Mary Gagliardi a.k.a. “Dr. Laundry”
The Clorox Company
With over 20 years combined of research and development, laboratory and real-world experience in stain removal and laundry product testing, Mary Gagliardi knows how to banish blotches, stamp out spots and keep clothes looking their best wear after wear. A senior scientist with 12 years of experience at The Clorox Company, Mary took over the title of “Dr. Laundry” from her predecessor, Harold Baker, in July of 2010
Mary’s work in the Research & Development department at Clorox contributed to product improvements of consumer favorites such as: Clorox® Liquid Bleach and Clorox2® Stain Fighter & Color Booster. Through evaluation of consumer responses, she ensured that all products met Clorox’s high standards for cleaning and fabric care. She especially enjoyed applying her Textile Science degree from University of California, Davis to better understand the impact of these laundry products on fibers, fabrics, and dyes. During her career she has also conducted research on high efficiency (HE) washing machines, and worked closely with a team to ensure the HE washing machine compatibility of all Clorox formulas.
As a mom of two, Mary has tackled thousands of real-world stains and has been the unofficial “Dr. Laundry” of her neighborhood and friends and family for years. Mary enjoys outdoor adventures of all kinds, especially hiking. She is a busy volunteer and has served in various leadership positions within her children’s School Councils and PTA organizations. She has also served as Leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop.
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Harold Baker a.k.a. “Dr. Laundry”
Associate Research Fellow, Laundry Care
Product Development at The Clorox Company
Retired July 2010
With 30 years of experience in remedying tough stains, Associate Research Fellow, Harold Baker, has earned his title as “Dr. Laundry.” Baker has worked on a variety of well-recognized and widely used consumer homecare products including Clorox® Regular-Bleach, scented Clorox® Regular-Bleach, Clorox 2® Bleach for Colors, Clorox® Splash-less Liquid Gel Bleach and now, Clorox® UltimateCare™ Premium Bleach.
No stain or spill is too challenging for Dr. Laundry to tackle; he’s claimed victory over numerous stain challenges. Baker is even a hero to little ballerinas in Berkeley, Calif. Leveraging his expertise, a costume designer with the Berkeley Ballet Theater was able to remove red lipstick from a handmade costume the night before a big Nutcracker performance.
From his base at Clorox’s technical lab in Pleasanton, Calif., Baker frequently conducts Bleach 101 orientation sessions and demos on stain removal for new Clorox employees, presents scientific study results to outside industry groups and educates key Clorox customers on new Clorox products.
In addition to working in laundry care, Baker has also been involved with a number of other successful Clorox products including 409, SoftScrub, Clorox® Toilet Bowl Cleaners and Armor All.
Prior to his tenure at The Clorox Company, Baker was a Technical Brand Manager in the Product Research & Development Department of Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked on bar soap and household cleaning products. Baker earned his bachelor’s degree in 1967 from the University of South Florida (Tampa) in Chemistry.
Baker has been a member of the American Oil Chemist Society since 1978. He is a passionate soccer fan, and his favorite past-time is refereeing soccer games in his Bay Area hometown. Other personal interests include NASCAR, following the Clorox #47 Busch car, and he’s also an avid Country Western music fan.
