Orthopedic braces trap sweat, skin cells, and bacteria against your skin for hours. This creates biofilm—a stubborn bacterial layer in the brace’s padding that causes odor, skin irritation, and potential infection. Regular antibacterial sprays kill bacteria temporarily but struggle to break up the biofilm itself. 

What makes biofilm difficult to clean? 

Biofilm is bacteria encased in a protective, glue-like layer of proteins and sugars. This biofilm shield blocks disinfectants from reaching the bacteria inside, allowing them to survive conventional disinfectants, and rebound between cleanings. (Falagas et al., 2025; Ramos & Frantz, 2023) 

How do probiotic cleaners work? 

Probiotic cleaning products use harmless Bacillus bacterial spores that: 

• Outcompete harmful and odor-causing bacteria 
• Produce enzymes that break down dirt, sweat and biofilms 
• Provide lasting protection instead of temporary sterility. (Denkel et al., 2024; Falagas et al., 2025). 

If probiotic cleaners are so amazing, why aren’t they being used? 

A study performed in Italian hospitals replaced chemical cleaners with probiotic-based products and saw: 

• 90% reduction in surface pathogens vs. chemical cleaning (Tarricone et al., 2020). 
• 50% fewer healthcare-associated infections (Caselli et al., 2018) 
• 80–99% reduction in harmful bacteria within one day, with effects lasting for days (vs. short-lived disinfectant impact) (Ramos & Frantz, 2023). 

Probiotic cleaners are being recognized as a sustainable, biodegradable alternative for healthcare surface cleaning. (Falagas et al., 2025) 

How does this apply to orthopedic braces? 

Orthopedic braces face the same challenges as hospital surfaces: contamination, moisture, and biofilm buildup. 

Probiotic sprays for braces can: 

• Reduce bacteria more effectively than conventional cleaners 
• Replace harmful bacteria with safe Bacillus species 
• Break down sweat and biofilm in padding and fabric 
• Keep working for hours or days after application 
• Avoid harsh chemicals that irritate skin or damage materials 

In summary: While direct trials on orthopedic braces are still lacking, the strong hospital evidence that probiotic cleaners significantly reduce surface bacterial loads making them a compelling, science-backed option for keeping orthopedic braces cleaner and fresher. 

References: 

Caselli, E., D’Accolti, M., Vandini, A., Lanzoni, L., Camerada, M. T., Coccagna, M., … Di Luca, D. (2016). Impact of a probiotic-based cleaning intervention on the microbiota ecosystem of the hospital surfaces: Focus on the resistome remodulation. PLOS ONE, 11(2), e0148857. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148857 

Caselli, E., Brusaferro, S., Coccagna, M., Arnoldo, L., Berloco, F., Antonioli, P., … La Fauci, V. (2018). Reducing healthcare-associated infections incidence by a probiotic-based sanitation system: A multicentre, prospective, intervention study. PLOS ONE, 13(7), e0199616. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199616 

Denkel, L. A., Voss, A., Caselli, E., Dancer, S. J., Leistner, R., Gastmeier, P., … Widmer, A. F. (2024). Can probiotics trigger a paradigm shift for cleaning healthcare environments? A narrative review. Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control, 13, 119. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-024-01474-6 

Falagas, M. E., Kontogiannis, D. S., Sargianou, M., Falaga, E. M., Chatzimichali, M., & Michaeloudes, C. (2025). Probiotic-based cleaning solutions: From research hypothesis to infection control applications. Biology, 14(8), 1043. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14081043 

Leistner, R., Kohlmorgen, B., Brodzinski, A., Schwab, F., Lemke, E., Zakonsky, G., & Gastmeier, P. (2023). Environmental cleaning to prevent hospital-acquired infections on non-intensive care units: A pragmatic, single-centre, cluster randomized controlled, crossover trial comparing soap-based, disinfection and probiotic cleaning. eClinicalMedicine, 59, 101958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101958 

Ramos, A. M., & Frantz, A. L. (2023). Probiotic-based sanitation in the built environment—An alternative to chemical disinfectants. Applied Microbiology, 3(2), 536–548. https://doi.org/10.3390/applmicrobiol3020038 

Tarricone, R., Rognoni, C., Arnoldo, L., Mazzacane, S., & Caselli, E. (2020). A probiotic-based sanitation system for the reduction of healthcare associated infections and antimicrobial resistances: A budget impact analysis. Pathogens, 9(6), 502. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9060502