Americans continue to see cleaning as essential to their daily lives, but habits are evolving. The vast majority—nearly 80% in a recent survey conducted by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI)—said they planned to spring clean, but many admitted they are inconsistent when it comes to regular cleaning. In fact, according to the ACI survey, which was conducted by Wakefield Research, 56% of respondents said they would be embarrassed to share the last time they cleaned their refrigerator and 40% had the same feelings about their toilet.

Rather than carving out a weekend morning for chores, cleaning has become more piecemeal. According to Clorox’s Home Care Redefined report released earlier this year, “in-the-flow” cleaning is now the top way Americans clean. 

Those intentional moments add up over time. Americans are spending, on average, 5.6 hours a week cleaning—up from five hours in 2016. Consumers have also incorporated two additional cleaning sessions to their weekly routines, according to Clorox’s report.

Consumers’ expectations of home care have “fundamentally changed,” according to Oksana Sobol, vice president of marketing insights at The Clorox Company. For example, consumers say social and emotional factors are now top reasons why they clean. According to the Clorox survey, 60% said they view cleaning as way to boost their mood and confidence.

The survey also revealed some generational differences in approach and attitude. For example, 41% of Gen Z feel that simple tasks like wiping surfaces are sufficient compared to just 9% for older consumers. Nearly half (49%) of Gen Z  said they look forward to cleaning compared to a just 18% of older consumers. 

Could it be that they just haven’t been at it as long or is it their attitude? Gen Z is shaping the narrative about cleaning online, posting on social media that they are “giving the dishes a bath”—not just washing them after a meal. 

Indie Longevity

Indie cleaning brand Nellie’s has spent two decades keeping its narrative focused on sustainable, performance-driven products. 

In 2006, entrepreneur James Roberts launched Nellie’s dryer balls at what was then known as the Chicago Housewares Show. Twenty years later, they remain a top-seller alongside Nellie’s four-ingredient laundry soda (a powder formula designed to dissolve quickly in water), a chlorine-free oxygen brightener, a dish powder and its Wow Stick stain remover.

“As we head into our 20th anniversary, we’re incredibly proud of the team, the real reason Nellie’s is still standing. If you’ve worked at a growing brand, you know the product isn’t what keeps it alive; the people do,” noted Roberts. “This milestone is about continuing to create products that support cleaner homes, simpler routines and a more thoughtful way of living.”

The North Vancouver, BC-based company says its laundry and dish cubes reflect everything Nellie’s stands for: less plastic, less chemicals and a more effective, natural clean. Free from PVA and microplastics, the products deliver concentrated cleaning power in a reusable tin that holds 64 doses.

Nellie’s, which manufactures the cubes on its own production line, says the pre-measured unit dose design has been formulated to outperform pods, strips and liquid detergents every single time. 

Powder is a mainstay at Nellie’s for one reason: it performs better.

“The efficiency of powder per gram, as any chemist will tell you, is more effective,” Roberts said.

Consumers appear to be interested in powder laundry detergents. According to Circana, dollar sales of powder laundry detergent rose 12.3% and units jumped 13.7% for the 52 weeks ended March 22, 2026. 

New Formulas

Companies are making upgrades and reformulating their household care products to meet the needs of today’s evolving market.

CLR Brands, for example, has released Natural Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover, a 100% plant-based version of its “OG” product. The new formulation contains lactic acid derived from corn and glycerol derived from plants. According to Rafael Ortiz, chief technology officer, the use of renewable plant-based ingredients allows CLR Brands (and parent company Jelmar) to reduce its carbon footprint.

Biom, which says it is out to reshape the wipes space, expanded its line with a disinfecting wipe that is quat-free and made with 100% plant-based, biodegradable substrate. The formulation is built around plant-derived citric acid and has EPA Safer Choice approved ingredients. The wipes are packaged in flexible film that brand officials say reduces plastic waste by 90% relative to the canisters that have been standard in the category. The pack fits inside Biom’s refillable dispenser, which is designed to stay out on top of the counter, not under the sink.

Method recently released Super Shine, a new line of dish care that includes liquid dish soap, foaming spray and refill formats. The liquid dish soap contains amylase and protease to target food soils immediately on contact. The foaming dish spray has amylase, protease and lipase to cut through fats like butter, oil and grease. 

Super Shine is available in three scents plus Free + Clear. Each bottle (excluding caps and triggers) is made from 100% collected and recycled plastic. The foaming dish spray trigger, which the brand describes as “new-to-market,” delivers wide-spray coverage and is designed to be reused with refills. 

P&G has made upgrades to the Mr. Clean franchise, including changes that make the Magic Eraser “more robust and easier” to use.

For example, Mr. Clean Shower & Tub Scrubber and Shower & Tub Foaming Magic Eraser feature a built-in squeegee and a 360-degree pivoting head for hard-to-reach places, offering a deep clean in half the time versus leading all-purpose bleach sprays, according to the company. Additionally, the eraser is said to last five times longer when attached to the Shower & Tub Scrubber versus Mr. Clean Shower & Tub Foaming Magic Eraser alone. 

In addition, Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Whole Home Extra Durable and Extra Durable XL have a sturdier and more comfortable grip and Mr. Clean Kitchen Grease Foaming Magic Eraser is now “denser” so it cuts tough burnt-on grease and other kitchen messes.

These upgrades fall in line with what Scott Rodrigue, chief R&D and innovation officer, fabric and home care, flavor and fragrance, said during the ACI Annual Meeting in January: P&G is “in the business of doing chores and helping consumers do them in a much easier way.”

[For formulation and ingredient insight from industry suppliers, click here.]

New Players

More players want in on the action happening in the household care market. As this issue headed to press, two new indie brands entered the category: Lindry Lab and Nowadays.

Newcomer Lindry Lab was founded by Lindsey Boyd, a co-founder of The Laundress, a specialty laundry and home care brand that was acquired by Unilever in 2019. For her second venture, Boyd wanted to create a product line that met her standards across three core pillars: formula, fragrance and packaging. 

“My approach is rooted in the same foundation—but it’s more exacting now because I know more,” Boyd told Happi.

The line currently includes laundry detergents that are 4x concentrated as well as fabric care options like clothing and home scent oils and wool dryer balls. The formulas include USDA biobased ingredients, plant-based surfactants, concentrated enzymes and naturally derived fragrances. Bottles are 100% PCR.

“The desire to create exceptional products has never changed but my standards have. My expectations around formulation, fragrance and overall integrity are higher today, shaped by experience and a deeper understanding of ingredients and how they perform,” said Boyd. “That evolution has pushed me to be more intentional and more rigorous in every decision—ultimately leading to a more uncompromising approach to product development and what I believe the next standard for the category should be.”

Nowadays is a new household care brand created by Dana MacDonald, a CPG veteran who has worked at L’Oréal, J&J and The Laundress in sales and commercial strategy and retail channel management.

MacDonald told Happi that while her idea manifested quickly, turning Nowadays into a “real, scalable product” took more time because the products needed to clean as well as or better than traditional liquid products. 

“We went through multiple rounds of formulation to make sure performance was there, worked closely with manufacturing partners to get the cube format right and spent a lot of time refining packaging so it aligned with our goals around being plastic-free and compact,” she said.

MacDonald was also focused on nailing Nowadays’ scents. They include Sunday Morning (a citrus rooted in rich ambery notes) and Barefoot Somewhere (jasmine with warm musky notes and patchouli).

“For decades, brands have trained consumers to associate very specific, often overpowering fragrances with ‘clean.’ But what’s interesting now is that modern consumers are starting to question that. They still want that signal, but they want it to feel more intentional, more elevated and more aligned with their lifestyle,” she said.

In home care, “scent is becoming more of an extension of personal identity, similar to how people think about fragrance in beauty or candles. It’s less about masking and more about creating a vibe,” she added.

Nowadays is likely to appeal to Gen Z and younger millennials—people who are rethinking everyday routines and more open to new formats, according to the MacDonald. 

“We’re targeting people who want a smarter way to clean, with less clutter, less waste and a better experience,” she said.