As birth rates continue to decline in Germany, brands must adapt to remain competitive in a shrinking market. Emphasising natural, child-safe products will resonate with parents, but it’s equally important for brands to be transparent about their products’ limitations.
Household Care Market Analysis — Current Landscape
Although almost 50% of parents agree that it is more important that a product is child-friendly than effective at cleaning, they are more likely to buy products with performance over child-safety claims. This is indicative of a larger issue, with lack of time dictating everything a parent does in their daily life.
Mintel’s household care industry analysis shows that mothers continue to shoulder most household cleaning responsibilities. Offering them time-saving and convenient solutions can provide much-needed peace of mind. However, brands also play a role in addressing the gender gap in the household care market. Showcasing shared responsibilities between parents in advertisements can help promote a more balanced approach.
Household Care Industry Statistics
- Consumer Behaviours and Preferences: 53% of fathers particularly value performance, making it crucial to highlight how these products deliver exceptional results while simultaneously maintaining safety and quality.
- Household Care Market Trends: 45% of parents who are more conscious of which products they buy, are also more likely to look for products that contain natural ingredients.
Household Care Market Report — What’s Inside?
Key Topics Analysed in this Report
- Household care market outlook for the next five years.
- Cleaning responsibilities and the gender gap at home.
- Features buyers are looking for when shopping for household care products.
- Struggles Germans experienced when first becoming a parent.
- Consumer attitudes and behaviours related to cleaning with children in the home and appropriate age for children to get involved in cleaning according to parents.
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report is written by Yasemin Holtemayer, Research Analyst. Yasemin joined Mintel in 2022 as a Household Care Research Analyst in Germany. Prior to working at Mintel, Yasemin worked as a Consumer Insights Analyst. She holds a M.A. in Brand Management and a B.Sc. in Clothing Technology/Fabric Processing.
To resonate with parents, brands must move beyond mere performance claims to double down on natural ingredients, child safety, and creating fun and ease at home.
Yasemin Holtemayer
Research Analyst — Household Care, Germany
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Opportunities
- Outlook
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OPPORTUNITIES
- Offer convenience and eco-friendliness, but be realistic about trade-offs
- Increase natural and sustainable ingredients…
- …but remain transparent and realistic with parents about trade-offs
- Brands need to emphasise product compatibility with children’s toys
- Underscore safety through food-grade ingredients and certifications
- Frosch highlights its certifications
- Marry convenience and sustainability to gain an edge
- Harness the power of natural ingredients to reduce the need for cleaning
- Take the mental load off busy parents
- Time constraints make it difficult for parents to keep up with cleaning
- Remind parents they don’t have to be perfect and offer products that bring peace of mind
- Close the gender gap by showcasing teamwork
- Teamwork makes the dream work
- Create safe spaces online for parents to share and connect
- Encourage fathers to step up as a positive influence
- It is time to make cleaning fun again
- Overcome lack of fun during cleaning with gamification
- Spark the reward system through apps and games
- Enchant children with colourful cleaning products while teaching them
- Harness the power of music to engage children in cleaning at home
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CONSUMER
- Cleaning responsibilities
- Parents are more likely to share cleaning responsibilities…
- Graph 1: levels of responsibility for cleaning the home, all Germans vs parents, 2025
- …but mothers continue to bear the brunt of the work
- Mothers overwhelmingly take over household care responsibilities
- Challenges experienced when first becoming a parent
- No matter the access to information, parenthood is challenging
- Graph 2: struggles experienced when first becoming a parent, 2025
- Parents are overwhelmed by all the things they need to manage for their children
- Younger parents often faced greater challenges in adapting to parenthood
- Younger parents often encountered greater difficulties in adjusting to parenthood
- Lack of time dampens motivation…
- …among all age groups
- Graph 3: struggles experienced when first becoming a parent, by age, 2025
- Attitudes and behaviours
- Performance claims reign supreme for parents
- Graph 4: features looked for when shopping for household care products, 2025
- Efficacy is prioritised despite eco-concerns
- Demanding full-time work makes fathers look for performance claims
- Busy fathers look for reassurance through performance claims
- Sustainability remains relevant due to its positive associations with safety
- Child safety falls behind due to lack of claims and time
- Child safety needs to go beyond packaging
- Young parents lay early foundations for their household journey
- Many parents involve children in household cleaning…
- …yet some are overwhelmed by such prospects
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MARKET DRIVERS
- Falling birth rates will shrink the market in long term
- Graph 5: birth rate, 2013-23
- Parents are more likely to be full-time employees than those without children
- High employment rates among parents create strong financial health
- Flexible working offers opportunities to do household chores on the side
- Graph 6: employment location, by resident parent, 2025
- The gender gap prevails in the home
- German families show high pet ownership rates
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APPENDIX
- Report scope and methodology
- Market definition and consumer research methodology
- Abbreviations
- A note on language
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