18 Aug 2026 If car companies can rethink gray

Have you seen the colors of new cars lately?

Instead of the usual gray, they’re putty and mushroom and sage. They’re still neutral, but somehow much more interesting.

I’m not someone who pays much attention to cars, but even I noticed that car companies have figured out how to make something practical look really good. The colors feel current and thoughtfully chosen.

Now I’m wondering why more of that thinking hasn’t made its way into cleaning products.

Most cleaning tools still come in the same bright red, blue, green, and yellow plastic we’ve seen for years. The product packaging is usually loud, crowded, and covered with claims about power, strength, and destroying dirt.

These are things we use in our homes and often leave sitting next to the sink, on the counter, or in the laundry room in plain sight. Why shouldn’t a spray bottle, vacuum, or scrub brush work well and look good?

I’m not suggesting that we all need a $200 designer dustpan, but why isn’t more thought given to the design of things we use to care for our homes?

If car companies can make gray feel special, can’t cleaning companies do something about the spray bottle?