“It’s an interesting time to be talking to people about cleaning,” according to Natalie Swanson of Folk Research, “because cleaning is actually quite cool at the moment. There’s lots of people on social media who have been dubbed ‘cleanfluencers’, who are out there doing extreme cleaning and extolling the practical and emotional value of cleaning your house.”
At the same time, consumers are becoming more aware of the cleaning products themselves and the chemicals contained in them – great for cutting through grime, not so great for the user, their immediate family or the wider environment.
That’s the context in...