“Consumers expect their cleaning products to do it all. Performance is paramount, but brands looking to redefine ‘clean’ will need to unlock additional benefits as well,” said Kristen Mauch, application development specialist, homecare and industrial cleaning, Ingredients + Specialties, Univar Solutions.

According to Mauch, “cleaning is an act of self-care for many consumers,” and home care brands are evolving to match this mindset through beauty-inspired ingredients and luxury fragrances.

“Microbiome-supportive formulations also help consumers clean with purpose, and we see this synergy between personal care and home care growing over the next few years. Elevated, sustainable additions like enzymes and microbes align with this trend and are well positioned to support convenient and effective cleaning products,” Mauch noted.

As consumers have set a high bar—think ethically minded, high-performing and cost-effective products that are both easy to use and aesthetically appealing, formulators are challenged to balance form and function.

“We’re seeing increased interest in probiotic cleaning, with consumers looking for products that are kinder to the home and the planet,” said Mauch.

Microbial products such as Microvia Pro from Novonesis can help brands tap into this trend without sacrificing performance, according to Univar.

In fabric care, cellulases continue to command interest. Cellulases act on broken fibrils on the surface of fabrics, releasing trapped soils and particulates. This smoothing effect also helps prevent soil redeposition during the wash, reducing graying and dullness.

According to Mauch, cellulases help address several market trends by offering fabric care claims that enable laundry brands to differentiate themselves and gain share.

Care cellulases, such as Carezyme Elite, help remove fuzz and pilling from garments, refreshing older textiles and keeping clothes looking newer for longer. Carezyme Elite is a protease-stabilized care cellulase, meaning brands don’t have to choose between effective soil removal and fabric care, according to Univar Solutions.

Balancing Clean and Care

Detergent needs are shaped by fashion trends but what about shopping habits? For example, today’s consumers are leaning into sustainability and economics, and are thrifting their clothing. ThredUp, the online clothing resale marketplace, predicts the secondhand apparel market will reach $78.8 billion by 2030, growing at an average annual rate of approximately 7.3%.

BASF’s Lavergy C Care 100 is a cellulase that delivers fabric and color care benefits over multiple wash cycles. It is 100% biobased, readily biodegradable and CleanGredients-listed.

BASF’s portfolio also includes ingredients like Sokalan HP 56, which delivers superior dye transfer inhibition and helps keep clothes looking newer for longer. It is effective across a wide range of direct and reactive dyes, even at low dosages, and performs well in cold water and short-cycle washes.

The Power of Scent

The role of fragrance in household cleaning and fabric care continues to evolve. In addition to core functionality, scent is shaping the consumer experience.

In laundry, capsules have become a must-have for delivering long-lasting freshness in fabric enhancers and are increasingly being used in detergents.

Popscent Eco 3.0, the latest generation of DSM’s ECHA-compliant eco capsules, is optimized to perform effectively after tumble drying. The capsules deliver the performance and sensory experience consumers expect, are biodegradable, and can be used across a wide range of laundry applications, according to DSM.

Malodor control is another key consumer need across laundry and cleaning. According to DSM’s research, 75% of consumers experience odor when opening their washing machine.

Over the past decade, DSM has paired its traditional reactive chemistry approach to malodor with investments in receptor science. This has created options like ClearSense Moldy, which combats washing machine odors and helps prevent odor transfer to damp clothing. It is a solution that delivers a pleasant, clean sensory profile rather than a heavy or overly functional scent, according to the company.

In other developments, Haloscent, which releases dual floral notes during the wash and dry cycles to enhance fragrance bloom and longevity, is now fully TSCA-registered, according to DSM.

“2026 will reward companies that combine science, speed, value and sustainable performance, especially in categories as visible and regulated as home and cleaning,” noted Tathiana Remick, DSM’s  vice president, regional consumer brands-North America and president of Agilex Fragrances.

For more on what’s trending in household care, see our May 2026 feature story, Household Cleaning Enters its UX Era.