It all began in 1913, when five entrepreneurs, Archibald Taft, Edward Hughes, Charles Husband, Rufus Myers, and William Hussey each paid $100 to set up the first liquid bleach factory in the United States, on the east shore of San Francisco Bay. The firm's original name was Electro-Alkaline Company. The name of its original bleach, Clorox, was coined from chlorine and sodium hydroxide, its two main ingredients. From the beginning Clorox packaging featured a diamond-shaped logo, and the diamond logo has been used in one form or another in Clorox branding to this day.
When Clorox bleach debuted, however, most people knew very little about liquid bleach. But though the Electro-Alkaline Company started off slow and looked to be destined to quickly collapse, their fortunes changed in 1916 when investor William Murray took over the company as general manager. His wife, Annie Murray, prompted the development of less-concentrated liquid bleach to be used at home. The Murrays distributed 15-ounce sample bottles at the family's Downtown Oakland grocery store to build customer demand. Not long after in 1917, word began to spread and the Electro-Alkaline Company began shipping Clorox bleach to the East Coast via the Panama Canal.
The company went public on the San Francisco stock exchange in 1928 when it changed its name to the Clorox Chemical Company, and the brand was strong enough to survive the Great Depression in the 1930’s. During World War 2, chlorine gas, one of Clorox’s main ingredients, was being rationed by the government, but Clorox refused to water down or dilute their product, electing to sell less volume, which established their reputation for being a high quality product.
Through an aggressive period of expansion back in the 1970s through 1990s, Clorox was able to acquire a variety of well known brands, as well as some little known brands that have since become household names. Thanks to the company's forward thinking and research and development, today the Clorox Brand is a global and wide reaching conglomerate providing a variety of household, health, and food products. Here's a short list of just some of the most popular Clorox Company brands:
Brita - A water filtration company operating mainly in the US.
Burt's Bees - A line of natural personal care products made without harsh chemicals.
Formula 409 - A spray cleaner solution that removes tough stains.
Fresh Step, Scoop Away, Ever Clean Cat Litters - Producer of various cat litters making pet ownership more sanitary and convenient.
Glad - A manufacturer of disposable garbage bag liners and plastic wrap films and kitchenware.
Green Works cleaners - Producer of powerful natural cleaners that are safe for the environment.
Hidden Valley Dressing - The salad dressing company that popularized the iconic Ranch flavor.
Kingsford Charcoal - A company first started to make use of the lumber waste produced by Ford's lumber mills, Kingsford Charcoal was acquired by Clorox in 1973.
KC Masterpiece Sauce - A barbeque sauce originally developed and popularized in Kansas city, was brought to worldwide fame thanks to Clorox's acquisition of the company 1986.
Pine-sol - A cleaning detergent originally made with pine sap, which was acquired by Clorox in 1990.
You are undoubtedly already familiar with Clorox's most popular products, even if you didn't realize they fall under the Clorox umbrella of companies. Whether it's a household cleaning detergent, natural health care products, or goods for your pets or for your kitchen, you can rely on Clorox products to be of the highest quality.
One of Clorox's flagship products, the best selling Clorox Disinfecting wipes are an essential staple in modern american homes. Triple-ply wipes presoaked in a powerful disinfectant, these are the go to cleaning solution for practically any mess, big or small, around the house or office.
Clorox all-purpose cleaning sprays are a must to keep at home. The powerful cleaning solutions formulated for a variety of cleaning tasks make short work of dried up dirt and grime and eliminates 99.9% of germs and viruses with their antimicrobial properties. Choose the best spray for the specific job or pick up an all-purpose spray that will tackle any mess you throw at it.
Health & Environmental advocacy
The Clorox Company is dedicated to environmental sustainability as outlined in their IGNITE plan. They are committed to demonstrating leadership in plastic and other waste reduction, science-based climate action, water stewardship, responsible sourcing and other material reduction innovations to reduce material, water, and transportation footprints of their products during consumer use and at the end of life.