Most of us have experienced a course or two of antibiotics at some point in our lives, which causes havoc with our gut and digestion. Typically we follow the antibiotics with supplementation of probiotics to replace the good bacteria the were massacred by antibiotics. If healthy bacteria are good for our internal environment would they be beneficial for our home environment too?
Introducing Probiotic Solutions who are using probiotics externally to balance indoor air, clean surfaces in our kitchens and bathrooms and the most recent additions to their product line for carpet cleaning and mould removal.
1 What do you do?
Our home is filled with millions of good and bad bacteria, having it’s own little eco-system. Just like our gut health, to create a clean and healthy home, you’ve got to get the bacterial balance right.
Using a traditional antibacterial cleaner is like an antibiotics for our home. Killing everything in sight, which then allows the bad bacteria to regroup and take over.
We produce a range of cleaning products that leverage the benefits of live probiotics that are able to work their way through the biofilm in our homes to clean deeply to make our homes and offices healthier.
2 What got you started in the chemical free industry?
We’ve always been organically orientated and having kids made us even more aware. We discovered probiotics being used for cleaning in the USA in 2012 and thought Australia needed a cleaning solutions like this.
We spent some time and energy enhancing the formulations and then launched our consumer-ready, all-natural, all-organic Probiotic Solutions range in 2013.
3 What makes your product or service different?
Our cleaners are full of live probiotics- they are the good guys!.
Good and bad bacteria like to live in a similar environment and feed on the same nutrients but they can’t live together in the same space. By using a probiotic cleaner the good bacteria occupies the space, consumes available food sources and minimises the opportunity for the bad bacteria to re-colonise.
It’s a numbers game, if there are more beneficial bacteria in a given environment, other bacteria can not flourish. It’s a ‘who’s there first wins’ scenario.
In the health industry, especially in places such as hospitals, there are concerns that repeated use of disinfectants is adding to the risk of antibiotic resistance and the creation of superbugs such as MRSA, which is causing huge problems around the world. A recent hospital study using a similar European product found:
that this probiotic-based (cleaning) procedure is active not only in controlling surface microbial contamination but also in lowering drug-resistant species, suggesting that it may have relevant clinical and therapeutical implications for the management of healthcare-associated infections
Our factory is in Botany, NSW and the process takes a approximately a month to ferment our cleaning solutions, it’s a bit like brewing beer or kombucha. Our fermenting process incubates and activates over 15 species of non-GMO probiotic bacteria, similar to the probiotics that are good for our gut health. We only use organic ingredients to begin the probiotic cleaning process, including purified water, sea salt, essential oils, and even brown sugar.
The production process of fermenting our cleaning solution dictates that there can only be organic ingredients and no nasty chemicals.
We’ve received amazing feedback from many of our customers letting us know how they use the products. For example they love to clean the inside of their fridge with Probiotic Solutions. Most people are hesitant to use chemical cleaners so close to their food items so a probiotics based cleaner is an easy solution.
Like all living organisms, even our good bacterial will become less effective over time and eventually die. They need to be regularly replaced with new good bacteria, so regular cleaning with Probiotic Solutions means a healthy home.
4 What has been your biggest obstacle?
In the beginning it was a challenge to sell the concept of cleaning by adding good bacteria. It was very foreign concept.
Many of our retailers had the product assessed by naturapoaths and professionals and the results always came back with a glowing report.
It is getting easier the longer we are in the market.
5 What is your most interesting/best TIP to help families live sustainably and reduce their toxic chemical exposure?
We are big on minimising waste and reducing litter. According to Keep Australian Beautiful, we have reduced our litter by 9% in the last year:
- 35% less cigarette litter
- 22% less plastic bag litter
All of which leach horrible toxic chemicals into our environment that we live. We love the idea of up cycling and re-using products that would once have been considered litter or recyclable materials – in different ways. Here are a few of our favourite up cycling tips:
- Mason Jars
The hipsters are onto something! We keep all of our old glass jars and use them in multiple ways – not only do they make cute and quirky drinking glasses, but you can use them as vases or even storage in your bathroom. Toothbrush holder anyone?
- Crates
Old wooden crates are an incredible storage solution – and the industrial look is totally in too! Paint them for a modern twist, or simply leave them as-is, and fill with your kiddies toys, towels or dirty laundry!
- Linen Bags
If you haven’t made the no-plastic switch yet, it’s time. Keep hold of any linen bags you are given on your next shopping spree, or at that next networking event, and use these as your new shopping bags. Keep a spare few in your car boot at all times so you are never without!
- Probiotic Solutions Bottles
Our bottles can be reused in a number of ways – use our spray bottles to make your own hair detangle mix (simply mix water, your favourite conditioner and lavender essential oil, shake up and spray through) and fill our Fresh Feet bottle with cold water and a couple of drops of Peppermint oil, as a cool face mister for summer!
6. Is there another non-toxic business that you think is great & would recommend?
Probiotics Solutions are members of the Chemical Free Community– Find their listing on the directory HERE
Browse the online store or pop into a stockists: selected IGA’s , Pharmacies, Inner Origin, Go Vita’s and Independent organic and natural stores.
Product range for the kitchen, bathroom, laundry, bedroom, living and office.
- Anywhere Anytime – All Purpose Cleaner
- Bathroom Bliss – Works on all your bathroom fixtures and fittings
- Mop Me – carpets and flooring including tiles and timber
- Room Refresh – room deodoriser
- Well Washed – Body Wash
- Mirror Mirror – mirrors and all glass surfaces
- Healthy Hands – Liquid hand Soap
- Fresh Feet – running shoe
- Mould Eater
- Carpet Cleaner
Probiotics Soluitons are members of the Chemical Free Community– Find their listing on the directory HERE
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