New Zealand company Cleanery produces affordable, effective, sustainable cleaning and personal care products.
Its origins lay in the home of its founders, husband and wife Mark Sorensen and Ellie Brade.
Brade used to try making her own cleaning products to minimise plastic waste in the home, which sparked the idea of creating a genuinely effective low-waste product range that would appeal to all consumers.
Its range of low-waste cleaning sprays, dishwashing, and handwashing products are delivered in a powder format that can be mixed with water in a reusable bottle. This has provided an easy and affordable swap with 99 percent less impact than the traditional equivalent.
The Cleanery range includes a core range of super-effective surface sprays such as multipurpose, kitchen and bathroom sprays; liquid and foaming hand wash; dishwashing liquid; and the new foaming dish spray.
Like any disruptive product, especially one operating in a large traditional sector like cleaning where there has not been change in a long time, education has played a massive part in marketing and selling this type of product.
“We’ve found that once customers have tried the product, they are immediately converted and extremely loyal, so the main challenge is getting that first refill into their hands,” said Brade.
“And, being a start-up competing with some of the biggest brands in the world, we are David to their Goliath in terms of marketing budget and brand awareness, so we have to be very creative with our marketing.”
She added that they had been fortunate to have a loyal customer base that was amazing at helping spread the word.
Cleanery has donated significant products to charity partners and has tried to educate people about making simple, sustainable swaps like Cleanery. Brade said that the brand understood that many consumers wanted to do right by the planet but were time-poor and decision-fatigued and felt the pinch of the cost of living crisis.
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