It’s a mystery how far apart engineering and common sense can be. For years we have been perplexed by how many products for the household are designed with everything in mind except cleanability. Surely there is a happy medium somewhere that could be reached. Until then, there is a fortune waiting to be had as a cleaning consultant for manufacturers, home builders, civic planners, landscapers, and gadget makers. Such a person would have the power to make like easier for millions of people.

For a nation that spends untold millions on allergy relief, it seems there is scant thought give...