DCHP-3

J-Cloth

DCHP-2 (May 2016)

Spelling variants:
J-cloth, J Cloth

n. — proprietary

a soft cloth made of cellulose fibres, mainly used for household cleaning.

Type: 1. Origin — The OED-3 suggests that the origin of the name comes from the initial of the brand Johnson & Johnson. Johnson & Johnson Canada invented the cloth in 1963 (see the 2003 quotation and the strategyonline reference). They are reusable, unlike paper towels, but cheaper and more disposable than dishcloths or sponges (see Image 1).
See also OED-3, s.v. "J-cloth", COD-2, s.v. "J-cloth", which labels it "Cdn. & Brit.".
While J Cloth is the actual trademark name, the hyphenated versions are the more frequent spelling variants.

Quotations

1966
J-CLOTH WORKS LIKE A DUSTER, POLISHES LIKE A CHAMOIS, WIPES UP LIKE A SPONGE. Box of 12 -- Sugg. List 59c SPECIAL 53c
1967
Johnson's J-Cloth 24's PKG. 55 [cents]
1968
The he-man dispenser of auto accessories and tools [Canadian Tire Corp. of Toronto] is now selling dresses. For 88 cents each. The 35,000 garments that went on sale this week in the 15 Metro stores only of the 226-store chain are aimed at drawing women into the Canadian Tire outlets, which sell household items and such appliances as hair-dryers besides the automotive supplies for which they're better known. [...] The dresses are made from J-cloth, the low-priced synthetic fibre that's more familiar in the form of dish cloths and the like.
1978
There she was, the first Canadian in 22 years to win the U.S. amateur women\'s golf championship, dressed, appropriately, in a golf skirt and V-neck sweater surrounded by the typical lady golfer\'s tan - you know, the kind that ends at the right wrist and the ankles - and, in one hand, she clutched a J-cloth and a bottle of window washer.
1981
JOHNSON & JOHNSON J CLOTHS now 1.44
1984
Cleaning is one of those unappealing but necessary tasks that will fill whatever amount of time you choose to devote to it: it can mean an hour with a J-cloth or a career. Assuming most bachelors are of the J-cloth school, there are shortcuts worth knowing about.
1986
My annoyance with J-cloths that kept splitting into useless long strips prompted me to try an idea that to get extra wear out of them. It works. Simply fold a new cloth once more across the grain, forming a double square. Machine stitch around it near the edge. Stitching it from corner to corner helps to make it stronger.
1991
After washing, shaking or spinning, wrap the greens in J-Cloth, which is better than using paper or linen towels. You can rinse and re-use the J-Cloths many times.
1996
Toronto's Associated Brands has bought the venerable J Cloth brand from Johnson & Johnson Canada. [...] Advertising and marketing plans for J Cloth are under review, and no budget has been set for the product's new consumer push. Johnson & Johnson invented J Cloth in Canada in 1963, and today it is the dominant product in its category.
2000
\"The whole marketing problem with J-Cloths is that it\'s an old, established brand,\" says Mr. McCormack of Associated Brands Inc. in Toronto. J-Cloths, he admits, have \"not really attracted a younger, newer following.\"
2003
J Cloth towels, a proudly Canadian invention, are being relaunched for the 21st century -- complete with built-in germ-fighting properties. A national campaign for the new J Cloth launches the week of May 12. The goal of the campaign is to acquire new users for the reusable household towels in the face of declining household penetration, says Tommy Cheng, marketing manager for Associated Brands in Toronto. (Associated Brands bought J Cloth from its original supplier, Johnson & Johnson, in the mid-'90s.)
2006
No more money spent on expensive dusting sheets for your floors. Cut a J-Cloth in two pieces and place it in the cleaning holder (it fits well). When it gets dirty, rinse it out. They are inexpensive and can be used over and over.
2007
Once clothes are gone and hospital gowns are on, you know your sense of person is slipping. It's clear once the shoes are off that you're not going for a long walk in those J-cloth slippers.
2016
Since 1966, Canadians have known and trusted J Cloth. For over 40 years, J Cloths have been used for all types of household cleaning. Wherever you need household cleaning cloths -- in the kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, and garage, garden and beyond – J Cloth is there.

References

Images

Image 1: An advertisement for <i>J-Cloths</i> (<i>Toronto Star</i> 15 Mar. 1966: 32)

Image 1: An advertisement for J-Cloths (Toronto Star 15 Mar. 1966: 32)