NAICS 325611

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments so agencies can collect, analyze, and publish economic statistics. Developed by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico under the Office of Management and Budget, NAICS replaced SIC in 1997 and the current U.S. vintage is 2022. ¹
U.S. industry 325611 (Soap and Other Detergent Manufacturing) covers establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing and packaging soaps and other detergents, including laundry and dishwashing detergents, toothpaste gels and tooth powders, and natural glycerin. It is part of NAICS Subsector 3256 (Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing) and is used by federal statistical programs and by acquisition professionals to categorize supply markets. ²

What this NAICS covers

• Manufacturing and packaging of soaps and other detergents (general). ²
• Laundry detergents (e.g., powders, liquids, pods) manufacturing. ²
• Dishwashing detergents (manual and machine) manufacturing. ²
• Toothpaste gels and tooth powders manufacturing. ²
• Natural glycerin production as part of soapmaking operations. ²
• Household bleach manufacturing (classified here per NAICS cross‑reference). ²
• Packaging of the above products when done by the manufacturer. ²

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Type	Code	Descriptor
NAICS	325612	Polish and Other Sanitation Good Manufacturing
NAICS	325613	Surface Active Agent Manufacturing
PSC	7930	Cleaning and Polishing Compounds and Preparations
PSC	8520	Toilet Soap, Shaving Preparations, and Dentifrices

NAICS descriptors align with Census industry definitions. ²
PSC descriptors are per the federal Product and Service Code Manual. ³

SBA small business size standard (by NAICS)

• The SBA small business size standard for 325611 is 1,100 employees (effective March 17, 2023). ⁴

Inclusions and exclusions (official NAICS notes)

• Included: manufacturing/packaging soaps and other detergents; natural glycerin. Included by cross‑reference: household bleach. ²
• Excluded: synthetic glycerin (classified in 325199); shampoos and shaving preparations (classified in 325620); certain chlorine preparations such as swimming‑pool chemicals (classified in 325998); industrial bleaches (classified in 325188). ²

NAICS 2022 implementation context

Census began disseminating data on the 2022 NAICS basis with the 2022 Economic Census First Look (January 2024) and plans to complete program transitions by the end of 2027, confirming 2022 as the current vintage for U.S. economic statistics. ⁵

Frequently asked questions

• What products fall under NAICS 325611?
  Census lists soaps and other detergents, laundry and dishwashing detergents, toothpaste gels and tooth powders, and natural glycerin. Household bleach also falls here via cross‑reference from basic inorganic chemicals. ²

• How does NAICS 325611 differ from 325612, 325613, and 325620?
  325611 covers soaps/detergents and natural glycerin; 325612 covers polishes and specialty cleaning preparations; 325613 covers surface active agents; 325620 covers shampoos, shaving preparations, and other toilet preparations. ²

• What SBA size standard applies to NAICS 325611?
  The size standard is 1,100 employees, per SBA’s Table of Small Business Size Standards effective March 17, 2023. ⁴

• Are chlorine or bleach products included in NAICS 325611?
  Household bleach is classified in 325611; industrial bleaches are classified in 325188, and swimming‑pool chlorine preparations in 325998. ²

• Does NAICS 325611 explicitly address private‑label manufacturing?
  Not specified by official sources. ²

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 325611 overview
• Census — NAICS main/search page (definition and system background). ¹
• Census — NAICS 2022 page for 325611 (definition and cross‑references). ²
• Acquisition.gov — PSC Manual (product code definitions, e.g., 7930 and 8520). ³
• SBA — Table of Small Business Size Standards (NAICS 325611 = 1,100 employees). ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau, NAICS main page — https://www.census.gov/naics/
2. U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS United States Search: 325611 — https://www.census.gov/naics/?input=325611&year=2022&details=325611
3. Acquisition.gov, October 2020 PSC Manual — https://www.acquisition.gov/sites/default/files/manual/October%202020%20PSC%20Manual.pdf
4. U.S. Small Business Administration, Table of Small Business Size Standards (effective March 17, 2023) — https://www.sba.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Table%20of%20Size%20Standards_Effective%20March%2017%2C%202023%20%282%29.pdf
5. U.S. Census Bureau, The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS — https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html