Clean Sweep... In a recent online survey, Echo Research, on behalf of The American Cleaning Institute (ACI), asked 1,777 U.S. adult consumers whether they or someone in their household spring cleans every year; 72% said spring cleaning was an annual ritual. Eight percent said they spring clean every few years or less often, while 5% said every other year. Twelve percent said they never spring clean. Among those who do spring clean at one time or another, 76% target the bedroom, followed by the kitchen (73%), bathroom (69%) family room or den (61%) and dining room (45%). Sixty-nine percent of respondents indicated that economic conditions have influenced their home cleaning behaviors. The top two changes include buying less expensive cleaning products and cleaning more themselves rather than hiring a service. While women overall remain considerably more likely than men to claim sole responsibility for household cleaning, the gender gap continues to narrow, according to market research from Mintel. Roughly nine out of 10 men claim to at least share responsibility for housecleaning, and about one third say they take sole responsibility, up from just 17% in 2006. Usage incidence of glass cleaners and general household cleaners, the two most widely used types of surface cleaners, has held steady between 2005 and 2012. Seven in 10 consumers agreed that disinfection has become more important to them when cleaning their homes, making it a key benefit for surface cleaner brands to incorporate into products. Household surface cleaners showed 1.8% growth in 2012. Despite the overall economizing mindset of the past five years caused by difficult economic conditions, consumers continue to gravitate to new products that help them clean more quickly and easily or tackle old cleaning problems in new, more effective ways. Mass merchandisers, warehouse clubs, and dollar stores continue to capture household surface cleaner sales. Together, these channels account for nearly 69% of category sales in 2012, up nearly two points since 2010 at the expense of traditional supermarkets and drug stores. Private label share is relatively low at 8.1% of category sales, said Mintel. Green gains momentum Continued consumer interest in more sustainable lifestyles has driven the U.S. market for “Green” (eco-friendly) cleaning products—including household surface cleaners and laundry products—to total retail sales of $640 million in 2011, up By Ava Caridad, Editor Continued on next page September 2013 Spray 17
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