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Washers, detergent, and laundromats are counted separately. The number that matters at home is the dryer fire rate.

Laundry Market Size: Appliances, Detergent, and Laundromats Are Three Different Markets

Laundry market size depends on scope: $25.3B US appliance output, $69.6B soap and cleaners, ~$8.8B a quarter in laundry services. Plus dryer fire data.

10 min read

"The laundry market" is really three markets, and federal statistics measure them separately. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that US household appliance manufacturing, a category that includes washers and dryers but also refrigerators, ranges, and small appliances, had gross output of about $25.3 billion in 2025. The broader soap, cleaning compound, and toilet preparation group, which contains laundry detergent, had about $69.6 billion. And the Census Bureau's Quarterly Services Survey put dry cleaning and laundry services at about $8.76 billion in the second quarter of 2026. Private "global laundry market" reports do not agree with each other: two published 2025 estimates for laundry detergent alone are $57.85 billion and $88.14 billion. For a homeowner, the more useful number is a safety one. The National Fire Protection Association estimates 15,970 US home fires a year involving clothes dryers or washers, 92% of them dryers, and failure to clean is the leading cause.

The earlier version of this article stated that the global laundry industry would reach $127 billion by 2025 with a 3.14% CAGR from 2024 to 2029, citing Statista and a franchise site. Statista's public page defines its laundry care market as consumer detergents only, excluding business sales and laundry services, and it shows no figures without a paid account, so we could not confirm what the $127 billion covered. The number has been dropped.

The Three Markets, and Who Measures Each

The Census Bureau's North American Industry Classification System is the reference for how these industries are defined. It puts laundry into three different places:

  • Appliances (NAICS 3352, household appliance manufacturing). This group covers small electric appliances and major household appliances. Its major-appliance industry (335220) covers household-type cooking appliances, laundry equipment, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, and water heaters. Washers and dryers are a slice of that total, not the whole. BLS gross output for the group was $26.0 billion in 2023, $25.1 billion in 2024, and $25.3 billion in 2025. It is flat, not booming.
  • Detergents and cleaning products (NAICS 3256, with laundry detergent inside 325611). NAICS 325611 also includes bath, facial, and hand soaps and dishwashing detergents. The wider 3256 group adds toiletries. BLS gross output was $72.2 billion in 2022, $70.2 billion in 2023, $70.2 billion in 2024, and $69.6 billion in 2025. That is the entire group, so laundry detergent is a fraction we cannot isolate from free data.
  • Laundry services (NAICS 8123). This group includes coin-operated laundries (812310), non-coin dry cleaning and laundry services (812320), and linen and uniform supply, which is a commercial business. BLS sectoral output in 2023 was $6.8 billion for coin-operated laundries and $8.4 billion for non-coin-operated dry cleaning and laundry, down from $8.9 billion in 2019 for the latter. The Census Bureau's quarterly revenue series for the whole group was $8.835 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and $8.762 billion in the second, seasonally adjusted and covering only establishments subject to federal income tax. Four times the latest quarter is roughly $35 billion a year, but that is our arithmetic, not a Census annual figure.

The three totals should never be added together. They use different concepts (manufacturer output, quarterly service revenue), and the appliance and detergent groups contain products that have nothing to do with laundry.

Why Private Estimates Disagree

Commercial reports often quote a global "laundry market," and their numbers vary widely because of scope choices:

Other differences include manufacturer revenue versus retail spending, whether fabric softeners and stain removers are counted, whether commercial and institutional laundry is included, and exchange rates. The trade group for appliance makers, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, publishes a factory shipment report that covers washers and dryers, but it is a paid product and no unit counts are public, so we do not cite one. For a comparison guide where government data does anchor the market, see the pest control market size guide.

What This Means at Home

The Energy Information Administration's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey found that 103.96 million of 123.53 million US homes had a clothes washer at home, about 84%, and 19.57 million did not. A flat appliance market and a mature detergent market make sense for something most households already own. What changes for a household is replacement timing, energy cost, and safety.

Dryer Fire Safety: What the Data Shows

The most recent NFPA analysis in the report we could open covers 2010 to 2014, so treat the numbers as a pattern, not a current-year count. The NFPA Home Fires Involving Clothes Dryers and Washing Machines report estimates:

  • 15,970 home fires a year involving dryers or washers, causing 13 civilian deaths, 440 civilian injuries, and $238 million in direct property damage.
  • 92% of those fires involved clothes dryers, 5% combination washer-dryers, and 4% washing machines.
  • For dryers, failure to clean was the leading contributing factor at 33% of fires, followed by mechanical failure (28%) and electrical failure (17%).
  • The leading items first ignited in dryer fires were dust, fiber, or lint (27%) and clothing (26%).

The U.S. Fire Administration reported a smaller number, an estimated 2,900 residential clothes dryer fires a year in 2008 to 2010, because it counts only fires reported through its incident system and NFPA scales to a national estimate. Both agree that failure to clean is the top factor (34% in the USFA analysis) and that lint is a highly combustible material that collects in the dryer and the vent. USFA also notes that vents can be blocked by nests of small birds or other animals and that fires peak in the colder months.

What to do

  1. Clean the lint filter every load. NFPA advises cleaning it before or after each load and removing lint that has collected around the drum. Never run the dryer without a lint filter.
  2. Clean the vent and the space behind the dryer. NFPA says to clean lint out of the vent pipe or have a dryer lint removal service do it at least once a year, or more often if clothes take longer than normal to dry. The USFA tip sheet adds checking that the vent behind the dryer is not damaged, crushed, or restricted and that the outdoor vent flap opens when the dryer runs.
  3. Use the right venting. NFPA says rigid or flexible metal venting should be used to sustain airflow.
  4. Keep the area clear. Keep boxes, cleaning supplies, and clothing away from the dryer.
  5. Dry the right things. Clothes that have contacted gasoline, paint thinner, or similar solvents should be laid outside to dry first, then washed and dried as usual, per NFPA.
  6. Do not overload the machine, and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
  7. Turn the dryer off when you leave home or go to bed.

When to call a professional

Both NFPA and USFA recommend having a dryer installed and serviced by a professional. NFPA adds that gas dryers should be inspected by a qualified professional to make sure the gas line and connection are intact and free of leaks. Call one if clothes take much longer to dry, the laundry room smells hot or burnt, the outdoor flap does not open, or you cannot reach the vent run yourself.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the laundry market size?

There is no single figure. In US government data, household appliance manufacturing (including but not limited to washers and dryers) had about $25.3 billion of output in 2025, soap and cleaning compound manufacturing about $69.6 billion, and dry cleaning and laundry services about $8.76 billion in the second quarter of 2026. Private global estimates for detergent alone in 2025 run from $57.85 billion to $88.14 billion.

What is the laundry market CAGR?

The public private-sector estimates we could open range from 3.2% to 4.6% a year for detergent and 3.72% for washing machines. They are forecasts from each firm's own definitions, and a 2017 forecast for 2025 was two to three and a half times later estimates for the same year.

Are washers and dryers a growing market in the US?

Government data show a flat appliance category, with household appliance manufacturing output of $26.0 billion in 2023, $25.1 billion in 2024, and $25.3 billion in 2025. Most households already own a washer, so demand is largely replacement.

How many house fires do dryers cause?

NFPA estimates about 14,630 home fires a year involving clothes dryers in 2010 to 2014, with 9 civilian deaths and 420 civilian injuries. USFA's narrower count of incident-system reports was 2,900 fires a year in 2008 to 2010.

What is the number one cause of dryer fires?

Failure to clean. NFPA attributes about a third of dryer fires to it, and USFA found a similar share.

How often should I clean my dryer vent?

At least once a year, according to NFPA, and sooner if clothes take longer than normal to dry.

Is a heat pump dryer safer than a vented dryer?

The sources we reviewed did not compare fire rates. ENERGY STAR says heat pump dryers use about 70% less energy and do not need a vent. Any dryer still needs regular filter cleaning and installation following the manufacturer's instructions.

Sources

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