GIVE YOUR HOME THE PROBIOTIC MAKEOVER

For generations, we’ve dealt with the bacteria and other microorganisms we share our homes with in one way: wipe them out. By pouring or spraying something onto household surfaces we keep germs away and stay healthy.

It’s a tactic that many of us have ramped up during the pandemic to keep the SARS-CoV-2 virus at bay. But there’s growing evidence that we need to take an entirely different approach to these microbes. While there’s no doubt that some of the microorganisms that live among us are harmful (and nobody is suggesting that cleaning isn’t a good way to keep the likes of SARS-CoV-2 out of our homes) there’s growing evidence that many of them are actually doing us good.

The thing is, we’ve been unwittingly meddling with the microbes we share our living rooms, kitchens and outdoor spaces with, creating hostile environments for those beneficial bugs. It means that while the idea of using probiotics in our bodies has been around for