How Do You Shower In Space? Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti Shares Bathroom Tips Aboard International Space Station

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have very busy days conducting experiments, unloading cargo, working out or going on the occassional spacewalk -- which raises an important question about their daily routine: How do you shower in space? Italian European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti took a break from sipping espresso to discuss bathroom tips aboard the space station.

Forget about running hot water in space. Water behaves quite differently out there, so Cristoforetti has to first squeeze some of the stuff onto herself and then add some soap for her shower. Showering may seem easy enough, but cutting your nails is a more complicated affair. Rather than have clippings floating around the space station -- talk about being the worst astronaut roommate possible -- Cristoforetti clips her nails near the grid of the ventilation system. There's also a minivacuum that astronauts use to clean up the bathroom.

For American NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, washing hair isn't much of a concern, but for Cristoforetti and others it requires a bit of no-rinse shampoo. She quickly goes over the process in the above video, shot recently, while NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg gives her take on the topic in the below video shot in 2013.