Who Owns Pine-Sol?

• Parent Company: The Clorox Company
• Ownership Type: Wholly owned
• Acquisition Year: 1990
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock Ticker: NYSE: CLX

• Founded: 1929
• Founders: Harry A. Cole
• Acquired by The Clorox Company: 1990

• Founded: 1913
• Headquarters: Oakland, California, USA
• Company Type: Publicly Traded
• Stock: NYSE: CLX
• Revenue: approximately $7.1 billion (FY2024)
• Employees: Approximately 8,500

Visit The Clorox Company website

• Headquarters: Oakland, California, USA
• Manufacturing / Operations: United States, International markets

Pine-Sol operates under The Clorox Company's comprehensive sustainability framework, which addresses environmental responsibility, sustainable manufacturing, and ethical business practices across the household cleaning products sector. As part of Clorox's portfolio of trusted brands, Pine-Sol benefits from the company's ambitious climate goals and responsible sourcing programs.

Climate Action and Environmental Leadership: The Clorox Company has earned the top ranking on Barron's 2024 100 Most Sustainable Companies list for the second consecutive year, demonstrating exceptional commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance. Clorox maintains a goal to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable energy for U.S. and Canadian operations and has published a Climate Action Plan outlining its approach to achieving 2030 science-based targets and 2050 net-zero commitment.

Sustainable Packaging Innovation: Pine-Sol's 2024 reformulated multi-surface cleaners feature significant packaging improvements. The new concentrated formula allows for smaller bottles that use 30 percent less plastic and are made with a minimum of 50 percent post-consumer recycled plastic. This packaging innovation aligns with Clorox's goal to achieve 100 percent recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging by 2025, with the company having reached 88 percent of this goal as of 2024.

Product Concentration and Resource Efficiency: The reformulated Pine-Sol cleaners are two times more concentrated than previous formulations, offering twice the cleaning power in each drop. This concentration allows consumers to make the same amount of cleaning solution with half the product, meaning every bottle lasts twice as long. The reduced product usage translates to lower environmental impact through reduced shipping weight and decreased plastic consumption per cleaning session.

Safer Choice Recognition: The Clorox Company has been named an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Safer Choice partner of the Year for the sixth time, recognizing the company's manufacturing of products that contain ingredients the EPA has determined are safer for human health and the environment. This recognition extends to Pine-Sol products, which are formulated with safer ingredients while maintaining effective cleaning performance.

Zero Waste Manufacturing: Clorox has attained zero-waste-to-landfill status in over half of its facilities and 80 percent of its plants. This manufacturing approach extends to Pine-Sol production facilities, which implement waste reduction programs and sustainable manufacturing practices to minimize environmental footprint.

Responsible Ingredient Sourcing: Pine-Sol formulations prioritize ingredients that meet safety and environmental standards while maintaining cleaning efficacy. The brand participates in Clorox's responsible sourcing programs, which ensure that ingredients are obtained from suppliers who comply with environmental and social responsibility standards.

Community Engagement and Corporate Citizenship: Through Clorox's corporate citizenship programs, Pine-Sol supports various community initiatives focused on health, education, and environmental stewardship. The brand's long-standing presence in American households positions it as a trusted partner in promoting clean and healthy living environments.

Pine-Sol has received significant recognition through its parent company, The Clorox Company, for sustainability leadership, product innovation, and corporate responsibility. While specific brand-level awards are limited, Pine-Sol benefits from Clorox's industry recognition and the brand's own product innovation achievements.

Barron's Most Sustainable Company Recognition (2024): The Clorox Company earned the top ranking on Barron's 2024 100 Most Sustainable Companies list for the second consecutive year. This recognition, based on environmental, social, and governance performance across 230 ESG indicators, reflects the company's comprehensive sustainability commitment that extends to all brands including Pine-Sol. The ranking specifically highlights Clorox's progress toward ambitious ESG goals, pay equity achievement, and climate action initiatives.

EPA Safer Choice Partner of the Year (Multiple Years): The Clorox Company has been named an EPA Safer Choice partner of the Year for the sixth time, recognizing the company's manufacturing of products with safer ingredients for human health and the environment. This designation applies to Pine-Sol products, which are formulated to meet EPA's safer ingredient criteria while maintaining effective cleaning performance against germs and bacteria.

Product Innovation Excellence (2024): Pine-Sol's reformulated multi-surface cleaners represent significant product innovation, delivering twice the cleaning power in a more concentrated formula. The introduction of the new "Refreshing Clean" scent, inspired by fresh linen with notes of citrus, pear, jasmine, and rose, demonstrates the brand's commitment to product innovation while meeting consumer preferences for appealing fragrances.

Long-Standing Brand Recognition: Pine-Sol has maintained strong brand recognition for over 90 years, becoming synonymous with effective household cleaning. The brand's iconic advertising campaigns, including the long-running "Pine-Sol Lady" featuring Diane Amos for 30 years, have contributed to its cultural significance and consumer trust.

Consumer Trust and Loyalty: Pine-Sol has been recognized in consumer surveys and market research as one of the most trusted cleaning brands in American households. The brand's consistent performance and reliability have earned it a place in about nine of 10 U.S. homes, reflecting sustained consumer confidence and brand loyalty.

Manufacturing Excellence: Through Clorox's manufacturing facilities, Pine-Sol production has been recognized for quality control and operational excellence. The company's zero-waste-to-landfill achievements and sustainable manufacturing practices extend to Pine-Sol production processes.

Pine-Sol has faced significant product safety challenges, most notably a major recall in 2022-2023 due to bacterial contamination concerns. The recall affected approximately 37 million products and required comprehensive consumer communication and remediation efforts, demonstrating the importance of rigorous quality control in household cleaning products.

Bacterial Contamination Recall (2022-2023): The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a major recall of Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners, CloroxPro Pine-Sol All Purpose Cleaners, and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Lemon Fresh Cleaners due to potential contamination with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The recall affected products produced between January 2021 and September 2022, totaling approximately 37 million bottles. The recalled products included various scents such as Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, Lemon Fresh, and Orange Energy, with date codes beginning with "A4" and first five digits numbered less than 22249.

Health Risk Assessment: The recalled products potentially contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa, an environmental organism found widely in soil and water. People with weakened immune systems or external medical devices who are exposed to this bacteria face a risk of serious infection that may require medical treatment. The bacteria can enter the body through inhalation, eyes, or breaks in the skin. People with healthy immune systems are typically not affected by the bacteria.

Consumer Response and Remediation: Clorox implemented a comprehensive consumer response program, including a toll-free hotline (855-378-4982), email support ([email protected]), and a dedicated recall website (pinesolrecall.com). Consumers were instructed to immediately stop using affected products, dispose of them in their containers with household trash, and contact the company for full refunds. The company required consumers to provide pictures of the 12-digit UPC code and date code for processing refunds.

Quality Control Improvements: Following the recall, Clorox implemented enhanced quality control and testing protocols across all Pine-Sol manufacturing facilities. The company strengthened its bacterial testing procedures and implemented more rigorous monitoring of production processes to prevent similar contamination incidents.

Product Reformulation and Relaunch: In 2024, Pine-Sol launched reformulated multi-surface cleaners with improved formulations and packaging. The new products feature concentrated formulas that deliver twice the cleaning power while using smaller bottles with increased recycled content. This reformulation represented the brand's commitment to product safety and innovation following the recall challenges.

Regulatory Compliance: The recall process involved close coordination with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and other regulatory agencies to ensure proper consumer notification and product removal from retail channels. The company maintained transparency throughout the recall process and provided regular updates to consumers and stakeholders.

Market Impact and Recovery: Despite the significant scope of the recall, Pine-Sol maintained its market position through effective crisis management and product improvements. The brand's quick response and commitment to consumer safety helped preserve trust and facilitate market recovery.