Exploring perceptions of household surface cleaning products and the implications for sustainable consumption

Historically, green cleaning products have performed poorly in comparison with conventional alternatives. Other green product categories are rising in popularity while green cleaning products remain unfavourable. Consumers may view green cleaning products negatively because they believe that green products cannot be as strong as conventional products. This has only been tested in hypothetical products. Consumers also view green cleaning products as safer than conventional cleaning products. This thesis explores these perceptions by answering the following research questions: 1. Are there differences in the composition of green and conventional cleaning products? If so, do these differences have implications for health and the environment? 2. Does a product’s environmental status influence how the product is perceived by consumers in terms of its effectiveness? 3. Does a product’s environmental status influence how the product is perceived by consumers in terms of its safety? 4. Does a product’s environmental status influence the way in which its ingredients are perceived by consumers? Firstly, a comparison of ingredients was made using publicly available information. Secondly, a novel experimental study was used to compare perceptions of product efficacy. Finally, an online survey was utilised to explore perceptions of product and ingredient safety. There are no differences between green and conventional cleaning products in their potential harm to human health. Negative quality perceptions of green household cleaning products are not present for existing green cleaning products. Consumers struggle to identify green cleaning products, but those who correctly identify green cleaning products perceive them as safer for health than conventional products. There were no perceived differences in ingredient safety between green and conventional products. This research contributes an original methodology by exploring perceptions in real over hypothetical products, and outlines principles that future research must follow.