Using Bacteria as a More Effective Cleaner

Several studies show that probiotics are far more effective cleaners, as they establish healthy microbiomes to wipe out germs

Studies find probiotic cleaning appears far more effective than chlorine-based industrial disinfectants. Shutterstock

Several studies show that adding more bacteria to the environment via probiotic cleaners is superior to chemical disinfectants at killing germs, or pathogens. Harsher cleaning agents such as bleach have to be reapplied every few hours to keep pathogens from re-emerging, as noted in a recent study comparing cleaning methods on Italian subways.

Part of the dilemma is that if someone ill is spreading more pathogens, the cleaners applied hours ago won’t do much good. A 2016 study published in PLos One calls it the recontamination phenomenon, and it’s believed to be the reason pathogen transmission is problematic, especially in hospital environments, where there are, naturally, more sick people.