Clorox

{{short description|American global manufacturer and marketer based in Oakland, California}}

{{Infobox company

| name = The Clorox Company

| logo = The Clorox Company logo, 2021.svg

| image = Cloroxheadquarters.jpg

| image_caption = Clorox Building, 1221 Broadway, Oakland, California, U.S.

| former_names = {{ubl|Electro-Alkaline Company (1913–1928)|Clorox Chemical Company (1928–1957)}}

| type = Public

| traded_as = {{ubl|{{NYSE|CLX}}|S&P 500 component}}

| hq_location = Clorox Building

| hq_location_city = Oakland, California

| hq_location_country = U.S.

| area_served = Worldwide

| key_people = Linda Rendle (CEO)

| industry = {{hlist|Consumer household goods|food|pet care|commercial cleaning}}

| products = {{hlist|Cleaning supplies|bags and wrap|foods, personal care|water filtration|grilling|pet care supplies}}

| revenue = {{decrease}} {{US$|7.09 billion|link=yes}}

| revenue_year = 2024

| operating_income = {{increase}} US$512 million

| income_year = 2024

| net_income = {{increase}} US$280 million

| net_income_year = 2024

| assets = {{decrease}} US$5.75 billion

| assets_year = 2024

| equity = {{increase}} US$328 million

| equity_year = 2024

| num_employees = 8,000

| num_employees_year = 2024

| parent =

| founded = {{Start date and age|1913|5|3}}

| founders = {{unbulleted list|Archibald Taft|Edward Hughes|Charles Husband|Rufus Myers|William Hussey}}

| brands = {{hlist|Burt's Bees|Formula 409|Kitchen Bouquet|Kingsford|Lestoil|Liquid-Plumr|Pine-Sol|Hidden Valley Ranch|Fresh Step|Brita|Poett|Glad}}

| website = {{URL|thecloroxcompany.com}}

| footnotes = {{Cite web |url=https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/21076/000002107624000030/clx-20240630_d2.htm |title=FY 2024 Annual Report (Form 10-K) |date=August 8, 2024 |publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission}}{{Cite news |date=August 4, 2016 |title=Clorox shuffles boardroom as CEO adds chairman's role |work=San Francisco Business Times |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2016/08/04/clorox-ceo-chairman-role-consumer-products-clx.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=April 18, 2017}}{{cite news|last=Dulaney|first=Chelsey|title=Former Clorox CEO Knauss Leaving Executive Chairman Post|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/clorox-names-george-harad-chairman-1431695294|work=The Wall Street Journal|date=May 15, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2017}}{{Cite web|url=https://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/investors/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2018/Clorox-Reports-Q4-and-Fiscal-Year-2018-Results-Provides-Fiscal-Year-2019-Outlook/default.aspx|title = Clorox Reports Q4 and Fiscal Year 2018 Results, Provides Fiscal Year 2019 Outlook}}{{Cite web|title=Clorox|url=https://www.fortune.com/fortune/500/clorox|website=Fortune|access-date=December 31, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=July 2023}}

}}

The Clorox Company (formerly Clorox Chemical Company) is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. As of 2024, the Oakland, California-based company had approximately 8,000 employees worldwide. Net sales for the 2024 fiscal year were US$7.1 billion. Ranked annually since 2000, Clorox was named number 474 on Fortune magazine's 2020 Fortune 500 list.

Clorox products are sold primarily through mass merchandisers, retail outlets, e-commerce channels, distributors, and medical supply providers.{{cite web|title=Clorox Company (The) Stock Report|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/stock-report |publisher=NASDAQ |access-date=February 28, 2014}} Clorox brands include its namesake bleach and cleaning products as well as Burt's Bees, Formula 409, Glad, Hidden Valley, Kingsford, Kitchen Bouquet, KC Masterpiece, Liquid-Plumr, Brita (in the Americas), Mistolin, Pine-Sol, Poett, Green Works Cleaning Products, Soy Vay,{{Cite web|url = https://wholefoodsmagazine.com/news/main-news/clorox-buy-nutranext-700-million/|title = Big Deal: Clorox to Buy Nutranext for $700 Million|date = March 13, 2018|access-date = December 8, 2018|archive-date = December 9, 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181209124425/https://wholefoodsmagazine.com/news/main-news/clorox-buy-nutranext-700-million/|url-status = dead}} Tilex, S.O.S., and Fresh Step, Scoop Away, and Ever Clean pet products.{{cite web|title=Our Brands|url=http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/our-brands/|publisher=The Clorox Company|access-date=February 28, 2014}}{{cite web|last=Morgan|first=Penny|title=How Is Clorox Improving Product Distribution?|url=http://marketrealist.com/2015/11/clorox-improving-product-distribution/|website=Market Realist|date=November 30, 2015 |access-date=April 18, 2017}}

History

=1913–1927=

The Electro-Alkaline Company was founded on May 3, 1913, as the first commercial-scale liquid bleach manufacturer in the United States. Archibald Taft, a banker; Edward Hughes, a purveyor of wood and coal; Charles Husband, a bookkeeper; Rufus Myers, a lawyer; and William Hussey, a miner, each invested $100 to set up a factory

on the east side of San Francisco Bay.[http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/history/index.html Clorox company history, page 1] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101203035117/http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/history/index.html |date=December 3, 2010 }} The name of its original product, Clorox, was coined as a portmanteau of its two main ingredients, chlorine and sodium hydroxide. The original Clorox packaging featured a diamond-shaped logo, which has been used in one form or another in Clorox branding ever since.

File:Clorox bleach 1922 newspaper ad.png, June 9, 1922]]

The public, however, was unfamiliar with liquid bleach. The company started slowly and was about to collapse when investor William Murray took it over in 1916, who installed himself as general manager. His wife Annie prompted the creation of a less concentrated liquid bleach for home use and built customer demand by giving away {{convert|15|usoz|ml|adj=on}} sample bottles at the family's grocery store in downtown Oakland.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/heritage/timeline/|title=Timeline – The Clorox Company|date=August 2, 2016|website=thecloroxcompany.com|access-date=April 7, 2018|archive-date=August 17, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817033547/https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/heritage/timeline/|url-status=dead}} Word shortly began to spread, and in 1917 the company started shipping Clorox bleach to the East Coast via the Panama Canal.

=1928–1960s=

On May 28, 1928, the company went public on the San Francisco stock exchange. It changed its name to Clorox Chemical Company. Butch, an animated Clorox liquid bleach bottle, was used in its advertising and became well known, even surviving the 1941 transition from rubber-stoppered bottles to screw-off caps.

Clorox was strong enough to survive the Great Depression during the 1930s, achieving national distribution of its bleach.

Even though bleach was a valuable first aid product for American armed forces during World War II, government rationing of chlorine gas forced many bleach manufacturers to reduce the concentration of sodium hypochlorite in their products. Clorox, however, declined and elected to sell fewer units of full-strength bleach, establishing a reputation for quality.[http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/history/history3.html Clorox company history, page 3] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101118032148/http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/history/history3.html |date=November 18, 2010 }}

In 1957, Clorox was purchased by Procter & Gamble, which renamed its new subsidiary the Clorox Company. Almost immediately, a rival company objected to the purchase, and it was challenged by the Federal Trade Commission, which feared it would stifle competition in the household products market. The FTC prevailed in 1967 when the U.S. Supreme Court forced Procter & Gamble to divest Clorox,FTC v. Procter & Gamble Co., {{ussc|386|568|1967}}.{{cite journal|url=https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/cen-v045n017.p022 |date=April 17, 1967 |doi=10.1021/cen-v045n017.p022 |title=P&G ordered to sell Clorox |journal=Chemical & Engineering News Archive |volume=45 |issue=17 |page=22 |url-access=subscription }} which took place on January 1, 1969.

=1970s–1990s=

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Clorox pursued an aggressive expansion and diversification program. In 1970 it introduced Clorox 2 all-fabric bleach. Later it acquired several brands that remain a part of its portfolio, including Formula 409, Liquid-Plumr, and Kingsford charcoal. The company also developed new cleaning products such as Tilex instant mildew remover.{{Cite web|date=2016-08-03|title=Timeline {{!}} The Clorox Company|url=https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/our-story/timeline/|access-date=2021-10-12|language=en-US}} It also acquired the "Hidden Valley" brand of ranch dressing.

In 1988, Clorox struck a licensing-and-distribution agreement that brought Brita water filters to the U.S.{{cite web|title=The Clorox Company Heritage Timeline|url=https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/our-story/timeline/|url-status=live|access-date=February 22, 2014|publisher=The Clorox Company|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813093714/https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/company/our-story/timeline/ |archive-date=August 13, 2021 }} The company acquired sole control of the brand for the U.S. and Canada in 1995 when it acquired Brita International Holdings (Canada). In 2000 it secured the remaining Americas market from Brita.{{cite news |url=http://www.homeworldbusiness.com/clorox-secures-brita-business-in-americas-2/ |title=Clorox Secures Brita Business In Americas |work=HomeWorld Business |date=November 27, 2000 |access-date=September 8, 2017 |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327102440/https://www.homeworldbusiness.com/clorox-secures-brita-business-in-americas-2/ |url-status=dead }}

In 1990, Clorox purchased Pine-Sol.

In 1999, Clorox acquired First Brands, the former consumer products division of Union Carbide, in the largest transaction in its history. Such brands as Glad, Handi-Wipes (which First Brands acquired from Colgate-Palmolive several months before the Clorox acquisition), and STP became part of the Clorox portfolio. The First Brands acquisition doubled the company's size and helped it land on the Fortune 500 for the first time the following year.

=2000s–present=

In 2002, Clorox entered into a joint venture with Procter & Gamble to create food and trash bags, food wraps, and containers under the names Glad, GladWare, and related trademarks.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/15/business/company-news-clorox-and-p-g-plan-joint-venture-for-glad-products.html|title=Company News; Clorox and P&G Plan Joint Venture for Glad Products|date=November 15, 2002|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 22, 2014|agency=Bloomberg News|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}} As part of this agreement, Clorox sold a 10% stake in the Glad products to P&G, which increased to 20% in 2005.{{cite web|title=Clorox and Procter & Gamble Announce Increased P&G Investment in Glad Products Joint Venture|url=http://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=182697|publisher=The Clorox Company|access-date=February 22, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714213752/http://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=182697|archive-date=July 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}

In 2007, the company acquired Burt's Bees.{{cite web|title=Clorox To Pay $950 Million For Burt's Bees|date=November 2007|url=http://www.environmentalleader.com/2007/11/01/clorox-to-pay-950-million-for-burts-bees/|publisher=Environmental Leader|access-date=February 22, 2014}} In 2010, Clorox shed businesses that were no longer a good strategic fit for the company, announcing that it was selling the Armor All and STP brands to Avista Capital Partners.{{cite news|last=Coleman-Lochner|first=Lauren|title=Clorox to Sell Auto-Care Businesses for $780 Million|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-21/clorox-sells-stp-armor-all-auto-care-business-to-avista-for-780-million.html|publisher=Bloomberg News|access-date=February 22, 2014|date=September 21, 2010}} In 2011, Clorox acquired the Aplicare and HealthLink brands, bolstering its presence in the healthcare industry.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Steven E.F.|title=Clorox buys Aplicare and HealthLink for about $80 million|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/sname=%22fortunefive%22}}{{dead link|date=July 2023}}

In 2008, the Clorox Company became the first major consumer packaged goods company to develop and nationally launch a green cleaning line, Green Works, into the mainstream cleaning aisle.{{cite news|last=DeBare|first=Ilana|title=Clorox introduces green line of cleaning products|url=http://www.sfgate.com/green/article/Clorox-introduces-green-line-of-cleaning-products-3298465.php|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=February 28, 2014|date=January 14, 2008}} In 2011, the Clorox Company integrated corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting with financial reporting. The company's annual report for the fiscal year ending in June 2011 shared data on financial performance and advances in environmental, social, and governance performance.{{cite web|last=Herrera|first=Tilde|title=Clorox Becomes Latest Firm to Adopt Integrated Sustainability Reporting|url=http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/10/11/clorox-becomes-latest-firm-adopt-integrated-reporting|publisher=GreenBiz.com|access-date=February 21, 2014|archive-date=March 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305132215/http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/10/11/clorox-becomes-latest-firm-adopt-integrated-reporting|url-status=dead}}

In 2013, the company announced a focus on consumer megatrends that included sustainability, health and wellness, affordability and value, and multiculturalism, with a particular emphasis on the Hispanic community.{{cite web|title=Clorox Identifies Four Mega Trends For Hispanic Consumers|date=March 13, 2013|url=http://www.theshelbyreport.com/2013/03/13/clorox-identifies-four-mega-trends-for-hispanic-consumers/|publisher=The Shelby Report|access-date=February 22, 2014}}

In 2015, the company became a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, a large corporate responsibility initiative.

{{cite news

| title = The Clorox Company

| url = https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/68461-The-Clorox-Company

| publisher = United Nations Global Compact

| date = 2015

| access-date = December 30, 2015

}}

In 2018, Clorox purchased Nutranext Business, LLC for approximately $700 million. Florida-based Nutranext makes natural multivitamins, specialty minerals used as health aids, and supplements for hair, skin and nails.{{cite web|url=https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/release/clorox-announces-agreement-to-acquire-nutranext-a-leader-in-dietary-supplements/9923477f-b0b1-423a-bbd8-f0f7cffdb9ff/|title=Clorox Announces Agreement to Acquire Nutranext, a Leader in Dietary Supplements|publisher=The Clorox Company|date=November 9, 2017|website=thecloroxcompany.com|access-date=April 7, 2018|archive-date=November 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181128075149/https://www.thecloroxcompany.com/release/clorox-announces-agreement-to-acquire-nutranext-a-leader-in-dietary-supplements/9923477f-b0b1-423a-bbd8-f0f7cffdb9ff/|url-status=dead}} Operating income in 2018 was US$1.1 billion.[https://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/financials?query=income-statement NASDAQ income-statement] The company had approximately 8,700 employees worldwide as of 2018, yearly revenue for the period ending June 30, 2018, equaled $6.1 billion. Yearly revenue equaled $6.2 billion in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/investors/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2019/Clorox-Reports-Q4-and-Fiscal-Year-2019-Results-Provides-Fiscal-Year-2020-Outlook/|title = Clorox Reports Q4 and Fiscal Year 2019 Results, Provides Fiscal Year 2020 Outlook}}

Clorox was named to the inaugural Bloomberg Gender Equality Index in 2018.[https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/2019-bloomberg-gender-equality-index/ "Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index Doubles in Size, Recognizing 230 Companies Committed to Advancing Women in the Workplace"] January 16, 2019. The following year, it topped the Axios Harris Poll 100 corporate reputation rankings.[https://www.axios.com/2020/07/30/clorox-publix-wegmans-companies-approval-coronavirus "The Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings: The Corona companies"] July 30, 2020. In 2019, Clorox ranked seventh in Barron's "100 Most Sustainable U.S. Companies" list.{{cite web|url=https://alabrava.net/burts-bees-helps-clorox-create-eco-friendly-buzz/|publisher=Alabrava.net|title=Burt's Bees Helps Clorox Create Eco-Friendly Buzz|date=March 16, 2020 |access-date=March 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318220456/https://alabrava.net/burts-bees-helps-clorox-create-eco-friendly-buzz/|archive-date=March 18, 2020|url-status=live}}

In 2022, the company opened a new manufacturing facility in Martinsburg, West Virginia, to facilitate the growth of its cat litter business.[https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/clorox-opens-state-of-the-art-cat-litter-manufacturing-plant-in-west-virginia/article_69278e3a-5175-11ed-b57b-dba5aafbcc0c.html "Clorox opens state-of-the-art cat litter manufacturing plant in West Virginia"] WV News, October 21, 2022.

In 2023 the company was affected by a cyberattack, resulting in revenue loss and product shortages.{{Cite news |date=2023-10-04 |title=Clorox, reeling from cyberattack, expects quarterly loss |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/clorox-expects-quarterly-loss-hit-cyberattack-2023-10-04/ |access-date=2023-10-14}}

Brands

File:Clorox Brand Logo 2019.png

File:Clorox Bleach products.jpg

The Clorox Company currently owns a number of well-known household and professional brands across a wide variety of products, among them are the following:

Brita water filtration systems (Americas only){{cite magazine|last=Carr|first=Coeli|title=Pouring It On|url=https://business.time.com/2010/05/20/brita-pouring-it-on/|magazine=Time|access-date=February 26, 2014|date=May 20, 2010}}
Burt's Bees natural cosmetics and personal care products
Clorinda: bleach and cleaning and disinfection products, alternative brand of Clorox Chile
Formula 409 hard surface cleaners
Fresh Step, Scoop Away and Ever Clean cat litters
Glad storage bags, trash bags, Press'n Seal, GladWare containers (joint venture with P&G as 20% minority shareholder)
Green Works natural cleaners
Handy Andy floor cleaners in Australia[https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/clorox-arrives-to-mop-up-market-share-20041004-jloj3 Article in "The Australian Financial Review]
Hidden Valley dressings, sandwich spreads and condiments, dips and dressing mixes, croutons and salad toppings, side dishes and appetizers
Kingsford charcoal
Kitchen Bouquet, KC Masterpiece, and Soy Vay sauces
Lestoil heavy-duty laundry / multipurpose Cleaner
Liquid-Plumr drain cleaner
Pine-Sol, Tilex, Poett and S.O.S cleaning products

The ingredients in Clorox bleach are water, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chloride, sodium carbonate, sodium chlorate, sodium hydroxide and sodium polyacrylate.{{cite web|title=Ingredients Inside|url=http://www.thecloroxcompany.com/products/ingredients-inside/en-us/clorox/cloroxregularbleach1concentrated/|publisher=The Clorox Company|access-date=February 26, 2014}}

For historical reasons, and in certain markets, the company's bleach products are sold under regional brands. In 2006, Clorox acquired the Javex line of bleach products in Canada, and similar product lines in parts of Latin and South America, from Colgate-Palmolive.[http://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=222798 Clorox press release] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205073115/http://investors.thecloroxcompany.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=222798 |date=December 5, 2007 }}, December 20, 2006

Sales

The company ranked No. 453 on the Fortune 500 list in 2017;{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/fortune500/2017/|title=Fortune 500 Companies 2017: Who Made the List|website=Fortune|access-date=April 7, 2018}}{{cite news|url=http://fortune.com/fortune500/2016/|title=2016 Fortune 500|date=December 2016|work=Fortune|access-date=April 15, 2017}}{{cite web|title=CLX Company Financials|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/financials?query=income-statement |publisher=NASDAQ|access-date=April 18, 2017}}{{cite web|title=Clorox Company (The) Stock Report|url=http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/stock-report |publisher=NASDAQ|access-date=April 18, 2017}} by 2020, Clorox ranked No. 474 on the list.{{Cite web|url=https://fortune.com/fortune500/2020/ |title= Fortune 500 2020|website=Fortune|access-date=June 12, 2021}}

Clorox's net sales (2015–2020)

class="wikitable"

! FY 2020

! FY 2019

! FY 2018

! FY 2017

! FY 2016

! FY 2015

U.S. dollars (in millions)

$6,721{{Cite web|url=https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/CLX/clorox/revenue|title=Clorox Revenue 2006-2021|publisher=Macrotrends |access-date=June 12, 2021}}

$6,214

$6,124[https://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/stock-report NASDAQ stock report]

$5,973http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/stock-reporton June 30, 2017 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122093200/http://www.nasdaq.com/symbol/clx/stock-report |date=January 22, 2014 }}

$5,761

$5,655

Marketing

=Advertising campaigns=

In 1986, the advertising campaign for Clorox 2 featured an award-winning jingle, "Mama's Got The Magic of Clorox 2". The song was written by Dan Williams and performed by Dobie Gray.{{cite news |title=You know Dobie's voice even if you don't know his name |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/112316548/ |publisher=The Tennessean |language=en}} "That's Gray's unmistakable, heart-tugging tenor singing the award-winning "Mama's got the magic" Clorox ad jingle."{{cite news |title=Country stars shine in world of jingles |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/496671128/ |work=Newspapers.com |publisher=The Record |date=1991 |language=en}} "Dobie Gray sang the reggae "Mama's Got the Magic in Clorbx II," which Williams wrote."{{cite news |title=The Jingle Biz |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-01-13-9101040372-story.html |work=Chicago Tribune |language=en}}

The company was listed at Advertising Age{{'}}s 2015 Marketer A-List.{{cite web|url=http://adage.com/article/news/ad-age-s-2015-marketer-a-list/301614/|title=Ad Age's 2015 Marketer A-List|website=Advertising Age|date=December 7, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://adage.com/article/agency-news/clorox-launches-agency-review-consolidate-creative-duties/301641/|title=Clorox Starts Agency Review That Could Consolidate Lead, Digital Duties|last=Neff|first=Jack|website=Advertising Age|date=December 7, 2015|access-date=April 18, 2017}}

=Allegations of sexist marketing=

During 2006 and 2007, a Clorox commercial that aired nationally showed several generations of women doing laundry. The commercial included the words "Your mother, your grandmother, her mother, they all did the laundry, maybe even a man or two". Feminists criticized the commercial for insinuating that doing laundry is a job for women only.{{cite magazine |url=http://bitchmagazine.org/post/mad-mens-portrayal-of-sexism-seeps-unironically-into-its-commercial-breaks |title=Mad Men's Portrayal of Sexism Seeps Unironically into Its Commercial Breaks |author=Wallace, Kelsey |date=August 31, 2009 |magazine=Bitch magazine |access-date=February 5, 2010 |archive-date=October 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005211706/http://bitchmagazine.org/post/mad-mens-portrayal-of-sexism-seeps-unironically-into-its-commercial-breaks |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://feministing.com/2007/08/27/cloroxs_history_of_womens_unwa/ |title=Clorox's history of women's unwaged labor |date=August 27, 2007 |publisher= Feministing |access-date=November 8, 2010}}

The Clorox slogan, "Mama's got the magic of Clorox", was criticized on similar grounds.{{Cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kAg2oPU4SjUC&pg=PA65|title=If Women Ruled the World: How to Create the World We Want to Live In|last=Macaulay|first=Rose|publisher=Inner Ocean Pub.|year=2004|isbn=9781577317418|editor-last=Ellison|editor-first=Sheila|editor-link=Sheila Ellison|location=Maui, Hawaii|page=65|chapter=Women's Work Should Not Be Defined as Housework|oclc=713268308}} The slogan first appeared in a Clorox commercial in 1986.{{cite web|title=Clorox 2 (1986)|url=http://www.ilovetvcommercials.com/clorox-2-1986/|publisher=ILoveTVCommercials.com|access-date=February 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227090924/http://www.ilovetvcommercials.com/clorox-2-1986/|archive-date=February 27, 2014|url-status=dead}} A modified version of the commercial ran from 2002 to 2004.{{YouTube|title=Clorox Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Commercial – February 11, 2002|id=5socJQWmHw0}}{{Dead link|date=July 2023}}

In 2009, Clorox received complaints of sexism for an advertisement that featured a man's white, lipstick-stained dress shirt with the caption, "Clorox. Getting ad guys out of hot water for generations".{{cite web |url=http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2009/09/28/Clorox-Mad-Men-Ads-Miss-The-Target.aspx |title=Clorox 'Mad Men' Ads Miss the Target |author=Wright, Jennifer |date=September 28, 2009 |publisher=Brandchannel.com |access-date=February 5, 2010 |archive-date=January 28, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100128051450/http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2009/09/28/Clorox-Mad-Men-Ads-Miss-The-Target.aspx |url-status=dead }} The ad, and others, were produced expressly for the television program Mad Men, capitalizing on "the show's unique vintage style to [create] a link between classic and modern consumer behaviors".{{cite web|last=DeClemente|first=Donna|title=Mad Men inspires brands to create some stylish ad campaigns to help kick-off season 3|url=http://www.donnaspromotalk.com/getting-back-to-reporting-on-entertainment-marketing-promotionswhile-the-summer-does-have-its-share-of-big-theatrical-movi/|publisher=Donna's Promo Talk|access-date=February 21, 2014|archive-date=July 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730110343/http://www.donnaspromotalk.com/getting-back-to-reporting-on-entertainment-marketing-promotionswhile-the-summer-does-have-its-share-of-big-theatrical-movi/|url-status=usurped}}

=Reactions to product claims=

==Green Works==

In 2008, the Sierra Club endorsed the Clorox Green Works line. Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope stated that one of the nonprofit organization's primary goals is to "foster vibrant, healthy communities with clean water and air that are free from pollution. Products like Green Works help to achieve this goal in the home". The Sierra Club also partnered with Clorox to "promote a line of natural cleaning products for consumers who are moving toward a greener lifestyle".{{cite web|title=Some in Sierra Club feel sullied by Clorox deal|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25708115|work=NBC News|date=July 16, 2008 |access-date=February 21, 2014}} The partnership "caused schisms" in the club, which contributed in part to Pope's decision to resign.{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2011-nov-19-la-me-sierra-club-20111119-story.html|title=Sierra Club leader departs amid discontent over group's direction|last=Sahagun|first=Louis|date=November 19, 2011|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=February 21, 2014}}

Also in 2008, the National Advertising Division told Clorox to either discontinue or modify its advertisements for Green Works on the grounds the cleaners actually do not work as well as traditional cleaners, as Clorox had claimed.{{cite web |url=http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/08/17/nad-tells-clorox-to-clean-up-ads/ |title=NAD Tells Clorox to Clean Up Ads |date=August 17, 2008 |publisher=Environmentalleader.com |access-date=February 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100209014540/http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/08/17/nad-tells-clorox-to-clean-up-ads/ |archive-date=February 9, 2010 |url-status=dead }}

In 2009, Clorox received further criticism for its Clorox Green Works line, regarding claims the products are environmentally friendly.{{cite web |url=http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/4-green-claims-to-be-wary-of.aspx |title=4 'green' claims to be wary of |author=Tennery, Amy |date=April 22, 2009 |publisher=MSN |access-date=February 5, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122220336/http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/4-green-claims-to-be-wary-of.aspx |archive-date=November 22, 2011 |url-status=dead }} Several Clorox Green Works products contain ethanol, which environmental groups state is neither cost-effective nor eco-friendly. Many Green Works products also contain sodium lauryl sulfate, a known skin irritant. Women's Voices for the Earth have questioned whether or not the Clorox Green Works line is greenwashing, as Clorox's "green" products are far outnumbered by their traditional products, asking "Why sell one set of products that have hazardous ingredients and others that don't?"