CARRIE BROWN
Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, Household & Commercial Products Association, United States

Abstract

You may have noticed new cleaning products on store shelves that use tiny microbes to tackle big messes.
Microbes have been used to precision clean parts, restore artworks, remediate oil spills, treat wastewater, and create powerful household and industrial cleaning product formulations.
This process of using microbes to breakdown contaminants and promote cleanliness is part of a broader concept called bioremediation. Bioremediation is a natural solution to contamination mitigation that processes waste in an environmentally friendly way.
This article will explain how microbial cleaning works, how its uses have evolved over time, and the benefits of these types of cleaners.

In recent years, many new products have appeared in the cleaning aisle that take advantage of tiny microbes with the ability to tackle big messes.  The process of using microbes to break down contaminants and waste residue to promote cleanliness is part of a broader concept called bioremediation.

Bioremediation is a natural solution to contamination mitigation that can be used to process waste in an environmentally friendly way.  This concept is not new. The use of microbes for cleaning and sanitation can be traced back to ancient times when natural fermentation processes were used to make food and beverages. This history also points out the fact that most microorganisms in nature are beneficial and necessary for human health and survival. The pathogens that threaten our health and well-being are only a small minority of the vast spectrum of microorganisms. However, the development of modern microbial cleaning products did not begin until the 20th century (1). Since then, microbes have been used to precision clean parts, restore artworks, remediate oil spills, treat wastewater, and create effective household and industrial cleaning product formulations ...