Household cleaning product sales to rise steadily

LOS ANGELES Research firm Packaged Facts has predicted the U.S. market for household cleaning products will grow slowly the next several years and hit $8.1 billion by 2012 from $7.3 billion in 2007.

Packaged Facts expects the main growth driver to be higher-end, natural and private label cleaning products that are less expensive. It also predicts more consumers will gravitate toward greener products and make cleaning “a lifestyle choice rather than a simple, sanitary chore.”