11 Craziest Things About Living In Space

11. They Don't Wash All That Much

It's probably not the first thing to spring to mind when imagining the lives of those intrepid pioneers, pushing back the boundaries of scientific knowledge and exploration, but they don't really exactly get much of an opportunity for a long soak in the bath.

One of the weird upshots of this, coupled with the microgravity environment, is that skin on their feet undergoes quite the transformation.

Because astronauts are not using their feet to move around for their entire stay in orbit, the skin on their feet begins to soften and peel off in great flakes. This is an effect that is only made worse by the limited washing facilities in which vigorous exfoliation is somewhat discouraged.

Not to mention the fact that the astronauts only change their clothes every three days or so. It's not as gross as it sounds, as you tend to sweat less in space due to the fact that you're expending a lot less energy to get around and just generally "be".

However, it does mean that they have to be very careful when they do eventually remove their socks, as the flakes of skin could fly off and get into the equipment, or even a crew member's eye. Yum.