for the Environment (DfE) platform, but the federal government, through its BioPreferred program and other govern-ment entities and programs, is encouraging the use of these products registered with the program. However, there still is some confusion as to what bioenzymatic cleaners are and how they work. The following should provide some clari-fication. drain cleaners. The cleaners essentially eat organic material, the cause of many clogs, thereby unclogging the drain to the point that water flows freely. Later, the cleaners became popular in helping to clean grease-covered surfaces and vents in commercial kitchens as well as to eliminate odors. The odor-eliminating abilities of bioen-zymatic cleaners are still among their best features. But, just as all green cleaning products are not alike, not all bioenzymatic cleaners are the same. The differences include the following: ■ Some will have more or less, as well as higher or lower quality, enzymes and/or bacteria than others ■ Some have a higher quantity and quality of A Training com IAQ Training Institute LLC Down The Drain Bio-based cleaners, which include bioenzy-matic cleaners, are derived from agricultural products such as corn, soybeans and even coconuts. Although they are getting more attention today, the first patent for a bio-based prod-uct dates back to 1932. Unlike other bio-based cleaners, bioenzy-matic cleaners are formulated with specific enzymes — a type of protein that breaks complex molecules into smaller pieces — and what are termed “good” bacteria that break down soils. Enzymes are catalysts that speed up the process of breaking down soils and con-taminants. There are actually more than 40,000 enzyme and bacteria strains available, and they are very specific as to what types of surfaces and soils they work on. For this reason, an effective bioenzy-matic cleaner usually contains a mixture of enzymes and bacteria to tackle a variety of cleaning situations; the most effective products are typically designed for specific cleaning applications. One of the first large-scale uses of bio-enzymatic cleaners was as grease trap and The Voice of the IAQ Industry Circle Product Information no. 251 on page 24 www.cmmonline.com 29
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