05/24/2002

By Lisa Martin / Special Contributor

Photo illustration by Evans Caglage & James Forrest / DMN

What higher praise is there than "The house smells like grandmother's," or "Your kitchen would pass Aunt Mildred's white-glove test"?

These days, the most successful cleaning efforts seem to beg comparison to earlier eras. A pristine floor or freshly bleached linens often evoke memories of a time when cleaning was considered a priority. A time when cleaning meant making everything from the baseboards to the fan blades shine and shimmer in spotless perfection. But let's get real. Few of us truly have time, energy or gumption to sanitize every square inch of our homes. Even once every spring. That, however, doesn't mean we don't want our living spaces to look, smell and feel as clean as we remember those of our childhood (whether those recollections are real or have been embellished during the years).

The billion-dollar cleaning-products market has seized upon this collective nostalgia. But the savvy consumer of 2002 demands more than quaint packaging and kitschy ad campaigns. Quality is key to the growing popularity of new brands with old-time appeal as well as reinvigorated products – some more than a century old. If they don't work, they're not going to survive, let alone thrive. If they succeed, though, customers will be willing to pay the often higher prices.

"People are interested in authentic and authoritative cleaning products," says Monica Nassif, founder and head of Caldrea, a scent-oriented and earth-friendly line of soaps, detergents and cleansers available at The Container Store. "Six months ago, we created Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, which was based on my mother, who raised nine children plus pets and still managed to keep a very clean home!"

Mrs. Meyer's cleaners ($25 for a kit of five) contain natural ingredients such as birch bark extract, essential oils, vinegar, aloe vera and beeswax.

"My mother is a practical soul who was thrifty and had lots of how-to knowledge," Ms. Nassif says. "Our customers tell us again and again that when they do have time to clean, they want the experience to be satisfying and fulfilling. That's a powerful message. We're responding to it with good products that we hope can help reawaken an interest in the lost art of cleaning."

Also in 2001, Williams-Sonoma introduced its Essential Oil Cleaning Collection, which includes countertop cleaner, window wash, floor cleaner and dish and hand soaps priced at $8 to $12. The scents range from basil-verbena and rosemary-grapefruit to lavender-pine and Meyer-lemon-mint. According to a company spokeswoman, each of the products has exceeded expectations in sales and consumer enthusiasm.

Linda Hallam, an editor at Traditional Home magazine, believes the popularity of these products is rooted in scent.

"There is something so reassuring about these old-fashioned, natural scents," she says. "It seems safe to people. And especially now, everyone wants to help foster a safe-seeming environment in their homes."

Adds Brian Sansoni, communication and education vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based Soap and Detergent Association, "These knockout scents and retro packaging particularly appeal to a more affluent customer base. Throw in the sense of nostalgia, and it's a winning formula all around." The association is an industry group representing manufacturers of cleaning products.

Certain upscale retailers such as Sur La Table and Restoration Hardware haven't created their own in-house brands. Rather, they've sought out old tried-and-true products that fill a niche.

Consider the Tibet Almond Stick available at Restoration Hardware. The formula has changed little since its introduction in the early 1900s. It works wonders in concealing light scratches on furniture.

"We didn't just start carrying the Tibet Almond Stick ($5) or Briwax ($15) [a furniture polisher and protector] because they're old or cool or because Americans like to feel connected with the past," says Dave Glassman, a spokesman of the California-based company that has two stores. "We test all this stuff out, and if it doesn't really, really work, it's not on our store shelves."

Many old brands have quietly disappeared from specialty shops and supermarkets. You may remember a special linseed oil your mother swore by or a type of bleach your grandma claimed she couldn't live without. Decades ago, a cleaning-industry conglomerate may have bought up that beloved bleach, only to discover it's not nearly so profitable as, say, a worldwide name brand.

Instead of discontinuing the brand, a mega-giant company may make the old-fashioned product an "orphan" and sell it off.

Just this situation occurred with Procter & Gamble. In June 2000, a pair of Gen-X entrepreneurs formed Redox Brands and bought Oxydol, a laundry detergent, from P&G. Several months later, Richard Owen and Todd Wichmann, co-CEOs of the startup company, went on to purchase the Biz color-safe additive brand.

"Neither of these brands fit in P&G's global marketing strategies anymore, but they had equities still worth tapping into," Mr. Wichmann says.

Adds Mr. Owen: "The retro angle is really working in our favor right now. Think about feel-good TV programming like Nick at Nite or TV Land with all their reruns of old shows. So we decided to explore the retro hip market with Oxydol."

Redox has already enjoyed success. Sales of Oxydol ($5) have increased more than 200 percent since the co-CEOs bought the brand. Biz's growth has been more modest at 20 percent. Nonetheless, the increases provide substance to what laypeople are noticing: What's old is cool again.

"If it performs and it's convenient, today's consumer wants the nostalgic, feel-good cleaning product," Mr. Sansoni says. "If anything, that shows that Americans still place a value on cleaning."

Lisa Martin is a free-lance writer for The Dallas Morning News.