity in the air, condensation and urine are collected and then reprocessed by the life-support system, which extracts drinking water from them. Laundry, meanwhile, doesn't exist: nothing gets washed, everything is worn until it's discarded. This is also why towels and clothes are used for several days before being thrown out. On board, cleanliness is as much about resource management as personal comfort.