Kimberly-Clark celebrates 100 years of iconic Kleenex facial tissues

NEENAH — Consumer products giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. celebrated the 100th anniversary of its iconic Kleenex facial tissues Tuesday with a tour of its Experimental Mill in downtown Neenah, the company's birthplace.

The Experimental Mill, known locally as the X-Mill, is where Kimberly-Clark tests and improves brands such as Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott and Viva before they advance to the company's manufacturing facilities for large-scale production.

"Everything we do here is research-based," X-Mill Operations Manager Mark Verburgt said. "I like to say that our output is data. We're running trials to provide data for our research and engineering team to be able to make their products better."

Kleenex tissues debuted in 1924 as a new way to remove cold cream. Kleenex soon gained popularity as disposable handkerchiefs and became so well-known that many consumers use the trademark name as a generic term for facial tissues.

"It all started here, in Neenah, and then has been executed around the world," said Lewis Orchard, senior manager of research and engineering for Kleenex.

The centennial tour demonstrated how Kimberly-Clark manufactures Kleenex. Due to the proprietary nature of K-C's business, no cameras were allowed on the tour, and participants had to sign a nondisclosure agreement with the company.

Kleenex is made from both softwood and hardwood fibers. The softwood fibers, such as pine, give Kleenex its strength. The hardwood fibers, such as eucalyptus, make it soft.

The fibers are mixed with water in a large pulp blender. Verburgt said the slurry consists of 99.85% water and 0.15% fiber. The paper machine injects the slurry on a high-speed conveyor belt to form a fiber sheet that is pressed, dried and softened before being wound onto rolls as a tissue base layer.

The rolls of base layer then are taken to a converting operation that creates the finished product.

Some Kleenex tissues consist of two plies; others have three. Some contain lotion or anti-viral ingredients.

"We've definitely had some of the best research and engineering leaders work on the Kleenex brand over the last 100 years," said Brenda Coulter, director of research and engineering.

In recognition of Kleenex's milestone, Kimberly-Clark announced the donation of 10,000 boxes of Kleenex to both the Appleton Area School District and the Neenah Joint School District, in addition to other school districts where it operates.

"It's so wonderful to have such a generous donation from a company that has its roots in Neenah," Neenah Superintendent Steve Harrison said. "It's also remarkable how needed this donation is in our schools and how fast our students will use it."

Kimberly-Clark also donated $10,000 to Building for Kids Children's Museum in downtown Appleton to fuel its STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) programming.

Oliver Zornow, president of Building for Kids, said the support from Kimberly-Clark and the Kleenex brand will help "school-aged students explore curricular topics in new and engaging ways through field trip visits this school year."

During World War I, Kimberly-Clark developed a crepe paper for use as a filter in gas masks, according to the Kleenex history webpage. By 1920, the company's creped paper innovation was modified into a menstrual pad called Kotex (derived from "cotton" and "texture"). Further modification of the original crepe paper made it thinner and softer, resulting in Kleenex.

1924: Kleenex debuts. It's advertised as a "marvelous new way to remove cold cream." The "Kleen" portion of the name signals its purpose, and the "ex" stems from the Kotex family of products.

1927: Kimberly-Clark proposes a new use for Kleenex, namely "absorbent kerchiefs."

1929: Kleenex introduces the first POP-UP dispensing box with a perforated opening. It also introduces colored tissues.

1930s: Consumers tell Kimberly-Clark that they use Kleenex when they have a cold. The company responds accordingly, marketing the tissues as "the handkerchiefs you can throw away."

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1950s: Kimberly-Clark publicizes that famous stage actors and actresses use Kleenex to remove cold cream and cosmetics each night.

1961: Kleenex introduces its Space-Saver box design.

1988: Kleenex launches its festive holiday packs.

1990: Kleenex introduces its Ultra Soft facial tissues.

2004: Kimberly-Clark rolls out Kleenex Anti-Viral facial tissues. They are made with a moisture-activated layer that kills 99.9% of cold and flu viruses.

2024: Kleenex celebrates its centennial. "For 100 years, we have comforted people in their most raw, human and vulnerable moments, and are committed to always being by their side anytime, anywhere," the brand says.

Kimberly-Clark maintains a webpage of frequently asked questions about Kleenex. Here's a sampling.

Where are Kleenex tissues made? They are manufactured in South Carolina, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Ontario, Canada.

What type of trees are used to make Kleenex tissues? Select species, including spruce, fir, aspen, maple and eucalyptus, contain thin wood fibers that contribute to the strength and softness.

Are Kleenex tissues made from recycled fiber? The recycling symbol on Kleenex boxes refers only to the box itself. The tissues inside are made from nearly 100% virgin fiber, which provides superior softness.

Do different kinds of Kleenex have different plies? Kleenex Trusted Care Tissue is two-ply. Kleenex Ultra Soft, Lotion and Anti-Viral tissues are three-ply for added softness and comfort.

What ingredients are infused in Kleenex Lotion tissues? The formula consists of aloe, coconut oil, Vitamin E and gentle moisturizers.

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DukeBehnke.