Tide is making the first laundry detergent for space

Astronauts wouldn't have to wear clothes multiple times.

Procter & Gamble

Astronauts don't have the luxury of tossing clothes in the hamper after a single use — without laundry equipment, they're often left wearing items multiple times. Tide thinks it can come to the rescue, though. The Procter & Gamble brand has teamed with NASA to develop the first laundry detergent meant for space. The fully degradable detergent should take care of stains and odors while working properly in a closed-loop water system like the one you'd find aboard the International Space Station.

It won't take long before you see a rea world (or rather, real off-world) trial run. NASA will test Tide's detergent aboard the ISS in 2022. "Mission PGTide," as it's called, will gauge ingredient stability in space as well as the effectiveness of the stain removal ingredients using Tide's pens and wipes.

Other studies will explore the possibility of a washer-dryer combo that could be use for long-term Moon and Mars missions.

The advantages for space are fairly self-evident. Those lunar and martian explorers won't have any choice but to clean their clothes — this detergent could make that possible without subtracting from their precious water supply. It could also save weight and space aboard both the ISS and cargo capsules, as NASA wouldn't need to send so many clothes into orbit.

 This could also be helpful for laundry back on Earth, for that matter. A fully degradable detergent would be more environmentally friendly, reducing waste and conserving water. Don't be surprised if you eventually buy detergent that's kind to the planet precisely because it's designed to be used off-planet.

"KIDS! Don't eat Tide Pods!"

Despite a flurry of warnings from cable-news doctors and furious parent's groups, more teens are attempting the "Tide Pod Challenge" - to disastrous consequences (and the abject horror of Proctor & Gamble executives).

As Mashable reports, despite the "HIGH ALERT" warning issued by the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), Tide Pod consumption has continued unabated.

"Last week, AAPCC reported that during the first two weeks of 2018, the country’s poison control centers handled thirty-nine intentional exposures cases among thirteen to nineteen year olds," the report read.

That number didn't last long, however.  "That number has increased to eighty-six such intentional cases among the same age demographic during the first three weeks of 2018."

Tide pods have become an unexpected cultural phenomenon in the early weeks of 2018. People are baking "Tide Pod-inspired" donuts - a tastier, and less corrosive, alternative to eating laundry detergent. 

This increase comes as P&G, the producer of Tide Pods, to contain the horrible trend. They've partnered with YouTube to remove videos of kids eating Tide Pods, and Amazon has removed those commenting online about how delicious the forbidden fruit is. Additionally, P&G released a statement to warn consumers and even hired New England Patriots' Rob Gronkowski to spread the word.

So kids, next time you're thinking about chomping down on a plastic pod filled with colorful - but extremely toxic - chemicals, remember what Gronk said..