Test 1: Hard-to-wash garments – the spray on textiles with stains and odors that are sorted out of reuse flows.
Background
Wargön Innovation tested how Pure Effect Textile Spray performs on clothes and items that usually end up in the "too difficult to save" pile and then in public textile recycling containers. Garments with stains, sweat odor, or other old smells – things that are otherwise sorted out of reuse streams.
Why
Large quantities of textiles are unnecessarily discarded, often due to odor or stains rather than wear. If more garments can be refreshed instead of washed or thrown away, we save water, energy, and resources. The test aimed to see how far bacteria-based refreshing can go – without a washing machine.
Method
Garments and accessories such as jackets, bags, caps, and functional clothing were sprayed daily over a period, without mechanical processing. Changes in stains and odor were noted daily and compared before/after treatment.
Results & Insights
Clear improvements were visible after just two applications. Several stains faded, odors were neutralized, and the overall impression became fresher. The effect also continued to develop during the resting period, indicating the bacteria's function over time, i.e., that they continued to work even after the garments had dried.
People sensitive to scents found the perfume strong, which shows the need for an adapted scent profile. The test also showed that time and the right routine (distance, dose, drying time) are crucial for the result. The test also showed that it is significantly harder to achieve function on textiles classified as waste and thus have older stains and odors.
Lessons Learned
The spray has the potential to extend the life of hard-to-wash textiles and reduce the amount of discarded garments. However, the conclusion is also that the spray provides more benefit, impact, and effect the more consumer- and everyday-oriented it is and used, preferably in every closet and laundry room. The next step could be to develop the method for large-scale reconditioning, where good bacteria can save more garments before they reach the waste pile.
Glossary
✓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 grease and dirt to oil spills, wastewater, and toxic substances in soil and water.
✓BIOTECHNOLOGICAL CLEANING
The biological cleaning method differs radically from the chemical one. With the help of chemical cleaning agents, we can eliminate all life forms – friends and foes. This creates a temporary biological vacuum, where bacteria quickly re-establish themselves.
Cleaning with bacteria, Pure Effect's method, means that a selected and beneficial bacterial flora replaces that which arose randomly. Pure Effect's bacteria then effectively compete out the unwanted ones, which prolongs the effect of the biological cleaning.
✓ENZYMES
Enzymes are highly specialized substances produced by all living things. They are absolutely essential for specific biochemical reactions to take place at low temperatures, without the addition of energy, for example, inside the body. In laundry and cleaning products, enzymes specialized in breaking down fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and other organic waste are used.
✓FERMENTATION EXTRACT
A fermentation extract contains enzymes and forms 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 various products and their areas of application.
✓ENZYMATIC HYDROLYSIS
Enzymatic hydrolysis is a process where specialized enzymes break down larger molecules into their constituent parts using water molecules. Our bacteria cleave fat molecules (triglycerides) into glycerol and free fatty acids, making them easily soluble and simpler for our beneficial bacteria to break down and consume.
✓PROBIOTIC
Probiotic bacteria are living bacteria with beneficial effects – not least in our bodies. Among other things, their activity inhibits the growth of disease-causing bacteria.
✓MICROBIOME
The term "microbiome" is used to define and describe a specific microbial ecosystem – that is, an ecosystem consisting of microorganisms. These miniature ecosystems, however, operate under the same laws as all other ecosystems on Earth. Organisms compete for resources, cooperate in networks, or wage war against each other – and those most successfully adapting to the surrounding environment will survive, reproduce, and dominate.
✓BACTERIA
Bacteria are microorganisms, meaning single-celled life forms. Our relationship with them is complicated, as we know that some of them cause diseases. But we also know that bacteria are essential for life both in nature and in the body. For humans, they can be both friends and foes. Our "friends" can be induced to perform a variety of useful services – what we call biotechnology. At Pure Effect, we use the ability of beneficial bacteria to break down dirt and remove odors, as well as their ability to outcompete or combat undesirable bacteria.
All life on Earth can be divided into three large, overarching categories (domains), based on genetic data. These domains consist of Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryota. Bacteria consequently have an entire domain to themselves – a vast kingdom containing infinite variation and diversity. All bacteria, however, share certain common characteristics; among other things, they lack a cell nucleus. https://artfakta.se/taxa/5000052/information
The domain Archaea also contains only single-celled organisms. They lack a cell nucleus, but are not related to bacteria. Link: https://artfakta.se/taxa/5000082/information
The domain Eukaryota is characterized by a cell nucleus, but also largely consists of microorganisms. However, this kingdom also includes the exception: multicellular life forms; the visible "Life on Earth" – including ourselves. https://www.genteknik.se/ordlista/eukaryot/
✓MICROORGANISMS (microbes)
Microorganisms are very small, single-celled life forms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. "Microorganisms" or "microbes" is a collective term for bacteria, yeasts, microalgae, plankton, and molds, among others. These invisible life forms exist in all environments on Earth and play an important role in all ecosystems. They are the original force that drives the cycles of nature, and a large number of species (mainly bacteria) are essential for our own bodies.