I like to have the appliances at my home to be energy efficient. For toiletries, I try to choose organic and eco products like Aveda’s range of shampoos and body lotions. I also make sure I get biodegradable and eco-friendly home products whenever I get the chance. As far as cleaning agents are concerned, it’s tough to find green products that actually CLEAN well.

Here is where Bleach Boss Clorox aims to exploit the “green” market of home products. A new cleaning line called Green Works proclaim to feature non-allergenic and biodegradable cleaning products that are not tested on animals. Sounds too good to be true? You should be the judge of it.

A certain amount of skepticism has emerged among consumers who are aware that Green Works was sired by a company that sells carbon-releasing charcoal petroleum Glad bags and even cat litter. But at least Clorox is making some effort to provide the market with what it wants – eco friendly products.

What does Green Works bring to the table? Clorox spent about USD20 million to develop the products – all purpose, dilutable, bathroom, toilet-bowl and glass-and-surface cleaners. But perhaps most significant, Green Work products are priced at a 15% to 20% premium compared with conventional ones. So if the prices are much lower, we should see an influx of demand for this range of products.

Understanding that consumers come in different shades of green; dark green being the almost obsessive about the environment and light green being consumers who would good for green products as long as they are convenient and doesn’t cause much, Clorox has begun pooling its core customer base.

(Source: Coeli Carr, “Clean Goes Green”, Time March 24, 2008; Clorox Green Works, www.cloroxgreenworks.com)