ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It's time to check your cleaning supplies — Clorox is recalling millions of bottles of Pine-Sol multi-purpose cleaners because the products may contain bacteria that could be harmful to some people.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) released a notice of the recall Tuesday. Testing has found the bacteria — Pseudomonas aeruginosa, "an environmental organism found widely in soil and water" — in some of the recalled products, including those produced between January 2021 and September 2022, USCPSC said.
In all, Clorox produced about 37 million recalled Pine-Sol products during that time, the release stated.
Here's what products are affected by the recall:
Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaners
- Lavender Clean
- Sparkling Wave
- Lemon Fresh
CloroxPro Pine-Sol All-Purpose Cleaners
- Lavender Clean
- Sparkling Wave
- Lemon Fresh
- Orange Energy
Clorox Professional Pine-Sol Lemon Fresh Cleaners is also included in the recall. The original Pine-Sol (Pine Scent) is not included in the recall.
According to the recall, people who have weakened immune systems or external medical devices who are exposed to the bacteria are at risk of serious infection that potentially could warrant medical treatment. The bacteria could get into the body through inhalation, through the eyes or through broken skin.
The recall notes people who have "healthy" immune systems generally aren't adversely affected by the bacteria.
Clorox said no injuries have been reported, but is doing the voluntary recall out of an abundance of caution, according to the release.
How to tell if you have a recalled product
Look at the date on your Pine-Sol bottle. If it has the prefix "A4" followed by a five-digital number less than 22249, it's part of the recall. The products were sold in bottles ranging from 28-ounce to 175-ounce. These Pine-Sol bottles were manufactured at Clorox's Forest Park, Georgia facility through September 2022, the recall said.
What you should do if you have a recalled product
The recall says you should stop using the affected Pine-Sol products immediately. Then, take a picture of the 12-digit UPC code and date code before throwing the product away.
After that, contact Pine-Sol for a full refund of the purchase price or the manufacturer's suggested retail price (this all depends on if you still have the receipt or not).
For more information, click here.