Probiotic use in fabric care products-assessing the current landscape and evaluating areas for development

Probiotics have been used in human health for over 45 years. More recently, micro-organisms have been incorporated into cleaning formulations creating a new category: Microbial-based cleaning products (MBCP). The peer-reviewed literature on MBCP remains limited; however, manufacturers commonly attribute efficacy to three principal mechanisms: secretion of extracellular enzymes, competition with other micro-organisms for nutrients and space, and production of antimicrobial agents such as antimicrobial peptides. Fabric care MBCP (e.g. probiotic-containing laundry detergents) represent a relatively recent commercial development and are currently available from a limited number of manufacturers. In laundry applications, probiotics are proposed to be delivered to fabric surfaces during the wash cycle and deposited onto textiles via agitation in the wash liquor. This contrasts with hard-surface cleaners, in which probiotics are applied directly (e.g. by spray, mop or sponge). Further experimental work is required to define conditions that maximize deposition and retention of probiotics on textiles and establish cleaning performance. Given that clothing soils often differ from hard-surface soils, strains intended for fabric care MBCP should be selected to favour germination and enzyme production relevant to laundry soils.