Liquid-Plumr is a chemical drain opener

Drain cleaner

A drain cleaner is a consumer product or device that unblocks sewer pipes or helps to prevent the occurrence of clogged drains; the term may also refer to the individual who performs the activity...

 made of 0.5–2% sodium hydroxide and 5–10% sodium hypochlorite, and a surfactant

Surfactant

Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid...

, produced by the Clorox Corporation

Three months after Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble

Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....

 acquired Clorox in 1957, the Federal Trade Commission

Federal Trade Commission

The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...

 sued under the Clayton Act. After a decade of legal battles, the United States Supreme Court ordered P&G to divest itself of Clorox. Clorox became an independent company again on January 2, 1969 and in April 1969, Clorox pooled all its available cash and credit to buy Liquid-Plumr drain opener.