The microbial world
MICROBIAL CLEANING - HOW DOES IT WORK?
Microbes handle biological decomposition in nature by producing enzymes and other substances that break down organic material. Imagine a compost pile, or the scent of leaves decomposing in the forest during autumn. Microorganisms were the first life on Earth when it formed 4-5 billion years ago. They are responsible for true cleaning because they break down everything we leave behind (including ourselves when we die). However, it's a matter of time - much of what we leave takes an extremely long time to decompose. You may have heard about microbes breaking down oil spills at sea and purifying water in treatment plants.
Cleaning - hydrolysis and bacterial culture
Much of what we aim to remove when cleaning, whether textiles or hard surfaces, is fat. The fermentation extract in the formula breaks down fat molecules into smaller parts (hydrolysis), making the residues easier to break down and absorb into a cloth. Organic residues from our lives, what we call dirt, can also be broken down by the bacterial culture in the products, and this process continues deep into the pores of materials even after we finish cleaning or tidying up. This contributes significantly to the fine result, even over time. However, the microbial formula cannot handle things like nail polish or graffiti, as you might understand after reading a bit about how it works.
Odor removal - in three steps
First, you notice the scent of perfume, an "instant reward" that doesn't clean and we can never just perfume away a bad smell. But it gives us a feeling of doing something delightful. That's how many of us work, anyway, but not everyone. (Is it possible to get the mists unscented, some wonder? Technically, yes, but the formula itself doesn't smell great, so we've chosen to hold off on that.)
Next, an enzyme in the formula acts as a kind of lid over the odor, providing an immediate effect.
Additionally, the bacterial culture begins to break down the source of the odor. However, this process takes longer and wouldn't alone give us the quick effect that humans expect. The bacterial culture provides the long-lasting effect.
Moreover, microorganisms play a crucial role in human health and our ecosystem. Therefore, we've developed cleaning products based on our respect for and understanding of the microbial worlds we live in. If you'd like to read more, there's additional information about us here on the site.
Glossary
✓BIOTECHNOLOGY
Biotechnology involves using microorganisms to produce substances we need (such as medicines and environmentally friendly alternatives to chemicals) and to break down substances we want to remove; everything from grease and dirt to oil spills, wastewater, and toxic substances in soil and water.
✓BIOTECHNOLOGICAL CLEANING
The biological cleaning method differs radically from the chemical one. With the help of chemical cleaning agents, we can eliminate all life forms – friends and foes. This creates a temporary biological vacuum, where bacteria quickly re-establish themselves.
Cleaning with bacteria, Pure Effect's method, means that a selected and beneficial bacterial flora replaces that which arose randomly. Pure Effect's bacteria then effectively compete out the unwanted ones, which prolongs the effect of the biological cleaning.
✓ENZYMES
Enzymes are highly specialized substances produced by all living things. They are absolutely essential for specific biochemical reactions to take place at low temperatures, without the addition of energy, for example, inside the body. In laundry and cleaning products, enzymes specialized in breaking down fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and other organic waste are used.
✓FERMENTATION EXTRACT
A fermentation extract contains enzymes and forms the base of our cleaning products. The fermentation extract consists of fermenting bacteria and the enzymes they produce. The enzymes are specifically selected for our various products and their areas of application.
✓ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS
Enzymatic hydrolysis is a process where specialized enzymes break down larger molecules into their constituent parts using water molecules. Our bacteria cleave fat molecules (triglycerides) into glycerol and free fatty acids, making them easily soluble and simpler for our beneficial bacteria to break down and consume.
✓PROBIOTIC
Probiotic bacteria are living bacteria with beneficial effects – not least in our bodies. Among other things, their activity inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria.
✓MICROBIOME
The term "microbiome" is used to define and describe a specific microbial ecosystem – that is, an ecosystem consisting of microorganisms. These miniature ecosystems, however, operate under the same laws as all other ecosystems on Earth. Organisms compete for resources, cooperate in networks, or wage war against each other – and those most successfully adapting to the surrounding environment will survive, reproduce, and dominate.
✓BACTERIA
Bacteria are microorganisms, meaning single-celled life forms. Our relationship with them is complicated, as we know that some of them cause diseases. But we also know that bacteria are essential for life both in nature and in the body. For humans, they can be both friends and foes. Our "friends" can be induced to perform a variety of useful services – what we call biotechnology. At Pure Effect, we use the ability of beneficial bacteria to break down dirt and remove odors, as well as their ability to outcompete or combat undesirable bacteria.
All life on Earth can be divided into three large, overarching categories (domains), based on genetic data. These domains consist of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. Bacteria consequently have an entire domain to themselves – a vast kingdom containing infinite variation and diversity. All bacteria, however, share certain common characteristics; among other things, they lack a cell nucleus. https://artfakta.se/taxa/5000052/information
The domain Archaea also contains only single-celled organisms. They lack a cell nucleus, but are not related to bacteria. Link: https://artfakta.se/taxa/5000082/information
The domain Eukaryota is characterized by a cell nucleus, but also largely consists of microorganisms. However, this kingdom also includes the exception: multicellular life forms; the visible "Life on Earth" – including ourselves. https://www.genteknik.se/ordlista/eukaryot/
✓MICROORGANISMS (microbes)
Microorganisms are very small, single-celled life forms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. "Microorganisms" or "microbes" is a collective term for bacteria, yeasts, microalgae, plankton, and molds, among others. These invisible life forms exist in all environments on Earth and play an important role in all ecosystems. They are the original force that drives the cycles of nature, and a large number of species (mainly bacteria) are essential for our own bodies.