Cotton swabs, tissues and shortening - Part II

Kleenex is synonymous with tissues, to the point that if someone asks me for tissue, my first response is to ask if they want tissue paper. In my vocabulary, the word “tissues,” as in “facial tissues,” simply does not exist.

And, I will admit to being a brand-name buyer when it comes to these “tissues” as well. Puffs just don’t do the trick and generics don’t either. So where did the name Kleenex come from? It makes your face “clean” but is there more to it than that?

Apparently not. Of all the sites I visited, only one offered an etymology (origin) of the word “Kleenex.” The word itself is an

“arbitrary alteration of ‘clean’ and the brand-name suffix ‘-ex.’”

. Kleenex is also a trademark that has been used by Kimberly-Clark since June 12, 1924

But all is not lost. I did find some interesting factoids along the way. The origin of Kleenex facial tissues, if not the word “Kleenex” is interesting enough on its own. The U.S. manufacturer Kimberly-Clark invented creped wadding called Cellucotton, which was used in the filters of gas masks in World War I. After the war, the wadding was redesigned and remarketed as Kleenex.

Kleenex facial tissues were also originally marketed for the removal of cold cream or makeup remover. By the 1930’s, however, it became widely used as a sort of disposable handkerchief and the company’s advertising changed. Their campaign advised: “Don’t Keep a Cold in Your Pocket.”

Coming soon...Crisco!

Related Links
Marketing Magazine
Answers.com
Wikipedia
Online Etymology Dictionary