Clorox is recalling 37 million of its scented Pine-Sol multi-surface cleaners and all-purpose cleaners because the products may contain bacteria that could cause serious illness in people with compromised immune systems, the company said Tuesday.
“We are conducting this recall to safeguard your health and wellbeing,” Clorox said in the recall notice posted on the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
“Importantly, Original Pine-Sol (Pine scent) is not included in this recall and you may continue to safely use it as intended,” the company emphasized.
The recall involves Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, and Lemon Fresh scents; CloroxPro Pine-Sol All Purpose Cleaners in Lavender Clean, Sparkling Wave, Lemon Fresh, and Orange Energy scents; and Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Lemon Fresh Cleaners in all sizes.
The affected products were manufactured at Clorox’s Forest Park, Georgia, facility and sold at Amazon and other retail websites. They were also sold at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Dollar General, Target, Home Depot, BJ’s, Kroger, Dollar Tree, Lowe’s, Publix, and other major retailers nationwide, the recall notice said.
According to the notice, the recall is being conducted out “of an abundance of caution” after testing identified bacteria, including pseudomonas aeruginosa, in certain products produced between January 2021 and September 2022.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is “an environmental organism found widely in soil and water,” the commission said.
“The bacteria can enter the body if inhaled, through the eyes, or through a break in the skin. People with healthy immune systems are usually not affected by the bacteria,” reads the notice.
However, people with compromised immune systems or external medical devices “face a risk of serious infection that may require medical treatment” if exposed, according to the company.
So far, no injuries or illness have been reported, Clorox said.
The affected products are sold in bottles of 28, 48, 60, 100, 144, and 175 fluid ounces and have date codes printed on the bottle beginning with “A4” and followed by a five-digit number less than 22249.
Consumers who bought a now-recalled product should take pictures of the 12-digit universal product code (UPC) and the date code. Then the company advises people to throw the product away and contact the company for a refund by calling Pine-Sol toll-free at (855) 378-4982, emailing them at [email protected], or by visiting pinesolrecall.com.
