Despite 55% of Germans with cleaning responsibilities believing insect pest control products are dangerous, 43% of them still use them to get rid of insects in their home. This highlights a clear need for evolution in the current market offerings. Products made with natural ingredients will better meet consumer expectations, with 49% of those with cleaning responsibilities already using home remedies to eliminate insects.
Cleaning tasks and time spent cleaning stayed stable compared to 2023, largely due to 60% of Germans with cleaning responsibilities sticking to regular cleaning routines. However, women take on more responsibility in the home than men, highlighting the continued gender gap in the household space. To support women in the home care space, brands are poised to underscore the convenience of their products, and further enhance them with mood-boosting fragrances to ease women’s stress.
Furthermore, the ongoing pressure from the cost of living crisis also led 47% of those who clean the interior of their appliances to do so to extend the appliances’ lifespans. Thus, brands need to offer guidance on machine care to support Germans in their quest to save money. This education is particularly important for younger age groups, who overzealously clean their small and large appliances daily, likely doing more damage than good.
This report looks at the following areas:
- How much time Germans spend cleaning inside the home and tending outside the home
- Typical frequency of different types of cleaning tasks in the home
- Motivations to clean the interior of appliances and the product factors Germans look for
- Behaviours and attitudes around pest control and carpet/upholstery cleaning
Close the gender cleaning gap by empowering men and supporting women’s wellness. Natural ingredients appeal to the health-conscious and help tackle appliance odours.
Yasemin Holtemayer, Household Care Research Analyst, Germany
Market Definitions
All aspects of cleaning within the family home are covered, including:
- The bathroom (eg toilet, bath, sinks, tiles)
- The kitchen (eg countertops, stovetop, tiles)
- The oven
- Small appliances
- Vacuuming floors
- Mopping floors
- Sweeping floors
- Dusting items/furniture
- Polishing furniture
- Vacuuming fabrics/upholstery
- Spot cleaning fabrics/upholstery
- Shampooing fabrics/upholstery
- Windows
- Pest control
This Report also includes caring for outdoor spaces, including:
- Gardens
- Driveways
- Garages
- Sheds
Collapse All
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Outlook
-
OPPORTUNITIES
- Cater to health-conscious consumers with natural, effective household solutions
- Support money-saving behaviours with education around appliance cleaners
- Offer effective odour prevention…
- …through natural ingredients
- Supercharge appliance cleaners with natural ingredients
- Concern around pest control holds the category back
- Reassure Germans’ health concerns through natural pest control
- German brands need to catch up to international offers
- Step up educational efforts for men and young Germans to fill knowledge gaps
- Many Germans still need support and education
- Feed AI chatbots with cleaning tips to support younger Germans
- Reassure younger consumers and help them slow down their appliance cleaning efforts to save money
- Lack of knowledge drives younger Germans’ confidence down
- Work with rug brands to educate younger consumers about carpet cleaning
- Use social media to educate men about cleaning…
- …and partner with male role models online
- Transform cleaning into a wellness experience for stressed Germans
- Support Germans’ cleaning burden with ease-of-use products
- Transform cleaning into a mindful and uplifting experience…
- …and increase mood-enhancing scents in cleaning products
- Science sparks new scent combinations
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the CONSUMER
- Amount of time spent cleaning in and around the home
- Women are more likely to clean inside the home…
- …whereas men spend slightly more time tending outside
- Graph 1: time spent cleaning outside the home, by gender, 2024
- Women still shoulder the load at home…
- …even if they are working
- Frequency of household care activities
- Cleaning habits stay on par with 2023
- Graph 2: frequency of cleaning activities around the home, 2024
- Germans’ propensity for routines reflects their stable cleaning habits
- Women shoulder the majority of daily cleaning and tidying responsibilities
- Women bear the brunt of daily cleaning and tidying
- Pet and robot ownership likely informs daily vacuum routines
- Younger consumers show an unusually high propensity for cleaning appliances daily
- Graph 3: frequency of cleaning appliances around the home, by age, 2024
- Younger Germans lack knowledge around cleaning appliances
- Appliance cleaning
- Cost-of-living concerns push appliance maintenance
- Graph 4: reasons to clean the interior of appliances, 2024
- Almost half of Germans seek to increase the longevity of their appliances
- Cost-of-living concerns push appliance maintenance
- Convenience reigns supreme
- Graph 5: features looked for in appliance cleaners, 2024
- Odour removal remains important
- Attitudes and behaviours
- Germans with pest problems are more likely to try several types of remedies
- Graph 6: cleaning behaviours around pest control, 2024
- Many Germans believe cleaning the home to be an effective repellent for pests
- Retired Germans are more likely to deal with pests by keeping the house clean
- Concerns around the safety of pest control must be addressed
- Germans show high confidence in cleaning their rugs and upholstery…
- Graph 7: consumers who are confident they know how to clean their rugs and upholstery, and how often, 2024
- …but younger Germans lack knowledge around upholstery cleaning
- Graph 8: agreement that current solutions for cleaning carpets and upholstery are difficult to use, 2024
- Lack of visual cues makes cleaning less rewarding
- Cleaning doesn’t feel as rewarding as tidying…
- …yet brands have the chance to use scent to change perceptions
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MARKET DRIVERS
- Cost-of-living crisis continues to weigh on Germans
- Maintaining appliances gains relevance amid financial uncertainty
- Climate change increases pest control needs
- High pet ownership influences cleaning habits
- The gender gap still prevails in German households
- Wellness permeates every category, even household care
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations
- Methodology – consumer research
- Consumer research methodology
- A note on language
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