Washing Machine Cleaner Market Trends

Growth Drivers  

• Rising calls for quick solutions: As the percentage of smart appliances increase and living standards improve, there is a growing call for quick solutions in washing machine cleaning. The busy lifestyle of consumers drives demands for time-saving solutions for household chores. As innovations increase, the launch of washing machine cleaners that are easy to use and require minimal effort have high demand. Additionally, washing machine filters should be cleaned every three months to maintain their life expectancy. For instance, in March 2023, True Fresh launched easy-to-use washing machine cleaner tablets that can be used in front loading, top loading, and heavy-duty commercial machines.
• Increasing percentage of appliance ownership: The percentage of appliance ownership has significantly grown. Emerging economies have seen a significant rise in appliance ownership, which results in greater demand for washing machine cleaners. For instance, the Indian Brand and Equity Foundation valued the washing machine market in India at USD 8.4 million. The increase in machine ownership globally leads to greater demands for convenient machine cleaning solutions. Additionally, the disposable income in middle-class families has been increasing. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a report for 2023 indicating disposable income in households increasing by USD 40 thousand in Germany, USD 33 thousand in Italy, and USD 31 thousand in Denmark and rising disposable income leads to greater investment in household solutions products such as washing machine cleaners.
• Growing demands for sustainable cleaning products: As call for sustainable, chemical free products intensifies, there is a shift in consumer purchasing trends towards eco-friendly household supplies. In May 2021, the World Economic Forum stated google searches pertaining to sustainable goods had increased a whooping 71% since 2016 and the increase in demand for sustainable products is seen in both emerged and emerging economies. Sustainable washing machine cleaners are devoid of phosphates and chloride, and contain plant-based enzymes for cleaning. For instance, in September 2020, Unilever announced that it plans to eliminate the use of fossil fuels in its cleaning products by 2030.

Challenges

• Challenges from DIY cleaning: The growing popularity of do it yourself (DIY) cleaning solutions derails the sale of specialized washing machine cleaners. Social media platforms such as YouTube have played a vital role in disseminating DIY washing machine cleaning solutions and consumers adopt it owing to the cost-effective nature. DIY cleaning solutions do not have specialized cleaning materials that can effectively engage in deep cleaning of washing machines. Brands are investing in quality marketing of their washing machine cleaning products as competition from DIY cleaning solutions intensify.

• Limitations in consumer perception: The consumer perception on specialized washing machine cleaners has remained limited. Consumers can skip investing on quality washing machine cleaners as pre-conceived notions such as cleaning with hot water or standard detergents prevail. Brands have to invest in marketing campaigns to raise awareness in consumers which can increase operational costs for smaller brands. To effectively combat this challenge, it is pertinent to educate consumers on the benefits of washing machine cleaners in improving life expectancy of the appliance and greater energy efficiency.