Green Household Cleaning Products in the U.S.: Bathroom Cleaners, Laundry Care and Dish Detergents and Household Cleaners

The U.S. market for household and laundry cleaning products is well on its way to a major shift in marketing strategies, product innovation and ingredient stories—primarily due to the continued consumer interest and understanding of greener and more sustainable lifestyles. The sweet spot for accelerated growth and highly profitable sales looks to be in eco-friendly products that target multiple consumer desires rather than a single stand alone functional benefit. These benefits may include: efficacy, safety, ease-of-use and convenience mixed with more emotional and sensory benefits. While green cleaners accounted for just a small sliver of the overall household cleaner market in 2009, Packaged Facts expects more and more consumers to make cleaning a lifestyle choice rather than simply a sanitary chore, pushing green cleaners from the fringe into the mainstream.

This all new Packaged Facts report, “Green” Household Cleaning Products in the U.S. , looks into the several factors affecting green household and laundry cleaning product growth and offers opportunities for those nimble enough to take advantage of a market expected to more than double its share of the total household cleaning market by 2014. The report includes a detailed sales performance analysis of the major players in the U.S. green household cleaning and laundry products market and is put in context with the overall household cleaner market. Also included is an extensive look at marketplace, consumer, and new product trends affecting the industry, including analysis based on Packaged Facts' proprietary consumer survey conducted in February 2010. The green household cleaning product segments covered include:

  • Dish Detergents
  • Bathroom Cleaners
  • General Household Cleaners
  • Laundry Care & Detergents
  • Miscellaneous Cleaners

Read an excerpt from this report below.


Market Insights: A Selection From The Report


Scents of Note: Citrus, Ozone, Florals

In terms of broader scent arenas, citrus (64), ozone (28), and florals (28) have dominated introductions. The history of citrus in cleaning products is long as citrus scents evoke efficacy, but more modern scents such as lavender and ozone are moving into the efficacy space too. More interesting is the introduction of more scents based on herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, coriander, rosemary, and thyme, and those that reflect an Asian inspiration such as green tea, ylang ylang, lemongrass, eucalyptus, and kai.

Mainstream Marketers Continue to Introduce Green

Several powerful mainstream marketers have launched green household products in the past few years. These include The Clorox Co. (Green Works household cleaners, dish and laundry products), Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (Arm & Hammer Essentials household cleaners); and SC Johnson & Son, Inc. (Nature’s Source household cleaners). Packaged Facts fully expects that other major household names are also developing greener products that will be introduced to market soon.

Packaged Facts Surveys on Use of Green Household Cleaners

Packaged Facts online consumer surveys conducted in February 2009 and February 2010 indicate that the green household cleaners market is capitalizing to a degree on opportunities for growth. As of February 2009, 38% of online survey respondents indicated that had used natural, organic, or ecologically friendly household cleaning/laundry products within the previous 12 months. Of the total respondents, 30% had purchased green household cleaning/maintenance products, and 25% had purchased green laundry products.

A year later, according to a February 2010 online survey, 42% of adult consumers reported having used a natural, organic, or ecologically friendly household cleaning/laundry products, while 25% reported having used vinegar, lemon juice, baking soda or other common household items as alternatives to commercial-formula household cleaners. [Figure 1-9]

In the News


U.S. Market for Green Household Cleaning Products Enters Forefront of
Consumer Consciousness with Shift toward More Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Lifestyles

New York, May 24, 2010With more consumers interested in adopting a “green” lifestyle, the marketplace for socially responsible, sustainable, ethical and eco-friendly products is primed for innovation after holding its own during the recession, according to Green" Household Cleaning Products in the U.S.: Bathroom Cleaners, Laundry Care and Dish Detergents and Household Cleaners by market research publisher Packaged Facts.

Retail sales of green cleaners in 2009 totaled $557 million—split between $339 million from green household cleaning products and $218 million from green laundry products—to account for 3% of the total household and laundry cleaner retail market. Packaged Facts estimates retail sales of green cleaners grew 229% between 2005 and 2009, more than doubling their footprint in dollar terms and more than tripling their share of the total household cleaner market.

“Emotional-, therapeutic- and sensory-influenced benefits such as family safety, health and wellness, aromatherapy, style and design, and environmental concerns have emerged as important drivers in the segment,” says Don Montuori, publisher of Packaged Facts. “As green marketers better connect their products to these aspects of consumer preference the market will continue to make a transition from niche to mainstream and ultimately approach $2 billion in sales by 2014 based on our expectations.”

Packaged Facts’ proprietary online green clean consumer usage survey conducted in February 2009 and February 2010 reveals that the green household cleaners market is capitalizing to some extent on several opportunities for growth including increased visibility through the media, expanded distribution and retail channels by eco-specific green marketers and the introduction of mass-marketer brand extensions. As of February 2010, 42% of adult consumers reported having used a natural, organic, or ecologically friendly household cleaning/laundry product within the previous 12 months compared to 38% of respondents revealed in the February 2009 survey. The 42% usage rate for green household cleaners translates to 48 million households. When weighed against the market’s $557 million in sales, the amount spent on green cleaners equates to almost $12 per customer household.

"Green" Household Cleaning Products in the U.S. examines the several factors affecting green household and laundry cleaning product growth. The report includes a detailed sales performance analysis of the major players in the U.S. green household cleaning and laundry products market and is put in context with the overall household cleaner market. An extensive look at marketplace, consumer, and new product trends affecting the industry, including analysis based on Packaged Facts' proprietary consumer survey conducted in February 2010, is also provided.

About Packaged Facts - Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer goods and retailing, foods and beverages, demographics, pet products and services, and financial products. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services.

  • Executive Summary
    • Scope
    • Categories and Products
    • What Is a Green Cleaner?
    • Products Out of Scope
    • Methodology
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Green Cleaners Capture 3% of Market
      • Market Look by Category
      • Green Household Cleaners Gain Greater Market Penetration
      • Channel Sales for Green Household & Laundry Cleaners
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market Shares by Channel, 2005-2009 (in millions $)
      • Green Cleaners Double Market Share, Triple Dollar Sales by 2014
      • Green Household Cleaner Category Product Segments
      • Green Laundry Category Product Segments
      • Mass-Market Brand Extensions Move In, Change the Game
      • Eco-Specific Green Cleaners Still Dominate Dollar Sales
    • Factors to Growth
      • Green Interest and Awareness Strong Despite Economy
      • Consumers Expect Corporate Responsibility
      • Green Household Cleaning Products Shows Strong Potential
      • Many Drivers to Green Clean Growth
      • Lack of Standards for Green Household Cleaning Products
    • Marketing Activity
      • Green Marketing Effective and Here to Stay
      • Method Challenging the Majors with Print and Online
      • Mixing up the Marketing
      • Social Networking-How Many Consumers are Your Friend?
      • Viral Videos Inspire and Incite
      • Martha Stewart Tweets Her Introduction
      • Word-of-Mouth Easy with Growth of Blogs
      • Green Clean and White Wine
      • Seventh Generation and gettingkindacrunchy Blogger Giveaway
      • SC Johnson, Seventh Generation Put It Out Core Values
      • P&G Gets "Future Friendly"
      • Seventh Generation Leverages Cause Marketing
      • Greenwashing Rampant
    • Retail Perspectives
      • Natural Supermarket Growth Sets the Pace
      • Private Label Opportunity for Retailers
      • Fierce Competition for Shelf Space
      • Retailers Pushing Awareness
      • Walmart's Size Enables Major Changes to Product Lines
      • Alternative Outlets: Citra-Solv at Art Retail
    • New Product Activity
      • Yearly Increase in Number of Green Clean Product Introductions
      • Predictably, "Natural" Top Attribute in Green Cleaner Products
        • Table Estimated Number of Top Green Household Cleaning Products Tags, in the Past 12 Months*
      • Scents of Note: Citrus, Ozone, Florals
      • Mainstream Marketers Continue to Introduce Green
      • Special Needs Introductions
      • Culture of Home Decor
      • DIY Cleaning
      • Big Names Power Up Green Cleaning
      • Kosher Aligned with Green
    • Consumer
      • Overview of Sustainability Attitudes and Behaviors
      • Packaged Facts Surveys on Use of Green Household Cleaners
      • Brand Usage Patterns for Green Household Cleaners
      • Demographic Patterns: Mass Market vs. Natural Sector Brands
      • Demographics for Using Alternatives to Commercial Products
      • Psychographics Framing Green Household Cleaning Market
  • The Market
    • Scope
    • Categories and Products
    • What Is a Green Cleaner?
    • Products Out of Scope
    • Methodology
    • Market Size and Growth
      • Green Cleaners Capture 3% of Market
      • Growth Slowed Substantially in 2009
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2005-2009 (in millions $)
      • Growth Driven by Greater Mass-Market Appeal
      • Units & Prices Go Up, Up, Up
      • Mass Marketers Drive Unit Sales Expansion
      • Average Unit Prices Lower
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Green Retail Market, Average Price per Unit and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2005-2009 (in millions units)
      • Market Look by Category
      • Green Household Cleaners Gain Greater Market Penetration
      • Green Laundry Cleaners Gain Show Slower Growth
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market by Category and Yearover- Year Percent Change, 2005-2009 (in millions $)
      • Units & Prices by Category
      • Green Household Cleaner Category Unit Sales Vault Higher
      • Green Household Cleaners Show Unit Sales Gains, Average Unit Price Declines
        • Table Green Household Cleaner Retail Market, Average Price per Unit and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2005-2009 (in millions units)
      • Green Laundry Cleaners Show Unit Sales Declines, Significant Average Unit Price Increases
        • Table Green Laundry Cleaner Retail Market, Average Price per Unit and by Category and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2005-2009 (in millions units)
      • Channel Sales for Green Household & Laundry Cleaners
      • General Merchandise Stores, Supermarkets Capture Most of Market
      • Green Household Cleaners Through Home Center Stores Show Significant Gains Through 2008, Flat in 2009
      • Drug, Personal Care Store Sales Slow in 2009
      • Growth Among All Other Channels Beat Out Largest Channels
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market Shares by Channel, 2005-2009 (in millions $)
      • A Closer Look at Natural Supermarket Sales
      • Natural Supermarket Sales Decline in 2009
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market Shares by Channel: Natural Supermarkets versus All Other Channels, 2005-2009 (in millions $)
      • Mass-Marketers Push Green Cleaners into Mass-Market Channels
    • Market Forecast
      • Green Cleaners Double Market Share, Triple Dollar Sales by 2014
      • Pent Up Consumer Demand May Boost Growth in 2011
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaner Retail Market Forecast and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2009-2014 (in millions $)
      • Units & Prices Forecast
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market, Average Price per Unit and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2009-2014 (in millions units)
      • Category Forecast
      • Green Household Cleaners to Capture 11% of Total Household Cleaner Category
      • Green Laundry Growth to Outpace Green Household Cleaners
        • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market by Category and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2009-2014 (in millions $)
      • Units & Prices Forecast by Category
      • Green Household Unit Growth Robust, Price Growth Tame
        • Table Green Household Cleaning Product Retail Market Category Forecast, Average Price per Unit and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2009-2014 (in millions units)
      • Green Laundry Unit, Prices Surge Higher
        • Table Green Laundry Cleaning Product Retail Market Category Forecast, Average Price per Unit and by Category and Year-over-Year Percent Change, 2009-2014 (in millions units)
  • Segments and Products
    • Green Household Cleaner Category Product Segments
      • Dish Detergents Surge, Capturing Largest Share of Market
      • Eco-specific Green Marketers Dish Detergent Sales Growth Mixed
      • All Purpose Cleaners Gains Driven by Mass Product
      • Less Mass Brand Influence in Green Tub & Tile Cleaners
      • Toilet Bowl Cleaners, a Small Green Clean Segment Make 10% Gain
      • Glass Cleaners in Decline
      • Cloth Cleaners Sales Rocket
      • Other Cleaners, Polish Capture 7%
    • Green Household Cleaner Category Unit, Volume and Price Performance
      • Dish Detergent Unit Prices Down, Volume Prices Up
      • All-Purpose Cleaners Show Slight Average Decline in Prices
      • Cloth Cleaners Robust
      • Glass Cleaners Notable Decline in Average Selling Price
      • Tub and Tile Cleaners Down in Dollar, Flat in Units
      • Other Notable Segment Trends
        • Table Green Household Category Product Segment Performance by IRI-Tracked Metrics, 2008-2009 (in actual amounts) (%)
    • Green Laundry Category Product Segments
      • Liquid Laundry Detergents Constitute Bulk of Laundry Category
      • Fabric Softener Sheets Second Largest Product Segment
      • Bleach, Laundry Prewash/Additives Less Than 2%
    • Green Laundry Category Unit, Volume, and Price Performance
      • Green Liquid Laundry Detergent Grows 13%
      • Fabric Softener Sheets Gains Favor
      • Fabric Softener Liquid Down Sharply
        • Table Green Laundry Category Product Segment Performance by IRI-Tracked Metrics, 2008-2009 (in actual amounts)
      • Powder Laundry Detergent Gains in Volume, Loses in Dollars
      • Other Products Show Mixed Results
  • Competitive Landscape
    • Competitively Fierce But Separate Markets Converge
      • More Competition Based on Price
      • Mass Marketers Making Green Marketers Compete on Mass-Market Terms
    • Mass-Market Brand Extensions Move In, Change the Game
      • Clorox Green Works Takes Out Seventh Generation for Top Spot
      • Method's Premium Positioning Loses Out Mass-Marketers
      • Other Market Share Gainers Include a Mix of Brands
      • Other Green Cleaner Brands Lose Share
    • Market Share by Units
      • Mass-Marketers Show Share Gains
      • Green Marketers Lose Out to Mass-Marketers
    • Top Ten Green Cleaner Brands by Performance
      • Clorox Green Works Growth from Existing Products, New Product Introductions
      • Seventh Generation Leads Eco-specific Green Marketer Growth
      • Arm & Hammer Up on Laundry Products
      • Method Suffers Sales Declines from Most Products
      • Palmolive Products Clean Up
      • Caldrea/Mrs. Meyers
      • Earth Friendly Products
        • Table Top 10 Green Household & Laundry Cleaner Brands by IRI-Tracked Metrics, 2008-2009 (in millions, except price per unit)
      • Simple Green
      • Planet
      • Other Green Cleaner Brands
    • Eco-specific Green Clean Brands Still Dominate Dollar Sales
      • Mass-Marketer Product Introductions Gained Steam in 2009
      • Mass-Marketers at 47% of Market, Likely More
      • Green Works Sales at Walmart Likely Push Mass-Marketers of the 50% Threshold
      • Unit Sales Belong to Mass-Marketers
    • Green Market Brand Price Points Still High
      • Table Green Household & Laundry Cleaner IRI-Tracked Sales: Green Market Brands versus Mass Market Brand Extensions, 2009 (%)
  • Trends
    • Green Interest and Awareness Strong Despite Economy
      • Do Not Demographically Pigeonhole Greenies
      • Green Most Motivating as Part of a Broader Benefit Package
      • Consumer Intentions Far Exceed Purchasing Behavior
      • No Dearth of Data on The Growing Green Marketplace
    • Consumers Expect Corporate Responsibility
      • What Is Sustainability?
      • Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability Participation
      • Corporate Responsibility Influence on Consumers
      • Many Consumers Still Skeptical
      • Consumer Trust Enhanced by Greater Eco-ethical Commitment
    • Green Household Cleaning Products Shows Strong Potential
      • Green Cleaner Market Resilience Signals Potential Growth
      • Green Household Product Consumers Are Vast
    • Many Drivers to Green Clean Consumer Interest and Sales Growth
      • Consumer Ideal of Clean Home Shifting
      • Efficacy Improvements
      • Mainstream Marketers and Retailer Interest Piqued
      • Price Point Chasm Shrinking
    • Key Benefit Zones for Green Clean
    • Lack of Standards for Green Household Cleaning Products
      • 17,000 Cleaner Chemicals, Few Tested for Human Toxicity
    • Household Products Labeling Act
    • Green Seal an Option
      • Table Green Seal Certified Household Cleaning Products and Services, April 2010
      • CleanGredients a Clearing House of Green Ingredient Formulations
      • Greener Choices Shines Light on Labeling
      • Other Certifying Sources
    • Packaging for Household Cleaners-A Necessary Evil
      • Table Packaging Do's and Don'ts for Sustainable Household Cleaners
  • Marketing and Retail Perspectives
    • Green Marketing Effective and Here to Stay
      • Method Challenging the Majors with Print and Online
    • Mixing up the Marketing
      • Get More Green Online
      • Make Use of Interactive Platforms
      • Social Networking-How Many Consumers are Your Friend?
      • Viral Videos Inspire and Incite
      • Martha Stewart Tweets Her Introduction
      • Word-of-Mouth Easy with Growth of Blogs
      • Celebrity Green Power: Emmy Swag and Oprah's OK
      • Green Clean and White Wine
      • Seventh Generation and gettingkindacrunchy Blogger Giveaway
    • Core Company Values and Commitment Important
      • SC Johnson, Seventh Generation Put It Out There
      • P&G Gets "Future Friendly"
      • Beware of Backlash
    • Cause Marketing a Perfect Fit with Green Products
      • Seventh Generation Leverages Cause Marketing
    • Greenwashing Rampant
      • Government Holds Hearings on Fair Green Marketing Practices
      • Consumers Need More Proof for Green Claims
      • Other Sources Show Public Generally Believes Green Claims
    • Retail Activity: Natural Supermarket Growth Sets the Pace
    • Private Label Opportunity for Retailers
    • Fierce Competition for Shelf Space
      • Retailers Pushing Awareness
    • Retailers Also Push for Change
      • Walmart's Size Enables Major Changes to Product Lines
      • Walmart Pushes for Reduced Packaging
      • Universal Sustainability Index Pushed by Walmart
    • Opportunity in Alternative and Non-Traditional Outlets
      • Citra-Solv at Art Retail
  • New Product Activity
    • Yearly Increase in Number of Green Clean Product Introductions
      • Table Estimated Number of New Green Household Cleaning Products Introduced, in the Past 10 Years
      • Green Brand Names Flood Market
    • Multi-Purpose Cleaners See Most Introductions
      • Table Estimated Number of New Green Household Cleaning Products Introduced, by Segment, in the Past 12 Months*
      • Hybrid Goes for It All
    • Predictably, "Natural" Top Attribute in Green Cleaner Products
      • Non-Toxic, Sustainable and Health: Key Attributes for Green Cleaning Products
        • Table Estimated Number of Top Green Household Cleaning Products Tags, in the Past 12 Months*
    • Scents Offer Efficacy, Emotional and Sensory Benefits
      • Citrus, Ozone, Florals
      • Outside Markets Enter Cleaning Through Fragrance
      • Strength in Fragrance-Free
        • Table Top Green Household Cleaning Scent and Ingredient Tags, in the Past 12 Months*
    • Mainstream Marketers Continue to Introduce Green
      • Table SC Johnson's Selected Green Clean Mass Market Brand Introductions, Past 12 Months
    • Special Needs Introductions
    • Opportunity in Culture of Home Decor
    • DIY Cleaning
    • Big Names Power Up Green Cleaning
    • Kosher Aligned with Green
  • The Consumer
    • Note on Data Sources
    • Experian Simmons Overview of Green Attitudes and Behaviors
      • Table Recent Trends in Sustainability Attitudes and Behaviors: 2008-2009
      • Table Percent of Adults Agreeing With Selected Psychographic Statements Related to the Environment, 2009 (U.S. adults)
    • Hartman Findings on Use of Sustainable Household Cleaners
    • Packaged Facts Surveys on Use of Green Household Cleaners
    • Brand Usage Patterns for Green Household Cleaners
      • Table Usage Rates for Selected Brands of Green Household Cleaners, February 2010
    • Demographic Patterns for Mass Market Brands
      • Table Selected Demographic Indexes for Use of Mass-Market Brand Green Household Cleaners, February 2010
    • Demographic Patterns for Natural Sector Brands
      • Table Selected Demographic Indexes for Use of Natural Sector Brand Green Household Cleaners, February 2010
    • Demographics for Cross-Channel Method Brand
      • Table Selected Demographic Indexes for Use of Method Brand Household Cleaners, Fall 2009
    • Demographics for Using Alternatives to Commercial Products
    • Psychographics Framing Green Household Cleaning Market
      • Product Efficacy Still an Issue for Consumers Overall
      • Consumers Want More Product Availability
      • Everyone Wants Lower Price Points
        • Table Selected Attitudes Toward Green Household Cleaner Usage, February 2010
  • Selected Addresses of Marketers

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