New Toilet Paper To Be Introduced

Updated 5:34 PM ET January 16, 2001

By DAVID KOENIG, AP Business Writer

DALLAS (AP) - Seeking to wipe out potty discomfort, Kimberly-Clark Corp. is plunging into the market with a new product, moistened toilet paper on a roll.

The maker of Kleenex, Huggies and Kotex believes its latest creation could be the biggest advancement in toilet paper in a century - since someone thought to sell tissue on a roll.

The Irving-based company said Tuesday that it plans to spend $40 million marketing Fresh Rollwipes under the Cottonelle brand name, one of its biggest product introductions ever. Company officials say annual sales could hit $150 million within a year and $500 million in six years.

The product will be introduced in early summer in the Northeast and Southeast, the company said.

For several years, Kimberly-Clark has sold flushable moistened toilet paper that comes in a tub - similar to baby wipes, except that the fibers break apart in water, like ordinary tissue. In fact, the rapid growth of the wet-paper market persuaded company officials to see if they could refine the product.

The company surveyed 2,000 consumers and found that 63 percent of them occasionally used something wet - often a baby wipe or regular toilet paper sprinkled with water - after going to the toilet. About a quarter did it daily.

To make moistened toilet paper a big seller, company officials figured they had to put it on a roll, in tiny perforated squares like conventional toilet paper.

Beginning with prototypes in 1997, company engineers developed a plastic dispenser that attaches to the toilet-roll holder in most bathrooms. The moistened toilet paper can be unrolled from the top of the device, leaving room below for a roll of regular toilet paper.

Now the company has to persuade people to buy it - at $8.99 for a dispenser and four rolls, $3.99 for a 4-pack refill.

"Using a moist product cleans and freshens better than dry toilet paper alone," said Peggy Nabbefeldt, a Kimberly-Clark marketing director. "They have to realize this should be a normal part of a universal task."

But the advertising must also be, well, subtle.

"There's only so much people want to hear about with a product like this," Nabbefeldt added.

After top-secret tests in consumers' homes, company officials believe they've got a hit on their hands. Some of the testers didn't want to give up the dispensers, said Linda Bartelt, president of the company's wet wipes sector. Bartelt said she's been using the product herself for a year and a half and can't imagine life without it.

Lilly Penhall, an 18-year-old college student from Plano, said her parents "are very particular about their toilet paper," and might find the new paper appealing.

"As for me," Penahall said, "I don't care as long as it's paper, it's cheap and it works."

-- wet wipes-ass wipes (wetwipes@aol.com), January 16, 2001

Answers

Why would you want your crap paper moist before you use it, when if fact it's goin to get plenty wet after you get done with it? That would be like usin that skunk cabbage you find that grows on the shady north side of them barrow pits.

-- Boswell (fundown@thefarm.net), January 16, 2001.

Republican heads are the best thing for wiping your butt, except the bald ones like Uncle Bob.

-- (wipeyourass@onrepub.crapheads), January 16, 2001.

Grandad always told me that Democraps never have to wipe their ass cause they got their head stuck up there so far nothin can get by. That's why when they get a certain age they turn a yellow color and they always have to have somebody hold their hand and lead them around!

-- Boswell (fundown@thefarm.net), January 17, 2001.

Did you know that those who have fat asses cannot wipe their own buts? Their arms and fingers are not long enough!

-- tee hee (teehee@aol.com), January 17, 2001.

"Did you know that those who have fat asses cannot wipe their own buts? Their arms and fingers are not long enough!"

Republicans might be useful for something after all!

-- (repubs@good.buttwipers), January 17, 2001.

Now wait just a minute. Your title invoked the High Holy word Klingons. Yet the article makes NO mention of them. None whatsoever.

This is manipulation, plain and simple. We Trekkers have a long history of having abuse heaped upon us just because we dress a little funny. We are a minority and should therefore be protected from such shabby treatment as was received here on this thread. Where are our political leaders? Where's the Federation? Where's Jean Luc? Why, standing idly by whilst their loyal citizens are thoroughly mistreated. I protest!

Oh, uh, the topic is bowel movement residue cleanup. Yes. Well, as we of the Federation take Triphala, an ayurvedic herbal supplement, on a daily basis we experience only the tiniest micro- fragmentation of the, um, eliminative substance as it achieves exodus from the body. Hence we have no need for New/Improved TP.

Moistened toilet paper on a roll, indeed. Sounds like something a Ferengi trader might attempt to pawn off on an unsuspecting customer. We of the Federation of Planets are too smart for any such foolishness.

Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #50:

Never bluff a Klingon.

-- Rich (howe9@shentel.net), January 17, 2001.

Oh hell, how in the world can we stockpile this stuff?

Huh?

-- sumer (shh@aol.con), January 17, 2001.

The Klingons is referred to the fact that when a dog takes a crap, there are always some Klingons left hanging on it's fur.

It usually comes off when they rub their buts on the carpet.

-- rubber but (rubberbut@aol.com), January 17, 2001.

Folks, this is serious bidness. You ever try to dump when dem hairs is all stuck together? Eeeeeeeeeeeew!

-- (nemesis@awol.com), January 17, 2001.

I am thrilled for this product to hit the market and have wondered what has taken so long to be able to purchase the wet-roll. I have been in a wheelchair for 4 years and I believe wet wipes to be a large reason for no infections and no skin break-down. I have been trying to find where to purchase this product and so far no luck. Most of the people I know that use a wet product swear by them and can't imagine not having them. Here's to clean, fresh and healthy.

-- Michelle Martin (chica_bell@yahoo.com), September 08, 2001.

What do wet wipes and the starship Enterprise have in common when they're circling Uranus?

They're both searching for Klingons!

-- Gort (geek@startrekconvention.com), September 09, 2001.