Have you ever looked on the back of a bottle of cleaning product and been horrified to read all the warning signs? Toxic! Caution! Corrosive! Unsurprisingly, many people are looking for greener and less toxic cleaning products. Have you discovered cleaning with EM?
Effective Microbes (EM, the microbes in our premium bokashi bran) make a fantastic all-round natural cleaner for your house, clothes, and even your body.
Benefits of using EM
1. Controls harmful pathogens and toxins
It may seem counter-intuitive to clean with microbes. Isn’t the main purpose of cleaning to remove microbes and bacteria?! But remember, there is a big difference between harmful bacteria and beneficial bacteria.
Microbes (both good and bad) are all around us; in the air, on our hands, everywhere. The moment you clean your kitchen counter, for example, bacteria will start to accumulate again.
The beneficial microbes in EM kill harmful pathogens. This makes them great microbes to have in your home. Over time, regular use of EM will populate your house with a healthy biome of beneficial bacteria. This army of good bacteria will help control harmful bacteria and clean up any toxins long after you have finished cleaning.
2. Cuts through grease
The natural acidity of EM means that it can easily cut through grease and dirt.
3. Controls odors
The beneficial microbes in EM can also control odors, making EM suitable for freshening and deodorizing around the home. The healthy biome of EM microbes that develop with regular use of EM form a natural protection against unwanted odors in your home.
How to use EM around the home
Using EM as a multi-purpose cleaner around your home is simple. For general cleaning, simply dilute with water in a spray bottle with a dilution ratio of 1:100. That’s the same as 5 ml of EM in 500 ml of water.
Only mix up what you need as the EM solution should be used within one day.
For cleaning rooms
Recommended dilution: EM 1:100 (eg. 5 ml EM with 500 ml water).
– Curtains and fabrics
To freshen and deodorize curtains and other fabrics, simply spray on the EM solution and dab away with a clean, dry cloth. Regular cleaning with EM will create an environment where dust mites and other allergenic agents cannot survive.
– For floors
To clean floors, simply spray on and wipe away.
Take care when using EM on natural wood and stone surfaces, as the EM solution may mark or stain certain surfaces. Make sure to test a small area first. If you have carpet some find that using something similar to Bissell could be another good way of cleaning.
– Glass and mirrors
EM is great for cleaning mirrors and glass. To clean mirrors and glass surfaces, spray on and wipe away. The acidic nature of the EM will cut through grease and leave your mirrors and windows clean and smear free.
For the kitchen
Recommended dilution: EM 1:50-100 (eg. 10 to 5 ml EM with 500 ml water).
The EM solution can be used throughout the kitchen; fridge, sink, work surfaces, and cupboards. Spray and wipe with a dry cloth. Regular use will help prevent unpleasant odors and kill harmful pathogens.
For bathrooms
Recommended dilution: EM 1:100 (eg. 5 ml EM with 500 ml water).
Using EM of all bathroom surfaces will produce an exceptional shine, provide long-term protection against scale, mold and foul odors.
– For the toilet
Use the diluted EM spray to clean the toilet surfaces. In addition, add 50 ml of undiluted EM to the toilet bowl to prevent foul odors and to fight harmful bacteria.
Laundry
Recommended usage: 30 to 120 ml undiluted EM per load.
Adding EM directly to your washing machine enables the amount of detergent required to be halved. In addition, the EM will help to combat limescale and other build-ups in the machine. Avoid using the hot cycle as the high temperatures will harm the beneficial microbes.
For pets
Recommended dilution: EM 1:100 (eg. 5 ml EM with 500 ml water).
The spray is safe for use on animal houses, kitty litter boxes, blankets, and directly on your pet to reduce odors and leave your pet with smooth fur.
Other posts you might like to read:
Microplastics in our garden soil
Benefits of bokashi composting
Can the pets consume the EM?
Yes, they can but we wouldn’t recommend you encourage it. Many dogs have accidently gotten into peoples bokashi bran, and we’ve never seen anything to be concerned about. It should not be encouraged, however, but you can consider it safe if you find your pet they have gotten into your EM and/or bokashi bran. Please advise us if you find otherwise, and we can update our bokashi community accordingly!
Ah, okay, so it’s the bokashi tea drained from the bucket (and not the EM solution) that needs to be discarded after 12 hours?
If I dilute some EM to a ratio of 1:100 with water and keep it in a spray bottle, how long should this stay effective for general household cleaning purposes?
Cheers for your help!
The EM solution should stay effective for about a month.
Hope that helps
Why does the diluted solution need to be discarded after 12hours?
The benefits of the bokashi tea come from the bokashi microbes. As soon as the tea has been collected the number of microbes starts to decline and the beneficial qualities of the tea reduces. Therefore we recommend using the bokashi tea as soon as possible after collecting it.
Hi, in this article is the EM referenced as the bokashi tea compost diluted or the actual dry bran mixed with water for cleaning? Thank you!
The EM is the microbial mother culture that is used to make the bokashi bran. Here is a link to our EM product https://bokashiliving.com/shop/em-effective-micro-organisms/