DALLAS — Kimberly-Clark Corp. has launched Kleenex Hand Towels, designed to serve as an alternative to cloth hand towels by providing a clean, dry towel each time people wash their hands in the bathroom.

And next month, the company plans to roll out new Depend underwear incontinence products for men and women that feature colors and prints.

Kimberly-Clark said Wednesday the single-use, disposable bathroom hand towel addresses consumers’ growing concern about hand hygiene and their families’ health and wellness.

Kleenex Hand Towels’ "cottony soft" base sheet is free of inks, dyes and fragrances and is highly absorbent — drying hands effectively with enough capacity in the brand’s absorbent Dry-Touch fibers for secondary quick cleanups around the bathroom sink, according to Kimberly-Clark. The flexible packaging, too, complements bathroom decor and space limitations, allowing the product to be placed on a towel bar or countertop. The Pop-Up delivery system always keeps one clean, fresh, dry towel conveniently at hand.

Kimberly-Clark noted that in the United States alone, people dry their hands on cloth bathroom towels approximately 200 billion times per year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for hand washing recommend hand drying with a single-use towel, but consumers thus far have not had a practical alternative to traditional cloth hand towels in their home bathrooms.

"Consumers know that even after they are washed, hands are only as clean as the towel used to dry them," commented Gordon Knapp, president of Kimberly-Clark North Atlantic Family Care. "Kleenex Hand Towels are a first-of-its-kind solution that leverages K-C’s and the Kleenex brand’s strengths in translating consumer insights into product design and technology to offer a real alternative to less-hygienic, shared bathroom cloth hand towels."

Kimberly-Clark said it plans to raise national consumer awareness and trial of the Kleenex Hand Towels this spring with an integrated marketing program that includes print and television advertising, direct-to-consumer online communications and blogging outreach, sampling, FSIs, experiential marketing and public relations activities.

Kleenex Hand Towels are slated to be widely available at major U.S. retail locations this month at a suggested retail price of about $3.00 for a box of 60 towels.

In other news, Kimberly-Clark announced that beginning in April, it will begin offering its Depend Underwear for Men and Depend Underwear for Women incontinence products in new colors and prints.

The new products will provide the same fit and protection that the brand is known for, but with an assortment of colors and prints as well as a new finished waistband — providing users with a more underwear-like experience to help them maintain a normal, active lifestyle, according to the company.

Each variety pack comes with six pairs of colored and printed underwear, ranging from solid and striped masculine patterns for men to pastel solid and floral, feminine patterns for women. Additionally, the line premieres new packaging that is distinctly different from the traditional packaging found within the category, Kimberly-Clark said. A transparent product window showcases the prints and colors, creating a discreet product that resembles a multi-pack of traditional underwear normally found in the intimates section.

"Our consumer’s desired experience is to stay in their own underwear. Therefore, we want to make our Depend products as much like underwear as possible," stated Andrew Meurer, vice president of Kimberly-Clark North American feminine and adult care brands.

Next month, Depend Underwear for Men and Depend Underwear for Women in Colors and Prints will begin rolling out across North America in four sizes. For women, the new offering will be available in Extra absorbency in Small/Medium and Large sizes. Male products will be available in Small/Medium or Large/Extra Large in Super Plus absorbency.

Also beginning in April, the Depend brand is set to launch an integrated marketing campaign to support the product’s availability on store shelves, including television, print and online advertising as well as direct mail and special coupon offers.