Tide is Headed to Space

Tide is headed to space.

Tasked with developing the first laundry detergent solution for space, Tide will take its first step towards a viable laundry detergent solution for space-faring astronauts for many decades to come. On December 21 at 5:06 AM EST, Tide Infinity will take off on SpaceX CRS-24 for the International Space Station (weather permitting).

Tide Infinity is a fully degradable detergent, specifically designed for use in space to solve malodor, cleanliness, and stain removal problems, while also being suitable for use in a closed-loop water system. This innovative laundry solution will advance cleaning solutions for resource-constrained environments like deep space and water scarce areas on Earth. Tide Scientists are working with NASA – following the signing of a Space Act Agreement – to push the boundaries of resource efficiency, uncovering learnings with practical applications for the future of laundry on Earth.

Humanity has reached a pivotal point – where on one hand, we’re on the exciting cusp of space colonization, and on the other, facing a critical period where action must be taken now to address environmental issues on the planet we all call home. Extreme water scarcity and climate change, require bold commitments. Our bold endeavor supports Tide’s Ambition 2030 commitment to decrease the environmental impact of a load of laundry while increasing the impact of clean clothes and furthers our mission for every load of laundry to do a load of good.

In exciting preliminary tests on earth, results show that Tide Infinity could be used to wash laundry in resource-scarce areas, and resulting laundry greywater could be recycled and reused with the help of a water reclamation system.

The testing doesn’t end here. Tide scientists designed several experiments that will be conducted to study stain removal and laundry detergent stability while in space. As Tide Infinity heads to the ISS in December 2021, scientists will eventually study how cleaning enzymes used in Tide Infinity perform after being exposed to low- and zero-gravity space environments. In additions, the detergent will also be subjected to tests after time spent in extreme space and launch takeoff environments.

In early 2022, Tide will again board space-bound Northrop Grumman CRS-17 with additional tests planned. These tests will include how stain removal with Tide To Go Pen and Wipes is affected in the absence of gravity vs. on Earth as well as how effective the ingredients in Tide To Go products are on astronaut specific stains in space.

The next six months pose an exciting new (and early) chapter in Tide’s journey into new low resource and space-bound product development and innovation.