Disinfectantsare antimicrobial agents that are applied to non-living objects to destroy microorganisms.Sanitizers are also used to destroy microorganism. Hygiene is an essential component of healthy living, integral to achieving health and preventing disease. Adopting hygienic practices and promoting hygiene in the community, schools and workplace prevents innumerable infectious disease.Cleaning is a prerequisite for effective sanitization.The various hygienic products include automatic deodorizers, tissue paper, eco friendly tissues and towels, disinfectant and sanitizers.

In the market for surface cleansers, most products were  sold as commodities as  brand awareness was  low. More popular cleansers like kerosene, phenyls or detergents had  multipurpose usages.

The average expenditure per family on surface cleansers outside the multipurpose detergents ranges between Rs 15 and Rs 25  on an all-India basis and about Rs 45 in the urban areas. It is Rs 60 in Thailand and Rs 300 in Brazil, let alone Rs 900 in the UK.  With the growing awareness on the concerns for hygiene and health, the housewife's shopping list, especially in urban areas, finds increasing use of surface cleansers and other household disinfectants. 

The surface cleanser and disinfectants market has grown in value terms to an estimated Rs 5 billion  a year,  if multi-purpose detergents are excluded. In volume terms, the market is  of the order of around 9000  tpa of which more than  60% is represented by phenyls. The branded million-oriented market is placed at over  Rs 2750 million and is  growing at around 20%. 

Reckitt & Colman (now Reckitt Benckiser) had launched Lizol, the Indian variation of Lyzol, a worldwide brand, following Lever Johnson's  introduction of its  disinfectant cleanser, Domex. Lever-Johnson was  a 50:50 joint venture between multinationals  Hindustan Lever and Johnson & Johnson. The joint venture had  run into rough  weather and the company was reported sick. Besides Domex, its other major product,  Raid, an insect repellent,  was  well received in the market. It also had  been marketing the Jonson & Johnson's disinfectant, Savlon,  in direct competition to Dettol from Reckitt Benckiser and marketed by Hindustan Lever. The two partners in the company undertook a review of the joint venture.  Apparently, there is now  a sea-change in terms of volumes - a big jump in evidence as a result of media blitz. 

Lately Reckit Benckiser is  aggressively looking at acquisition of brands with synergy with  its Indian operations. Besides Mortein, which, the company claims, has a 35% market share in insect repellent category, the company also manufactures surface-care brand Lizol and Harpic in the surface-care  segment. Harpic commands about 80% of the market.

Domex is selling in twenty countries in Europe, South America and Asia. Lizol, the floor disinfectant, has graduated to Indian urban homes from  ineffective  liquids like phenyl. While Lizol is a floor cleanser, Domex has been positioned as  a multipurpose cleanser and disinfectant. 

Apart from Domex and Lizol, other brands like Dettol, Harpic (from Reckitt Benckiser) have remained strong in the market for disinfectants and cleansers.   Sanifresh from Balsara is  the other important brand in the market. Fernhill Laboratories' Colin has also been established as a product in demand.

The other small brands in the market are Brisk, Choice and Shevclean.  Brisk is a floor cleaner and disinfectant from Henkel Spic, which it acquired following its acquisition of Calcutta Chemicals and Detergents