Clorox Enters Booming Market for 'Green' Cleaners

MICHELE NORRIS, host:

From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Michele Norris.

ROBERT SIEGEL, host:

And I'm Robert Siegel.

If we say Clorox, chances are you think bleach or some other cleaning product with a stern safety warning. But Clorox is also making a big push into the market for eco-friendly cleaning supplies. It's a tiny but fast-growing business.

NPR's Elaine Korry reports from San Francisco on the company's first new brand in decades - a line of green products.

ELAINE KORRY: In a Clorox test kitchen, scientist Sumi Cate leans over a white tiled countertop that has a nasty grease stain. She's attacking it with one of the company's new Green Works cleaners.

Ms. SUMI CATE (Scientist, The Clorox Company): So I'm going to spray the product, and one of the things you'll notice is that the grease literally starts to melt away. And so when you wipe the product, it's completely clean.

KORRY: So how does it work? Well, Clorox isn't telling. It's a closely guarded secret. They will say that scientists spent years perfecting a formula created from scratch, derived from plant-based ingredients such coconuts and lemons. There are five cleaners in the new line, apple-green liquids in bottles adorned with a bright yellow flower. We tested four of them and they all seem to work as well as the leading competitor.

Brand manager Matt Kohler says Clorox picked the name Green Works precisely to fight the perception among consumers that natural products don't work.

Mr. MATT KOHLER (Green Works Brand Manager, The Clorox Company): If you look at the green cleaning category right now, it's less than 1 percent of sales. So lots of consumers want green cleaning options but they're not really adopting them because they are not satisfied with the options that are available to them. So we really thought like there was this market of underserved consumers.

KORRY: A few small firms such Seventh Generation and Method have been selling natural biodegradable household cleaners for years. But their products are expensive and their loyal customers aren't typical consumers - they eat organic and shop at farmers markets or health food stores.

Joel Makower, the editor of GreenBiz.com, says the mainstream consumers are willing to try green products but they're asking themselves a whole list of questions.

Mr. JOEL MAKOWER (Editor, GreenBiz.com): Yes, I want to buy a green product if it comes from a brand I know, if I buy where I already shop, the quality's at least as good, price is the same or maybe I'll pay a little bit more and that it has some other benefit besides it being green, that it's healthier or that it's just plain cool.

KORRY: Makower says that's a high hurdle for new products, but he thinks Green Works may just have what it takes.

This Safeway store, east of San Francisco is promoting the new Green Works line with a dollar-off coupon. Assistant manager Antoinette Caluya(ph) has bought a few of the cleaners and she's impressed. She likes that their effective while being less toxic.

Ms. ANTOINETTE CALUYA (Assistant Manager, Safeway Store): Because I wanted something safer for the kids and for my house.

KORRY: And what do you think?

Ms. CALUYA: I thought they worked well. They smell really good as well, so it didn't have that harsh smell, but it has worked really well. It was really refreshing - I enjoyed the smell.

KORRY: Caluya says the products just came out, so it's hard to say how they're doing. Joel Makower says the market conditions are right for more eco-friendly products to cross over into the mainstream.

Mr. MAKOWER: 2008 is going to be the year in which the big consumer companies start really bringing green products to market.

KORRY: And Steve Ashkin, the executive director of the Green Cleaning Network, says the big consumer retailers - Wal-Mart, Target and major supermarket chains - are excited about these new brands. He says their commitment will propel even more product development.

Mr. STEVE ASHKIN (Executive Director, Green Cleaning Network): This is going to heat up very quickly in the marketplace because none of the competition is going to want to be left out.

KORRY: According to Ashkin, don't be surprised if Clorox rivals such as Procter & Gamble and S.C. Johnson also rush new green product lines to the shelf.

Elaine Korry, NPR News, San Francisco. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright National Public Radio.