Hero: Support for Public Health

Support for Public Health

Our interest in promoting public health dates back more than a century, when our company was founded with liquid bleach as our flagship product used by industrial customers for stain removal, cleaning and disinfecting. Since then, Clorox® bleach and an expanding portfolio of products have continued to contribute to healthier lives in healthier environments — from hospitals to homes.

Click here to learn about how we’re responding to COVID-19

Infection Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that drug-resistant bacteria cause two million illnesses and approximately 23,000 deaths each year in the United States alone. The CDC also reported that approximately one in 25 U.S. hospital patients have at least one Healthcare-associated infection (HAI) on any given day.

To combat the 2 million healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) that occur each year in the United States, our fast-acting, EPA-registered disinfectants and ultraviolet (UV) electrostatic technology work together to help reduce the spread of pathogens that cause C. difficile, MRSA and other HAIs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that improved infection-control practices and antibiotic stewardship efforts could prevent about 619,000 infections and 37,000 deaths over five years, and we see ourselves as part of the solution.

The viruses that cause cold and flu can be present anywhere, including your own home, with cases of influenza affecting 3 million to 5 million people around the world every year. Our disinfecting products make it easier for people to kill germs that make people sick protect their families especially in the place where they should feel safest.

Health Through Safe Drinking Water

Bleach also can serve an important role in areas where people don’t have safe water to drink — a problem affecting approximately 1 billion people worldwide. Through our Clorox Safe Water Project, we are giving more than 25,000 Peruvians access to safe drinking water with just a few drops of bleach from local disinfecting stations — and creating a model that can be replicated in other places where there’s a need.

Disaster Relief

Public health needs can become particularly acute during humanitarian crises following natural disasters. Bleach is one of the first lines of defense after an earthquake, severe storm or flood. The company has a history of working with relief organizations to donate Clorox® bleach and other needed products to help affected communities begin to recover.

Natural disasters also can take the form of virus outbreaks, and Clorox responds to these challenges as well. Some of our recent bleach donations and public education efforts have helped battle Ebola in West Africa and the chikingunya, dengue and Zika outbreaks in the Americas.

With bleach as our foundation, our company and our products play a critical role in public health.