Common questions.
36 questions, with answers. If you'd like to ask something that isn't here, message us on WhatsApp.
Product and use
- How does Air Biotics work on allergens?
- The probiotics it contains settle in the air, on pillows and on fabrics, and multiply there. They compete for the organic debris that house dust mites and mould feed on, shrinking the space where allergen-producing organisms can live. Enzymes made by Bacillus species can break down protein-based allergens, and particles that cling to the water-based droplets stay in the air for less time. In a study of probiotic bedding covers, mite allergen fell by 89% in the lab.
- I have allergies. Will Air Biotics make them go away?
- No. Air Biotics is not a medicine and does not replace allergy or asthma treatment. It is used to help reduce the allergen load in the space where you live. If your symptoms continue, talk to your doctor.
- How long does it last?
- According to the manufacturer, the probiotics stay effective for up to 72 hours after a single application, and the effect that starts with the first application continues for 28 days. With regular use, the probiotics settle onto surfaces.
- How do I use it, and how many sprays?
- Shake the bottle. Spray 3-5 times into the air at head height, moving in a half circle; you can repeat this once or twice a day. On fabrics such as pillows, curtains, sofas and rugs, spray from 20-30 cm away and leave to dry.
- Can I spray it on my pillow?
- Yes. Before bed, spray your pillow and bedding a few times from 20-30 cm away and give it a few minutes to dry. House dust mites live mostly in the bed; washing your bedding once a week at 60 °C also reduces the mite load.
- Can I use it in a home with children, pregnancy or pets?
- Yes. It is water-based and contains no chlorine, alcohol or propellant. It can be used in babies' and children's rooms, and around pregnant women and pets. Apply it before the child is in the room, not while they are there; don't spray it at the face, the eyes or onto an animal.
- Can I use it at a nursery, in the office, in the car or on public transport?
- Yes, it is made for indoor spaces. At a nursery, apply it to play mats, cushions and nap beds; in the office, to meeting rooms, chairs and the air-conditioning filter; in the car, to the seats and headliner; on buses, the metro and taxis, to the seat upholstery and the air in the cabin.
- Does it have a scent?
- It has a light, fresh mint-menthol note, added so you can tell when you've sprayed. The ingredients on the label: Aqua, Bacillus Ferment, Perfume. It doesn't leave a heavy smell in the room.
- Does it help with bad odours too?
- Yes. Bad odours are produced by microorganisms that feed on residue. The probiotics in Air Biotics use up these microorganisms' food sources, helping to reduce how much odour forms. Room sprays, on the other hand, just add a new scent on top of the smell.
- How do I use it for cat litter odour?
- Spray around the litter tray and on your pet's bed from 20-30 cm away, and leave to dry. The litter still needs changing regularly; in between, Air Biotics helps reduce how far the smell spreads.
- How do I use it for air conditioner smells?
- With the air conditioner switched off, take out the indoor unit's filter, spray it from 20-30 cm away and leave it to dry. The smell comes from a filter that stays damp, so the filter also needs washing regularly.
- Can I add it to a humidifier?
- Because it is water-based, you can add 1-2 capfuls to the tank of a cold-mist humidifier, depending on the size of the tank. Don't use it in devices that heat water to make steam.
- Can I use it in the car?
- Yes. Lightly spray the seats, headliner and floor mats from 20-30 cm away, and leave the doors open for a short while. Don't spray directly onto the dashboard or screens. In a study in Poland, 23.5% of the cars tested had high levels of cat allergen; the allergen was also found in cars that had never carried an animal.
- Is it a disinfectant?
- No. Air Biotics is not a disinfectant or a medicine. It is a product that supports the air and fabrics in indoor spaces with probiotics and helps reduce the allergen and odour load.
- How long does 300 ml last?
- With daily use, it covers a household's needs for 2-3 months. The 1 litre refill lasts 4-6 months when decanted into the spray bottle.
- Where can I buy it?
- Air Biotics is sold in its own store at airbiotics.com.tr. You can choose the 300 ml spray, the 1 litre refill, or a set with both; delivery is free.
Sizes
- How long does 1 litre last?
- Decanted into the spray bottle, it covers a family's daily needs for 4-6 months. It refills the 300 ml bottle about three times.
- Which spray bottle can I decant it into?
- We recommend the Air Biotics 300 ml bottle. If you use a different bottle, make sure it is clean and dry and has never held a chemical product.
- How long does the set last?
- With daily use, the 300 ml bottle lasts 2-3 months; the 1 litre refill fills the bottle about three more times. Altogether, it covers a household's needs for a long time.
Odours
- What causes house dust mite allergy?
- The allergy is mostly caused not by the mite itself but by proteins in its faecal pellets; the best known is Der p 1. The pellets become airborne and are breathed in when you shake out the bedding or plump up a pillow.
- Does mite allergy affect sleep?
- Yes. A study of 591 allergic rhinitis patients found that rhinitis disrupted every dimension of sleep; the more severe the symptoms, the worse the sleep.
- Is cat allergy caused by the fur?
- No. The main source of the allergy is the protein Fel d 1; it is produced in the cat's skin and salivary glands and transfers to the fur as the cat grooms itself. The fur is only the carrier.
- Why do symptoms appear when the cat isn't in the room?
- Some of the particles carrying Fel d 1 are smaller than 5 micrometres; they stay suspended in the air for hours and are carried on clothing.
- Did probiotic treatment work on public transport?
- Two identical trains on the Milan metro were compared for 12 weeks. In the air filter of the train whose air and surfaces were treated with probiotics, the pathogen load measured about 75% lower than in the train disinfected with chlorine.
- What's in a room spray?
- The label often just says 'parfum', but that word covers a mixture of dozens of substances. A study of 25 scented products measured 133 different volatile organic compounds, an average of 17 per product. Of these, only ethanol was listed on a product label.
- Does air freshener turn into other substances in the air?
- Yes. Terpenes such as limonene react with ozone in indoor air; this reaction can produce secondary pollutants such as formaldehyde, as well as ultrafine particles.
- Why does cat litter smell of ammonia?
- Fresh urine doesn't smell sharp. The enzyme urease, produced by bacteria in the environment, breaks down the urea in urine into ammonia and carbon dioxide. The longer the litter sits, the further the conversion goes and the stronger the smell.
- Why doesn't cigarette smell go when you open a window?
- Nicotine and other compounds in the smoke cling to curtains, sofas, walls and dust; researchers call this residue thirdhand smoke. Opening a window changes the air but doesn't touch the residue inside the fabric.
- What causes foot odour?
- Sweat is odourless. Staphylococcus epidermidis, which lives naturally on the skin, breaks down the amino acid leucine in sweat and produces isovaleric acid; this acid is the main component of foot odour.
- How do you use Air Biotics on shoes?
- Spray inside the shoes and onto the inner lining of your gym bag, and let it dry before wearing.
- Why does the air conditioner smell sour when you switch it on?
- When the air conditioner runs, water condenses in the indoor unit and the filter stays wet. Mould and bacteria grow on the wet filter; a study in Japan found that the mould load in air-conditioner filters was about 5 times that in carpets. The smell is strongest when the unit is first switched on.
- What is the damp smell?
- It is made up of volatile compounds released into the air by mould and bacteria growing on damp surfaces as part of their metabolism. These are called MVOCs; 1-octen-3-ol, which smells like mushrooms, is one of them.
- How do you use Air Biotics for a damp smell?
- Spray 3-5 times inside the wardrobe and into the room air, and repeat regularly in enclosed spaces. If damp is the source of the smell, it won't go for good until the damp is dealt with; don't neglect ventilation.
- What causes fishy smell?
- As fish is left to stand, bacteria convert a compound called TMAO in the flesh of sea fish into trimethylamine. What we call a fishy smell comes largely from this substance.
- Why does frying smell last for days?
- As oil vapour cools, it settles on the curtains, the cooker hood filter and cupboard doors. Opening the window clears the smell from the air, but the thin film of oil on surfaces keeps on smelling.
- How do you use Air Biotics in the kitchen?
- Once you've finished cooking, spray 3-5 times into the room air, and onto the curtains from 20-30 cm away.