Kleenex recently debuted their latest product: disposable hand towels for the home. The reaction from some parts of the web?
“A nightmare.” “The trees are weeping.” You get the idea. And that was my initial thought too: what a ridiculous waste… and, you know, cotton towels are washable and reusable.
But then my lovely wife pointed something out that I had totally missed. Kleenex makes disposable tissues too, right? Right. How many people right now are up in arms about not using a handkerchief? After all, they’re washable and reusable too… yet handkerchiefs have been relegated to fashion accessory status; using a handkerchief for blowing one’s nose is considered unhygienic.
As Wikipedia notes, Kleenex were originally marketed as makeup removal tools – but a marketeer at Kimberly-Clark was convinced to try promoting Kleenex as safe alternatives to those nasty ol’ handkerchiefs. And we know how successful that was… so I’m wondering if this is just the first step in the long, slow decline of the non-dispoable hand towel.
(As an aside, don’t miss the official product FAQs, featuring questions no one ever ever ever asks such as, “Why did the KLEENEX® Brand create KLEENEX® Hand Towels?” and “How can I find out more information and/or introduce this new innovation to my family?”)
Posted in Everyday Life