The Sirius Effect:

People like simple explanations. The “hygiene hypothesis” (where we’re too clean for our own good) is one such simple explanation—and it is inadequate for expressing what we currently know about how we interact with microbes. Perhaps, then, it is time for a new conversation. Not about hygiene, but about the environment--the microbial environment, specifically, and how probiotics can change it for the better.

Probiotics are not new, but they are still a relatively novel concept when talking about cleaning agents.  Ever since Joseph Lister began sterilizing his instruments with carbolic acid, “cleaning” has become synonymous with “killing all of the germs”.  Adding bacteria to something that’s meant to be clean does seem a bit suspect after nearly 150 years of germ theory telling us the exact opposite.

However, like all simple truths, the more we learn about bacteria and the way we interact with the microbial world, the more nuances we uncover. The problem, now, is that the public perception of the “hygiene hypothesis” remains firmly rooted in the idea of a simplistic link between dirt and health: more dirt, better health (it’s not that simple).

How can we move away from the idea that bacteria are bad, without adding to the confusion from mis representing the hygiene hypothesis? Probiotics could help get consumers away from the hygiene hypothesis and instead steer the conversation around environmental control: how to improve your immediate environment for better health and hygiene. Such a starting point allows the consumer to be in control, without needing to delve too deeply into the details of just how, exactly, probiotics work. Additionally, microbes themselves require a particular environment, one that is devoid of harsh cleaners. “Cleaning without cleaners” might seem strange,  but research has shown that probiotics are even effective against COVID-19. The study also suggests that the antiviral properties of probiotics last far longer than that of chemical disinfectants. Living bacteria are hungry bacteria, apparently. The study was done using Bacillus strains, the very same kind found in Sirius’s BritePro Bioactive. BritePro Bioactive does not contain GMOs.

The use of probiotics in cleaners is still relatively small, but it is expected to grow rapidly over the next 5 years. Consumers, after all, still want “natural” products, and let’s be honest: wiping something once and having it stay clean for two weeks, sounds like a dream? 

But if you’re in the business of making these dreams come true, we’re in the business of helping you do that.  

Give us a call to find out what our probiotics can do. 

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