For eons, bacteria have been fighting against each other for scarce resources. Today, we can use this battle to our advantage. Probiotics are non-pathogenic (i.e., good) bacteria that can colonize surfaces and organisms. In doing so, they make it difficult for dangerous pathogens to get a toehold. Think of it as…Read more

Insidious BiofilmYou’ve heard of antibiotic resistant bacteria, but there are also microbes can also resist the most caustic and acidic cleansers. They have a special trick, secreting a syrupy substance that protects them from bleach, oxidizers and disinfectants. The surface may look clean, but this microscopic biofilm is harboring bacterial fugitives,…Read more

As the Director of Maintenance and Operations for my school district, I know first hand just how important the job of our custodial workers is. Safe, effective, and efficient cleaning practices have the power to protect our students from dangerous pathogenic bacteria that can collect on virtually any surface area in…Read more

The problem with biofilm is that it’s usually invisible. Even surfaces that appear clean can be crawling with salmonella, MRSA and other dangerous bacteria. So how do we tell if a surface is truly clean? Fortunately, bacteria and the support system they live in leave a marker – adenosine triphosphate or…Read more

We don’t like to think about it, but most heavy-duty disinfectants are just chemotherapy for our environment. The idea is to poison all the microbes around us and hope those poisons don’t damage human or animal health.It’s a bad bet. Toxins can accumulate in the environment and our bodies. Dangerous bacteria…Read more