Clorox

The Clorox Company
	File:Clorox logo.svg The Clorox Company logo
Company type	Public
Industry	Consumer goods
Predecessor	Clorox Chemical Company
Founded	May 3, 1913; 113 years ago in San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Founder	Archibald Taft, Edward Hughes, Charles Husband, Rufus Myers, William Hussey
Headquarters	Oakland, California, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Bleach, cleaning products, cat litter, water filtration systems, salad dressings, charcoal briquettes, sauces, personal care products
Number of employees	8,000 (2024)
Website	www.thecloroxcompany.com

The Clorox Company (originally known as Clorox Chemical Company) is a U.S.-based multinational corporation specializing in the production and marketing of both consumer and professional goods. Headquartered in Oakland, California, the company employed around 8,000 individuals globally as of 2024. For the fiscal year 2024, Clorox reported net revenues amounting to US$7.1 billion. Since the year 2000, it has consistently appeared on the Fortune 500 list, ranking 474th in 2020.

Clorox’s products are primarily distributed through a variety of channels, including large-scale retailers, specialty stores, online marketplaces, distributors, and suppliers to the healthcare sector. The company’s extensive brand portfolio features its signature bleach and cleaning solutions alongside prominent names such as Burt's Bees, Formula 409, Glad trash bags, Hidden Valley salad dressings, Kingsford charcoal, Kitchen Bouquet, KC Masterpiece, Liquid-Plumr, and Brita (within the Americas). Additional offerings include Mistolin, Pine-Sol, Poett, Green Works Cleaning Products, Soy Vay, Tilex, S.O.S., as well as pet care brands like Fresh Step, Scoop Away, and Ever Clean.

1913–1927

The Electro-Alkaline Company was established on May 3, 1913, marking the first large-scale manufacturer of liquid bleach in the United States. Founders Archibald Taft, Edward Hughes, Charles Husband, Rufus Myers, and William Hussey each contributed $100 to set up a manufacturing plant near San Francisco Bay. The name Clorox was derived by combining chlorine and sodium hydroxide—the primary components of bleach. The diamond-shaped logo has remained a consistent feature throughout Clorox’s branding history.

At first, liquid bleach was unfamiliar to consumers, causing initial difficulties for the company until William Murray assumed the role of general manager in 1916. His wife Annie formulated a milder bleach variant suitable for household use and promoted it by handing out free samples at their grocery store in Oakland. This grassroots marketing strategy significantly increased demand; by 1917, Clorox bleach was being shipped to the East Coast through the Panama Canal.

1928–1960s

On May 28, 1928, the company went public on the San Francisco Stock Exchange and adopted the name Clorox Chemical Company. Advertising campaigns featured Butch, an animated bleach bottle character that remained popular despite packaging updates.

Clorox expanded its national presence throughout the Great Depression. During World War II, although chlorine gas rationing restricted production capacity, Clorox continued offering full-strength bleach to maintain its reputation for quality.

In 1957, Procter & Gamble acquired Clorox and renamed it the Clorox Company. However, this acquisition faced antitrust scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission. Ultimately, in 1967 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that P&G must divest Clorox; this divestiture was finalized on January 1, 1969.

1970s–1990s

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Clorox undertook significant expansion and diversification efforts. In 1970, it launched Clorox 2 all-fabric bleach and acquired key brands including Formula 409, Liquid-Plumr, and Kingsford charcoal. The company also introduced products like Tilex mildew remover and purchased the "Hidden Valley" ranch dressing brand.

In 1988, Clorox entered into a licensing and distribution partnership to introduce Brita water filtration systems in the U.S., gaining full ownership of Brita’s operations in the U.S. and Canada by 1995 and extending into broader Americas markets by 2000.

The acquisition of Pine-Sol took place in 1990. In its largest purchase to date in 1999, Clorox acquired First Brands—the former consumer products division of Union Carbide—adding brands such as Glad, Handi-Wipes, and STP to its lineup. This acquisition doubled Clorox’s size and secured its entry onto the Fortune 500 list in 2000.

2000s–present

In 2002, Clorox entered into a joint venture with Procter & Gamble concerning Glad-branded food storage and trash bags, gradually increasing P&G’s ownership stake to 20% by 2005. The acquisition of Burt's Bees in 2007 broadened Clorox’s portfolio with natural product lines. To concentrate on core growth areas, the company divested its non-essential auto-care brands Armor All and STP in 2010. The healthcare division was further expanded through the 2011 purchases of Aplicare and HealthLink.

Clorox introduced its environmentally friendly Green Works product line in 2008, marking a significant step toward sustainable consumer goods. By 2011, the firm had incorporated corporate social responsibility metrics into its financial disclosures. In 2013, Clorox aligned its strategy with major consumer trends such as sustainability, wellness, cost-effectiveness, and multicultural engagement, with particular emphasis on the Hispanic market segment.

The company reinforced its dedication to corporate citizenship by becoming a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact in 2015.

With the acquisition of Nutranext Business, LLC for roughly $700 million in 2018, Clorox significantly strengthened its position within the dietary supplement sector. That year, it reported an operating income of $1.1 billion and total revenues of $6.1 billion, employing approximately 8,700 people worldwide; revenues increased to $6.2 billion in 2019.

Clorox earned notable industry accolades by being included in the inaugural Bloomberg Gender Equality Index in 2018 and achieving the highest ranking in Axios Harris Poll’s corporate reputation survey in 2020. Additionally, it was placed seventh on Barron's list of the "100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies" in 2019.

In 2022, Clorox inaugurated a cutting-edge manufacturing plant in Martinsburg, West Virginia to support expansion efforts within its cat litter segment.

Operations were disrupted in 2023 due to a cyberattack, which led to revenue declines and product supply challenges, adversely affecting financial outcomes.

Brands

The Clorox Company manages an extensive range of prominent household and commercial brands, including:

Brita water filtration systems (available only in the Americas)
Burt's Bees personal care and natural cosmetics
Clorinda bleach and cleaning products (Chile)
Formula 409 surface cleaners
Fresh Step, Scoop Away, and Ever Clean cat litter products
Glad storage bags, trash bags, Press'n Seal wraps, and GladWare containers (joint venture with P&G holding a 20% stake)
Green Works environmentally friendly cleaning products
Handy Andy floor cleaners (Australia)
Hidden Valley dressings, spreads, dips, croutons, salad toppings, and appetizers
Kingsford charcoal briquettes
Kitchen Bouquet, KC Masterpiece, and Soy Vay sauces
Lestoil heavy-duty laundry detergent and multipurpose cleaner
Liquid-Plumr drain cleaning solutions
Pine-Sol, Tilex, Poett, and S.O.S cleaning supplies

Clorox markets its bleach products under various regional brand names. In 2006, the company expanded its international footprint by acquiring the Canadian Javex bleach line from Colgate-Palmolive, along with similar product lines across Latin America and South America.

Sales

Clorox was ranked No. 453 on the Fortune 500 list in 2017 and held position No. 474 by 2020, illustrating consistent business expansion.

Clorox's net sales (2015–2020)

	FY 2020	FY 2019	FY 2018	FY 2017	FY 2016	FY 2015
U.S. dollars (in millions)	$6,721	$6,214	$6,124	$5,973	$5,761	$5,655

These figures highlight Clorox’s robust market position and successful operational strategies within the consumer products sector.

Advertising campaigns

In 1986, Clorox 2's promotional efforts highlighted the acclaimed jingle "Mama's Got The Magic of Clorox 2," composed by Dan Williams and performed by Dobie Gray. The brand earned a spot on Advertising Age's 2015 Marketer A-List, underscoring its effective marketing strategies and leadership in brand promotion.

Accusations of sexist advertising

Between 2006 and 2007, a nationwide Clorox commercial depicting several generations of women engaged in laundry tasks was criticized for perpetuating traditional gender roles by suggesting that laundry predominantly falls within women's responsibilities. Likewise, the enduring slogan "Mama's got the magic of Clorox," which originated in 1986 and was used into the early 2000s, faced challenges due to its gender-specific implications.

In 2009, Clorox received backlash over an advertisement showing a man's shirt stained with lipstick alongside the phrase, "Clorox. Getting ad guys out of hot water for generations." This campaign, inspired by the vintage aesthetic of the television series Mad Men, sought to bridge classic and contemporary consumer habits but ignited controversy over perceived sexist undertones.

Green Works

In 2008, Clorox’s Green Works line received endorsement from the Sierra Club, with Executive Director Carl Pope emphasizing its alignment with the organization’s mission to foster healthier communities through environmentally friendlier products. The Sierra Club collaborated with Clorox to promote natural cleaning solutions aimed at eco-conscious buyers. However, this alliance sparked internal disagreements within the club, contributing to Pope’s eventual departure.

That same year, the National Advertising Division required Clorox to alter or cease Green Works advertisements that claimed superior cleaning effectiveness compared to conventional alternatives.

In 2009, further examination was directed at Green Works’ environmental statements. Critics pointed out that certain products contained ethanol, which is neither economically efficient nor environmentally sustainable, as well as sodium lauryl sulfate, known to cause skin irritation. Environmental organizations such as Women's Voices for the Earth questioned whether Green Works genuinely embodied sustainability or if it represented greenwashing, given Clorox’s broader range of traditional cleaning products containing potentially harmful ingredients.

External links

TheCloroxCompany.com: official corporate site
Clorox.com: consumer-focused website