Press Releases

DALLAS, August 27, 2001 - Ever wonder what the opposite sex does in the privacy of the bathroom? It's an age-old wonder, but perhaps the last refuge of privacy between the sexes has now been broken in a new national survey examining Americans' behavior behind the bathroom door, conducted by Kimberly-Clark.

In keeping with the sociable residents of Venus, almost one in four women, some 24 percent, admitted to talking on the phone while doing their business in the bathroom. Only 11 percent of men do so.

Thirty-two percent of Martian men – always looking for that competitive edge – read their daily newspaper whilst on the throne. Less than half that number –15 percent of women – say they use the toilet to catch up on all the news that's fit to print.

Only 33 percent of respondents – both men and women overall – said they did no multi-tasking at all saying, "I just do my business and leave."

The survey, which polled 1,000 Americans online, found that when it comes to toilet paper and the bathroom, perceptions and practices often vary widely - from the expected to the unexpected. The survey was conducted on behalf of COTTONELLE® FRESH Rollwipes, America's first and only pre-moistened dispersible moist wipe on a roll manufactured by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, a leading consumer products company. "Taking a look at what happens behind the bathroom door piques the curiosity in us all," said Peggy Nabbefeldt, director of marketing for COTTONELLE FRESH™ Rollwipes at Kimberly-Clark.

"Do Not Disturb!" – The Bathroom: Private Sanctuary or Just Another Room to Clean? More than one-third of all respondents, 36 percent, said the bathroom is "just another room I have to clean." But for those who see the bathroom as something more, important differences between Mars and Venus have emerged. Some 29 percent of women said the bathroom was "a place to pamper myself" – only 8 percent of men described the bathroom that way. While women see the bathroom as a place for a little indulgence, men view it as a private retreat. Fifteen percent of men said the bathroom is the "place where I do my best thinking," versus 5 percent of women. Seventeen percent of men said the bathroom is "a place to unwind," versus 6 percent of women.

"Pass the Toilet Paper, Gilligan..." What One Toiletry Item Could You Not Live Without on a Deserted Island? Respondents were asked to choose what single toiletry item they would choose to have if they were stranded on a deserted island. Toilet paper was the top choice, capturing 39 percent of the votes from both sexes. Next was a toothbrush, chosen by 29 percent of all respondents, with men apparently more concerned about their pearly whites (34 percent versus 24 percent for women). "Personal moist wipes" was the third most popular choice, with more women than men claiming interest in this option (22 percent versus 11 percent).

"Help! I've Reached the End of My Roll!" Running Out of Toilet Paper in Someone Else's House... When respondents were asked what they would do if they ran out of toilet paper at someone else's house, 61 percent of all respondents said they would "search the bathroom for any absorbent material they could find." Nearly one-third of all respondents said they would "bang on the wall and yell for more toilet paper." 34 percent of men said they'd pound the walls for help versus 27 percent of women.

The online Internet Omnibus survey was conducted in June 2001 by Greenfield Online, which collected data from a sample of Internet users, weighted to the U.S population based on Census data for gender, age and income. Respondents were asked to select a response or responses from a list of close-ended questions regarding bathroom activities and perceptions. For complete survey results, please contact Cheryl Bell at 212-210-8630 or [email protected].

Kimberly-Clark Corporation is a leading consumer products company. Its global tissue, personal care and health care brands include Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott, Kimberly-Clark, Safeskin, Tecnol, Kimwipes and WypAll. Other brands well-known outside the U.S. include Andrex, Scottex, Page, Popee and Kimbies. Kimberly-Clark also is a major producer of premium business, correspondence and technical papers. The company has manufacturing operations in 41 countries and sells its products in more than 150 countries.