In September, a mysterious package landed on my doorstep. It was large and thoughtfully wrapped, and inside I found a never-before-seen assortment of cleaning products from a very familiar name: The Laundress. Instead of arriving in the brand’s signature crisp white bottles, its new Beauty Sleep collection was clad with a deep indigo label and metallic-gold-lettered font. The fragrance was also new—more musky than sweet, punctuated by notes of spicy and earthy jasmine. The brand was carving a new path, distinct from its previous incarnation.
It’s no surprise that The Laundress is trying something new. In late 2022, the high-end cleaning brand was rocked by scandal when it abruptly pulled all its products from stores, citing safety concerns—more specifically, “the potential presence of elevated levels of bacteria,” including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a germ that can cause infections of the skin, blood, lungs or other parts of the body. The brand’s parent company, Unilever, was hit with a class-action lawsuit within days of the news breaking. (The company filed claims for dismissal; the case is still pending.)
At the time, it was reasonable to wonder whether the recall would put The Laundress out of business. It didn’t. The company undertook a massive recall (it still offers refunds for items purchased before July 2023), found a new manufacturer, modified its formulas, tweaked its branding, and re-emerged in mid-2023 with a curated selection of eight of its best-selling products—compared to more than 100 pre-recall SKUs. “We intentionally focused on a streamlined portfolio that allowed us to incorporate customer feedback and meticulously ensure product quality on an accelerated relaunch timeline,” Hannah Yokoji, head of marketing at The Laundress, tells Business of Home. “It was also important to us that our relaunch products were visually differentiated so that customers could distinguish new products; the new detergents are transparent, with a lightweight consistency for improved dosing and matte labels with new product language.”
The Laundress’s reincarnation also included brand-new products. In June 2024, it unveiled a fresh line of home cleaning goods—followed by the aforementioned Beauty Sleep series and an array of de-wrinkling fabric sprays. Customers, as it turned out, were eager to forgive and forget. “Our July 2023 relaunch was among the best sales days in our brand’s history,” says Yokoji. “Beauty Sleep is now our second-best-selling SKU, just behind Signature Classic, and it sold out three times within four months.”
The Laundress’s surprising comeback may be a testament to a savvy redesign, or a sharp crisis-response strategy. But just as likely: The demand never really went away. The global market for household cleaning products continues to grow, with an estimated value of more than $270 billion in 2024 and a projected value of nearly $380 billion by 2032, according to new data released by Fortune Business Insights. The report also notes the surging consumer demand for transparency, trustworthiness, and natural, eco-friendly goods—precisely the notes The Laundress is trying to hit.
Unsurprisingly, sales at other companies offering sophisticated cleaning and laundry products have also soared. In 2021, Seattle-based friends and entrepreneurs Lindsay Droz and Kristi Lord launched L’Avant Collective on a mission to create high-performing, plant-based home care goods. The brand’s presentation is artful: Think dish soaps in ceramic-like vessels and dusty-pink bottles of multipurpose surface spray in scents such as citrusy Blushed Bergamot and bamboo-infused Fresh Linen. “We’re inspired by the belief that everyday cleaning routines can be transformed from the mundane into something beautiful and luxurious,” says Droz.
L’Avant Collective’s business has grown over 2,400 percent since launch, due in large part to its expansion into design-savvy retailers, online and off. Goop was the first big name to offer the brand’s products in 2021, followed by McGee & Co., Bloomingdale’s, The Container Store, and most recently, Nordstrom. “Though [The Laundress recall] did open doors—and shelf space with retailers—for us, it also validated our confidence in the market,” says Lord. “Consumers and retailers didn’t revert to harsh, cheaper options; they’re committed to eco-friendly products that enhance the cleaning experience.”
Minneapolis-based brand Branch Basics, founded by Marilee Nelson, Allison Evans and Kelly Love, brought its all-natural, 100 percent biodegradable cleaning products to the market in 2012; in recent years, the company has seen a similar boom in demand. Last year, it launched its refillable offerings on Amazon, and now boasts an audience of more than 1.5 million followers between its email subscribers and social media platforms.
“We continue to hope that consumers will use their power of purchase to help raise the industry standard for safe, healthy products, and that brands will continue doing the right thing to provide products to the market that prioritize human health first,” says Carly Proett, head of brand marketing at Branch Basics.
New York–based Blueland is another health-minded home company that has earned a devoted fan base. The B Corp brand debuted in 2019 with its Clean-Up Kit, and now offers 13 cleaning products—including its best-selling laundry and dishwasher detergent tablets—with plastic-free packaging and Certified CLEAN ingredients. Since its inception six years ago, the business continues to make waves in retail, partnering with cult-favorite fashion brands such as Reformation and offering its goods nationwide at Whole Foods stores and select Costco locations. “Despite a direct-to-consumer downturn in the industry, Blueland has continued to grow without additional outside capital [since 2022],” says Blueland co-founder and CEO Sarah Paiji Yoo. “We reached profitability in 2023, have grown 40 percent year-over-year, and to date, have exceeded over $200 million in sales.”
Textile brands are getting into the mix with their own solutions, as well. In March 2023, Brooklinen released its first-ever laundry and fabric care collection, complete with a compostable bleach alternative, a naturally hypoallergenic fabric softener, a stain remover, and a selection of ultra-concentrated, plant-fueled detergents with streamlined bottles and perfume-grade scents. “We wanted to create this line to help our customers lengthen the lifespan of their products and care for them in the simplest way possible,” says Kelly Hannon, the brand’s chief merchandising officer.
If the rise of these home care brands teaches us anything, it’s that there’s a growing demand for transparently labeled, naturally fragrant cleaning products that are easy on the environment and the eyes. “We hear it from our community on a daily basis through direct messages, calls, reviews and emails,” says Lord. “A growing segment of the market considers cleaning their home an act of self-care, and our products bring our customers joy—a feeling not typically associated with household chores.”
