The Plastic Problem in Cleaning Products
The average American household goes through dozens of plastic bottles of cleaning products per year. Each one — whether for all-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, or bathroom spray — is typically used once and discarded. The refill model exists, but it’s niche. Most of the market is still single-use plastic.
Mark Sorensen, Co-Founder and CEO of Cleanery, built his company around a different model: refill powders that you add water to at home, using the same bottle over and over.
“The refill concept isn’t new. What we’ve done is make it actually convenient and effective. The powders dissolve quickly. The formulas work as well as conventional products. And the plastic savings are real — one of our refill packets replaces an entire bottle.”
In this conversation with Nour Abochama, Mark explains the formulation challenges, the consumer behavior shift required, and why he believes the future of cleaning is powder + reusable bottle.
How Refill Powders Work
Cleanery’s products are concentrated powders packed in small, lightweight pouches. The customer adds tap water to a reusable bottle, shakes, and has a ready-to-use cleaner. The powder dissolves within minutes.
Formulation challenges:
Cleaning products traditionally rely on liquid surfactants, solvents, and water-based formulas. Converting these to stable, soluble powders requires different chemistry:
Surfactant selection. Many surfactants are liquids or pastes. Powder formulations require surfactants that are solid at room temperature or that can be spray-dried/agglomerated into powders. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and related compounds are available in powder form; newer plant-derived surfactants (coconut-based, etc.) vary in their powder compatibility.
Solubility and dissolution. The powder must dissolve completely in tap water — no clumping, no residue. This requires careful particle size control and sometimes flow agents or disintegrants. Dissolution time matters for user experience; a product that takes 10 minutes to dissolve will frustrate customers.
Preservation. Once the consumer adds water, the product becomes a liquid susceptible to microbial growth. Cleanery formulas include preservatives suitable for the diluted product. The dry powder itself has minimal microbial risk, but the moment water is added, preservative efficacy becomes critical.
pH and water hardness. Tap water varies in pH and mineral content. Formulations must perform across a range of water qualities. Hard water (high calcium/magnesium) can reduce surfactant effectiveness and leave residue; formulators may include chelating agents to mitigate this.
Plant + Mineral Powered: What It Means
Cleanery markets its formulas as “plant + mineral powered.” In practice, this means:
Plant-derived surfactants — coconut-based or other plant-sourced cleansers instead of petroleum-derived surfactants. The performance gap between plant-based and conventional surfactants has narrowed significantly; for many cleaning applications, plant-based options are adequate.
Mineral ingredients — sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium carbonate, and similar compounds provide alkalinity for grease cutting and mild abrasive action. These are inexpensive, effective, and have low environmental impact.
Essential oils for scent — many eco-cleaners use essential oils instead of synthetic fragrances. This appeals to consumers seeking “natural” options, though essential oils can be skin and respiratory irritants at certain concentrations. Proper formulation and labeling (e.g., “avoid contact with skin”) are important.
No phosphates, chlorine bleach, or ammonia — Cleanery avoids the ingredients most associated with environmental and health concerns in conventional cleaners.
The Sustainability Math
Mark is clear about the environmental benefit: “If you’re refilling one bottle 20 times instead of buying 20 bottles, you’re eliminating 19 plastic bottles. Multiply that across thousands of households and the impact is substantial.”
The math extends beyond plastic:
- Shipping weight. Powder is lighter than liquid. Shipping 20 refill packets weighs significantly less than shipping 20 full bottles. Lower weight means lower carbon emissions per unit delivered.
- Concentration. Concentrated formulas mean fewer total units manufactured and shipped.
- Packaging. The refill packets are typically smaller and use less plastic than full bottles. Some brands use compostable or recyclable pouch materials.
The caveat: refill models only work if consumers actually reuse the bottles. If the bottle is discarded after one or two uses, the benefit shrinks. Cleanery’s design — durable bottles meant for repeated refills — assumes multi-year use.
Quality and Safety for Cleaning Products
Cleaning products are regulated differently from cosmetics and supplements. In the US, the EPA regulates disinfectants and sanitizers; the Consumer Product Safety Commission and FDA have roles for other product types. Most general-purpose cleaners fall under voluntary standards and labeling requirements.
For brands like Cleanery:
- pH testing — ensures the product is effective for its intended use and safe for surfaces
- Preservative efficacy — critical once the consumer adds water; the diluted product must resist microbial growth
- Stability testing — powder stability under various temperature and humidity conditions; once reconstituted, use-life should be validated
- Surface compatibility — testing on common surfaces (granite, stainless steel, laminate) to ensure no damage or residue
Nour adds: “The moment a consumer adds water to a dry product, you’ve created a growth medium. Preservative efficacy testing isn’t optional. We’ve seen brands skip it and end up with contaminated product in the field.”
Key Takeaways
- Refill powder models can reduce plastic waste substantially when consumers consistently reuse bottles
- Formulating effective cleaning products as stable, soluble powders requires different chemistry than traditional liquid formulations
- Plant-derived surfactants and mineral ingredients can match conventional cleaner performance for many applications
- Preservative efficacy testing is essential once water is added — the reconstituted product is susceptible to microbial growth
- Shipping weight savings from concentrated powders reduce carbon footprint per unit delivered
This article is based on Episode 41 of Nourify & Beautify with Mark Sorensen of Cleanery. Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen on Podbean.
