Clorox Professional Products Company Unveils Enhanced Product Portfolio at APIC 2012

OAKLAND, Calif., May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Clorox Professional Products Company, a division of The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX), will showcase Clorox Healthcare, its new strengthened comprehensive product offerings and educational initiatives to meet healthcare professionals' diverse needs, at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 2012 Conference in San Antonio, Texas, June 4-6. Clorox Healthcare offers the most robust portfolio of ready-to-use bleach products that are registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in all 50 states to kill C. difficile spores, as well as hydrogen peroxide cleaner disinfectant wipes with the fastest non-bleach disinfecting times.[1] These comprehensive solutions meet end-users' needs for disinfecting facility-wide.

For years, healthcare professionals have trusted Clorox's EPA-registered products to help them combat healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Clorox Healthcare is committed to continually improving its offerings to meet the needs of healthcare professionals by:

• Bringing Clorox® Germicidal Wipes and Dispatch® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectants under the Clorox Healthcare™ portfolio name with innovative new packaging.
• Adding new EPA-registered kill claims to Clorox Healthcare™ Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectants.
• Expanding its product portfolio by acquiring Aplicare and HealthLink. 

Redefining Healthcare's Most Trusted Bleach Solutions
To serve the healthcare community's product needs, Clorox will be transitioning its Clorox® Germicidal Wipes and Dispatch® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectants under one Clorox Healthcare™ portfolio umbrella.  The products will feature the same formulas, claims, UPC and EPA-registration numbers that are trusted and widely used by professionals. The label transformations reflect Clorox's commitment to serving the healthcare industry with solutions specifically designed and labeled for their needs.

"Clorox Healthcare offers the most robust portfolio of EPA-registered, ready-to-use bleach products to kill C. difficile spores," said Kim LaFreniere, Ph.D., associate research fellow, Clorox Professional Products Company. "Our growing portfolio of product offerings equips healthcare professionals with the right tools for their jobs – whether it is helping prevent the spread of infections or helping stop an HAI outbreak."

Beginning in September 2012, Clorox® Germicidal Wipes will become Clorox Healthcare™ Bleach Germicidal Wipes. The 70-count wipes will transition to a slimmer canister offering easier setup, improved dispensing and an overall better end-user experience. In January 2013, Dispatch® Hospital Cleaner Disinfectants – sprays, pull-top and refill bottles – will become Clorox Healthcare™ Bleach Germicidal Cleaner.

Equipping Healthcare Professionals for the Future
Clorox Healthcare™ Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectants are EPA-registered to kill 36 bacteria and viruses in 30 to 60 seconds, the fastest non-bleach disinfecting time available.[2]  Clorox Healthcare™ Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes and Spray recently received EPA-registration to kill four additional Antibiotic-Resistant Organisms (AROs).[3] The products are now EPA-registered to kill more than two-thirds of all pathogens related to HAIs, including all ESKAPE pathogens (E. faecium, S. aureus, K. pneumonia, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, E. aerogenes) and norovirus. Introduced in February 2012, the Wipes and Spray are ready-to-use, one-step cleaner disinfectants engineered with a patented hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) formula and are recommended for daily surface disinfection facility-wide.

Expanding the Clorox Healthcare™ Portfolio
Clorox Healthcare also expanded its product portfolio by acquiring Aplicare and HealthLink in January 2012. Aplicare specializes in developing and manufacturing different forms of skin antisepsis products for helping prevent skin infection. HealthLink manufactures and supplies more than 2,200 medical products ranging from infection control solutions to diagnostic and medical devices. The acquisitions mark an important step in Clorox's effort to increase exposure to faster-growing categories, such as skin infection prevention, expanding the breadth and depth of Clorox Healthcare and its current product offerings.

Clorox Healthcare is a long-standing supporter of APIC and attendees at this year's conference can visit the Clorox Healthcare booth (#1203) for more information, including product demonstrations and complimentary trial offers.

About Clorox Professional Products Company
Clorox markets some of the most trusted and recognized brand names for healthcare settings, including Clorox®, DISPATCH® and Citrace®. These Clorox products are fast-acting, EPA-registered disinfectants intended for use by healthcare personnel on environmental surfaces and medical equipment to help reduce the spread of pathogens that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). By expanding its portfolio to include Clorox Healthcare™ Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes and Spray, the company offers many disinfecting options beyond its signature bleach-based products to meet all healthcare facility needs. And with the acquisition of Caltech Industries, Clorox has become one of the leading providers of bleach disinfectants in more than 2,500 acute care facilities across the nation. Clorox also recently acquired Aplicare, a company specializing in products that help prevent skin infections, and HealthLink, a company that bundles a wide assortment of products for healthcare professionals. The addition of these two leading providers of infection-control products will help Clorox expand its healthcare portfolio and reinforce the company's commitment to help the healthcare industry stop the spread of infections. For more information, visit www.cloroxhealthcare.com.

[1] Based on 30-second non-TB bacteria and virus contact times for general disinfecting on Federal master labels as of 10/1/11.

[2] Based on 30-second bacteria and virus contact times for disinfecting on Federal master labels of leading healthcare wipes as of 10/1/11.

[3] ESKAPE claims have been registered by the Federal EPA but some may not yet be available in all 50 states. State registration is expected March 2013 for all 50 States.

SOURCE Clorox Professional Products Company