Mr Pemberton said its high ammonia content would have made it unpleasant to eat, tasting a bit like floor cleaner.

BBC: 'New species' of giant squid found

Someone who loves a fragrance in a laundry detergent might also buy it in a floor cleaner, a dish soap and a disinfectant.

WSJ: Does This Smell Clean to You?

Shark floor-cleaning devices, owned by Euro-Pro Operating LLC, overhauled the design of its electronic Sonic Duo floor cleaner, set to launch in April, after tests revealed how strenuously some people used it.

WSJ: Cleaning Products Get Stronger Even Though Scrubbers Insist On Using Elbow Grease

It was a vastly scaled-down take on a scrapped project to make forklift-size robotic floor scrubbers for household-cleaner giant S.C.

FORBES: Fights Wars, Lint

Yet the way people live has become increasingly contemporary, say architects and designers, so more owners are demanding interior changes to incorporate bigger kitchens, cleaner lines and open floor plans.

WSJ: The House With a Surprise Inside