What is biological cleaning?

Since records began there have been numerous mentions of cleaning methods used by both human and animal to keep not only their bodies free from dirt and grime, but also their surroundings where they live, eat and sleep.

Even in the prehistoric era water was recognised for its multiple properties of giving and supporting life along with its ability to clean. Early humans would use nearby lakes and rivers to rinse mud and clay from their bodies whereas wild animal would bathe and keep cool in the fresh water.

As time moved on, different methods of cleaning were tried, tested and adopted and used not only for cleaning purposes but also for religion and beauty purposes. Even in the Ancient World it was known that dirt leads to illness and disease, which is why the Ancient Greeks invented early forms of showers and the Romans built aqueducts to transport fresh water to towns and villages.

History of Soap

Some of the earliest recordings of the production of soaps (but not as they are known now) date back to the Babylonian times. This involved a simple formula of water, alkali and cassia oil. From there on, different methods were adopted in the making of this fatty, oily cleaning product including the use of animal and vegetable oils as well as ingredients like ash and seeds.

Cleaning since the beginning of time

There is an innate understanding, the need to remain clean. Although today in the Western World, personal hygiene products are either taken for granted or sold as luxury items, keeping clean is our way of self-preservation followed by appearance. We know, just like the Ancient Romans, that dirt, soiling and grime will lead to odour, infection and illness if not cleaned away.

This is where science comes in. Through the wonder of evolution, and in fact, where life as we know it started, bacteria have been present in our ecosystem since the beginning of time. Although not much was known about bacteria until its discoveries in the 1600s it has been ever present and responsible for both creating and taking away life.

The natural world is full of bacteria. From your office desk through to the palms of your hand and inside your digestive system, and it serves a fundamental role at every stage of your life. 

Bacteria, or microbes exist everywhere. From soil and lakes through to in the air and everything in between. We literally could not exist without them as they are needed to break down and decompose waste. However, they aren’t just all consuming, they are also microscopic recycling powerhouses turning organic waste into carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous which will then be used to create new life.

Cleaning up the name of bacteria

With the knowledge of this incredible natural cleaning method scientists have been able to develop and formulate cleaning products, which contain these waste and odour-eating microbes. These are called biological cleaning products.

So what is biological cleaning? A biological cleaning product is essentially a live solution packed full of biodegradable surfactants, water and most importantly, 100% natural and safe bacteria. Once applied to a surface, the bacteria get straight to work to degrade fats, oils, grease and organic grime converting them into oxygen and other useful compounds. This method or process is also sometimes referred to in the industry as biotechnology. 

When biological cleaning products are used, the bacteria starts to reproduce rapidly when they come into contact with a food source (dirt). As they reproduce and digest organic waste they out-perform any pathogenic (bad) bacteria. This out-performing then halts the growth and spread of bad bacteria until the good bacteria fully take over, ridding surfaces of almost any trace of dirt, odour and bad bacteria.

What is the difference between anti-bacterial and biological cleaning products?

It’d be useful at this point to touch on the major difference between anti-bacterial products and biological cleaning products. In brief, anti-bacterial solutions indiscriminately eliminate both good and bad bacteria whilst cleaning a surface whereas a biological product applies good bacteria to eliminate the bad. Therefore, an anti-bacterial product is great for a quick, short term wipe-out but within a short period (sometimes minutes), the surface will become contaminated again. Whereas, in biological cleaning, hours after use, there will only be noticeable traces of friendly bacteria on a surface. This key difference means that not only do surfaces remain cleaner for longer with a biological product, but the product also continues to clean long after it has been applied (residual cleaning) making biological cleaning products much more cost-effective in the long run.

The merits for biological cleaning products are endless. Not only are they cost-effective for their ability to clean between applications but they are also completely natural and therefore safer for the environment and those coming into contact with the solutions. A biological solution also has the ability to clean deep into the microscopic pores of surfaces to offer a truly deep clean whereas some standard cleaners only offer a superficial clean.

Cleantec Innovation Biological Cleaning Solutions

With so many cleaning products on the market today and an ever-increasing list of chemicals and their accompanying hazards, it is now important to start considering the impact of the liquids and fumes we release into the atmosphere. With biological products, you can always be assured that the bacteria you are releasing into the atmosphere is the same as the bacteria that created and supports life.

Want to know more about our range of biological cleaning solutions? Please feel free to contact us   at any time or view our product range   for more information.