After experiencing declines from 2001-04, home laundry product sales at current prices stand at $7.7 billion, having increased 6% during 2004-06. Recent growth is significant given the commodity status of home laundry products, with 98% of respondents reporting that laundry products are used in their households, according to the 2005 Simmons NCS.

From a demographic perspective, the rise in the Hispanic population and the number and size of Hispanic households is driving the market forward. The combination of Hispanics’ increased household growth and increased presence of children makes them a very important driver for the home laundry market.

General trends regarding household size and average household size are also impacting the market. During this decade, the United States has experienced an increase in the number of American households, and historical highs in the home ownership rate, which together translates into an increase in the absolute number of homes that are owned. However, the average size of households has declined from 2.62 persons in 1995 to 2.57 persons in 2005, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and the decline is forecast to continue through 2010.

Mintel’s research reveals that gender issues play a complex, important role in not only who does the laundry at home, but also who buys laundry products, and the varying reasons certain products are bought.

For example, according to Mintel’s exclusive research, male respondents who bought laundry products in the last six months are more likely than females to have bought detergents containing fabric softener or bleach but not buy them separately. To properly target their users, marketers and manufacturers will need to carefully navigate these important distinctions.

The following laundry products are included in this report:

Clothes washing detergents (powder, liquid, and tablets)

Fabric softener (sheets and liquid)

Bleach (liquid and powder)

Starch (spray and liquid)

Pre-treaters, soaks and boosters

Home dry cleaning kits

Static control sprays

Laundry supplements, such as fabric refreshers and wrinkle reducers.