What is Bacillus Spore Blend?
A blend of selected strains of non-pathogenic gram-positive, spore-forming, rod shaped, living bacteria called Bacillus.[1]
How is Bacillus made?
In large scale industry production, bacillus strains are produced via various fermentation processes.[2]
How does bacillus work as a cleaner?
The blend of Bacillus Spores become active in the presence of a food source. When active, they can produce enzymes which act as catalysts to break down organic matter (food for bacteria). An example is a Bacillus strain which can produce the lipase enzyme that helps break down fats and oils to make it easier for digestion by the bacteria. [3] The rate of how fast the bacteria work is a matter of how many bacteria are available to digest the organic matter. The number of bacteria is typically referred to as Colony Forming Units of CFU’s. An advantage to using bacteria to clean is they can reproduce, increasing the number of CFU’s, making cleaning faster and more thorough. Bacillus containing cleaners such as LauraKay Innovations’ BioVation may contain more than billions of CFU’s per gallon.
Why Bacillus Spores?
The strains of Bacillus bacteria form thick-walled intracellular structures called endospores to protect themselves from extreme environmental conditions. In this state, they are self-sustaining, requiring minimal activity to survive. This allows them to work well in cleaning products, as they can be stored away and used when cleaning challenges arise.[1] [4]
Is Bacillus safe to use?
Because most cleaning tasks are done by applying a cleaner via spot spraying, a study was performed on carpet spot cleaners containing Bacillus spores to determine the effect of potential airborne Bacillus spores. The results indicated the carpet cleaning products showed a low risk of exposure via inhalation, and thus, aerosol counts fell below the recommended safe levels for exposure and adverse effects.[5]
References
[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/immunology-and-microbiology/bacterial-spore
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC94491/
[3] https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/457/142259.html
