Singapore, 23 September 2015

98% of Singaporeans surveyed think it is important not to expose their families to harmful chemicals, but an overwhelming majority are potentially doing so every day, according to the Household Cleaning Products Survey 2015, conducted by theAsianparent in collaboration with homegrown eco-friendly home cleaning brand bio-home.

400 Singaporean families were surveyed, and a great portion of them revealed that they were unaware of a possible serious health hazard in their home – household cleaning products! Many respondents were unaware that these contain chemicals that may cause cancer, reproductive issues and other serious ailments.

A look at the key findings:

• 74% believe that green products would be safer for their families;
• Only 30% of the surveyed Singaporean families use green cleaning products, and 80% of them do so as they believe it would be safer for their family;
• Of the families who don’t use green products, 62% say that they are not aware of any green brands in the market;
• 80% believe green household cleaning products are as effective as normal cleaning products.

What drives buying decisions of household cleaning products?

When families purchase cleaning products, respondents cited ‘cleaning effectiveness’ as the top consideration, while ‘price and promotions’ ranked much lower at 28%. For many families however, it’s clear that cleaning products can cause problems – ranging from skin irritation from frequent contact with the products to causing nose and throat problems.

Given the potential downsides of cleaning products, it’s no surprise that the top reasons respondents said they purchase green products is for family safety (80%), non-toxic formulae and natural ingredients (75%), followed by health benefits.

In fact, given an option to go green, 77% of the surveyed Singaporeans are willing to pay a price premium of $2 and above to ensure that their cleaning products are eco-friendly and child–safe.

Key takeaways

Sulina Tsai, Marketing Director of Lam Soon, of which bio-home is one of their brands, says, “The survey provides us with great insights into local perceptions of green cleaning products; we hope the respondents benefited from it as well and went away with a deeper understanding of the possible associated health dangers in their regular cleaning products.

bio-home wants to change consumers’ perception of green products. Some think they are less effective cleaning agents and more expensive than normal products. But in fact, green products are often developed to provide effective, if not better, cleaning capabilities than normal cleaning products while remaining quite affordable for the average Singaporean family.”

Ameetess Dira, theAsianparent.com’s Regional VP of Strategy and Client Services, said, “It seems that the lack of awareness of green alternatives is preventing many people from switching. It’s important that mums understand that going green is a great option. Safer products for their households, especially given the potential negative side-effects of regular, everyday cleaning products, is an option we’d like more mothers to be aware of.”

Household Cleaning Products v/s Green Cleaning Products: Understanding the pros and cons