• The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), Friday, January 26, 2007 12:45 PM

With consumer cleansing brands struggling to find significant sales growth inside households, Procter & Gamble is increasingly reaching out to janitors, fast-food workers, maids and launderers.

Hoping to expand its market while gaining knowledge about its industrial customer's needs, P&G has offered a free analysis of the ways the cleaning staff works in hotels, such as the 872-room Millennium in Cincinnati. "They even helped clean the rooms," says Terri Muran, the hotel's director of housekeeping.

They also made suggestions: cut down the number of chemicals used to launder towels and sheets from five to two: P&G's Tide detergent and Downy fabric softener. P&G also recommended its Spic and Span three-in-one professional cleaner, allowing workers to spray and wipe glass, stainless steel and furniture without the hassle of switching bottles.

P&G also sells adaptations of its well-known consumer products to industrial clients. For example, Dawn dish soap was adapted for high-power industrial dishwashers, including making the formula less sudsy, so it doesn't overwhelm the system.

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