Usually an annoying and ecologically damaging activity. An efficient, deep clean, as germ-free as possible, is the ultimate aim – meanwhile the spring sun mercilessly shows us just what dirt has accumulated throughout the winter months. So we wash the clothes all hygienically and pure, disinfect the kitchen shelves with antibacterial sprays and clean the children’s toys and bottles with alcohol.

But is this type of cleaning really useful? Or could it be counterproductive and ultimately damaging, not only to the environment, but also to ourselves, to our immune system? Joel Weil, Managing Director of EM Solutions based in Wädenswil, Zurich, was one of the exhibitors at this year’s Criterion. “Our philosophy is to create a natural balance between man and the environment,” says Joel Weil.

“In and of itself, the use of bacteria for cleaning is nothing new. For a long time now, water treatment plants have been using microbes to turn our wastewater back into drinking water. However, most of us struggle with the idea of microorganisms being used for cleaning. Bacteria crawling over our furniture, kitchen shelves and tables to ensure cleanliness. “I tell sceptics that there are around one kilogram of bacteria on our skin, many times more in our intestines and around 10 billion germs in just one millilitre of saliva,” says Weil. “Furthermore, without the help of microorganisms, there would be no cheese, salami, bread, wine or beer.”

Is it like armies of elves casting magic spells? “more or less”, agrees Joel Weil of EM Solutions. “Or maybe like a tree filtering polluted air.” Microorganisms, for example, prefer to feed on dirt. They are almost insatiable and their appetite drives them even into tile joints and hard to reach places. After use, probiotic cleaners degrade naturally. But until complete degradation, they ensure long-lasting indoor hygiene, because the active ingredients remain on the object for some time after the cleaning process and “eat” the dirt, which reforms over time. Perfect, so we need to clean less frequently, because the microorganisms produce an antistatic effect on the surfaces. And we can use the dirty water to water our garden. Because microorganisms can be used in all areas of our lives – in the garden, in sewage treatment plants, in industry and on public transport. They are almost giving us back the chance to work with our environment holistically.