Glossary & FAQ

Below are explanations of some of the terms and concepts used in biotechnology, microbial cleaning, and on our website.

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 fat and dirt to oil spills, wastewater, and toxic compounds in soil and water.

BIOTECHNOLOGICAL CLEANING
The biological cleaning method differs radically from chemical cleaning. Chemical cleaning agents can eliminate all life forms—both beneficial and harmful. This creates a temporary biological void, where bacteria quickly reestablish themselves. Cleaning with bacteria, which is Pure Effect’s method, means that a selected and beneficial bacterial flora replaces the one that has developed randomly. Pure Effect’s bacteria then effectively outcompete the unwanted ones, extending the effect of biological cleaning.

ENZYMES
Enzymes are highly specialized substances produced by all living organisms. They are essential for specific biochemical reactions to occur at low temperatures without the addition of energy, such as inside the human body. In laundry and cleaning products, enzymes are used to break down fat, protein, carbohydrates, and other organic waste.

MICROORGANISMS (MICROBES)
Microorganisms are tiny, single-celled life forms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. “Microorganisms” or “microbes” is a collective term for bacteria, yeast, microalgae, plankton, and mold. These invisible life forms exist in all environments on Earth and play a crucial role in all ecosystems. They are the original force driving nature’s cycles, and many species (mainly bacteria) are essential for our own bodies.

FERMENTATION EXTRACT
A fermentation extract contains enzymes and serves as 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 different products and their intended applications.

ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS
Enzymatic hydrolysis is a process where specialized enzymes break down larger molecules into their components using water molecules. Our bacteria break down fat molecules (triglycerides) into glycerol and free fatty acids, making them more soluble and easier for our beneficial bacteria to degrade and consume.

PROBIOTIC
Probiotic bacteria are live bacteria with beneficial effects—especially in the human body. Their activity helps inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria.

MICROBIOME
The term “microbiome” is used to define and describe a specific microbial ecosystem—that is, an ecosystem composed of microorganisms. These miniature ecosystems follow the same rules as all other ecosystems on Earth. Organisms compete for resources, collaborate in networks, or fight against each other. The most successful at adapting to the surrounding environment will survive, reproduce, and dominate.

BACTERIA
Bacteria are microorganisms, meaning single-celled life forms. Our relationship with them is complex, as we know that some bacteria cause diseases. However, we also know that bacteria are essential for both nature and the human body. For humans, they can be both friends and foes. Our “friendly” bacteria can be harnessed to perform a variety of useful tasks—this is what we call biotechnology. At Pure Effect, we utilize beneficial bacteria’s ability to break down dirt and eliminate odors, as well as their capacity to outcompete or combat unwanted bacteria.

All life on Earth can be categorized into three broad domains based on genetic data: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. Bacteria, as a domain, represent a vast and diverse kingdom. However, all bacteria share some common characteristics, including the absence of a cell nucleus. Learn more.

The domain Archaea consists exclusively of single-celled organisms. They lack a cell nucleus, but they are not related to bacteria. Learn more.

The domain Eukaryota is characterized by the presence of a cell nucleus and also includes a large number of microorganisms. However, this domain also contains an exception: multicellular life forms—the visible “Life on Earth,” including ourselves. Learn more.

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FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

How can something that is bacterial be clean?
Bacteria are not the same as dirt. What we commonly refer to as dirt is food for bacteria. Bacteria eat dirt. A common misconception and thought mistake many of us often make is to think of bacteria as dirt. This is completely wrong. Bacteria are a living organism, with a purpose and function that is of essential importance to us: we cannot function without bacteria.

Why should I use your mist?
Because you're doing yourself, your clothes and the environment a big favour. Pure Effects mister removes bad smells, without traditional laundry. It saves hard-to-wash materials and equipment such as helmets, protectors, shoes, etc. Freshening up instead of washing in a washing machine is otherwise smart and resource-efficient - less wear and tear, garments last longer, less water and chemical use. And you can devote your time to something other than laundry.

There are other sprays and linen washes, why should I use Pure Effects?
Most other sprays contain only perfumed water. They don't remove odour, they just perfume over it temporarily. With the bacteria in Pure Effect, you remove the source of the odour, the organic dirt. By continuously spraying your clothes, shoes, etc. with Pure Effect mist, you'll keep bad smells at bay for real. Besides, it's good to surround yourself with good bacteria, rather than living too sterile. Please read more about it in the reference list here at the end of the post.

What garments does the mist work on?
Any garment that is water resistant, which is the vast majority of them. The mists are pH neutral and also work for delicate fabrics such as silk, silk, wool, cashmere, sequins, fur , feathers etc. However, leather and suede, for example, can be stained by water. Try it on an uncovered surface. However, the lining of moccasins, for example, is often made of water-resistant textiles and it is the inside that often needs to be misted to freshen it up.

How do the mats work, do they remove both smell and stains?
Mists mainly remove odors. Even stains can disappear immediately, over time or if you spray them several times, but that is not the primary function. Odor removal is a two-step process:

1. Direct acting - a protein that breaks down odor molecules. It happens directly when you spray.
2. Long-acting - the micro-organism Bacillus Subtilis, one of the most common soil bacteria, effectively breaks down organic matter without releasing odorous substances.

Why should I use All Clean, why do you think it's better than Ajax, Chlorine and soap for example?
There are a lot of reasons why All Clean is better than traditional chemical and disinfectant products. All Clean effectively removes greasy dirt (fatty acids/triglycerols) which is a key cause of surfaces (stove/floor/table/chair, etc) being perceived as dirty. Grease is 'ugly' because it causes a stain, it is disgusting to touch, it smells foul and it acts as a mortar for other molecules/particles. These particles stick to the grease and make the surface even dirtier.

Traditional chemical cleaning products are designed to dissolve grease and usually do a good job of it. But the function of these chemical cleaning products is one-dimensional in that they just move the dirt away, down the drain. Once down the drain, the chemical's influence on the grease will wear off, again creating the problem of clogged drains/smelly floor drains.

All Clean's function is not based on moving grease from a surface and down the drain. All Clean's function is based on cutting up the grease and making it into a molecule that is easy for bacteria to 'eat' (break down) on the spot. All Clean also contains bacteria that are effective grease eaters, bringing the biological treatment steps of the water treatment plant directly to bear on the 'dirt' in your home.

As for chlorine, it's a big 'NO NO'. Chlorine bleaches and kills bacteria. Bleaching is hard on materials and the disinfecting function is neither desirable nor sustainable: chlorine is bad for you as a living organism, it is bad for the biological treatment processes of water treatment plants and thus bad for the 'environment'.

Soap is an ancient product made from fat and a high pH chemical (common is potassium lye). The first soap factory in Sweden was established in 1823. Much has happened on the cleaning front since then and things have undoubtedly improved. Soap is a greasy alkaline cleaning product, it has a high pH which means that greasy dirt is soaked away. In the past, soap was used because there was simply nothing else available. Soap was used to dissolve greasy dirt and at the same time re-stain the material, floor or carpet. In carpets, soap was used to fill textile pores with grease to prevent them from absorbing more dirt, but a good result requires that you are prepared to put in a lot of time and effort. The grease in the soap has to be worked into the material. If this doesn't happen, all that will happen is that you will have a greasy surface that smells of 'soap' and will attract other dirt.

All Clean's cleaning function is based on cutting the greasy dirt. The decomposed greasy dirt can then be easily sucked up into a cleaning cloth and if you give the bacteria in All Clean some time, they will eat up the greasy dirt that you failed to suck up in the cleaning cloth. This means there is less food for odour-causing bacteria and the surface will be clean and odour-free.

Can you use All Clean everywhere and as much as you want?
All Clean can be used anywhere, on any water-resistant surface. Even on textiles for stain removal of most types of organic stains, i.e. non-synthetic stains. All Clean replaces virtually all your previous cleaning products (toilet cleaner, window cleaner, kitchen cleaner, etc.). For a camper van, cottage or boat it is absolutely sufficient. Then you may need to supplement with an acidic product (Clean Bath) to get rid of limescale residue in e.g. bathrooms around taps, in joints etc, and Clean Floor for easier mixing in scrub buckets.

Please listen to our podcast Our bacterial lives - Pure Effect Conversations.




If you come across any other unfamiliar terms and would like them explained, feel free to get in touch for more information. Under INSPIRATION, you’ll find more listening and reading through podcasts and articles. We continuously update the site with more information and additional links for those wanting to dive deeper. We hope you find what you’re looking for, and feel free to reach out to us if you need further assistance - we’ll do our best to connect you with someone who can answer your questions.