Arm & Hammer Clean Burst Laundry Detergent Falsely Advertised as Eco-Friendly, Class Action Alleges

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A proposed class action alleges Arm & Hammer Clean Burst laundry detergent is not as eco-friendly as advertised since the product contains a chemical linked to negative effects on human health and the environment.

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The 12-page lawsuit out of New York claims Arm & Hammer manufacturer Church & Dwight Co. has attempted to make its Clean Burst laundry detergent appear more environmentally friendly than it is by labeling the product as “Powerfully Clean,” “Naturally Fresh” and “The Standard of Purity” alongside an image of a blue cresting wave.

According to the suit, the company’s purity and sustainability claims are misleading since the detergent is made with high levels of dioxane, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies as a probable human carcinogen known to accumulate in the body and contaminate water supplies.

Although the presence of dioxane is not listed anywhere on the detergent’s packaging or label, independent testing conducted by Bureau Veritas last year found that the product contains 4.28 parts per million (ppm) of the synthetic chemical, the case relays. 

The complaint explains that exposure to dioxane, which can occur through inhalation, consumption of contaminated water or skin absorption, can cause tumors of the liver, gallbladder, nasal cavity, lung, skin and breasts. 

“Beyond the risks to human health, dioxane’s detection in drinking water is the result of its use in products such as laundry detergents, where the water is washed down the drain into vulnerable aquifers,” the lawsuit says, adding that the chemical poses a “persistent, long-term threat” to water resources and the ecosystems that inhabit them. 

The filing stresses that parts of New York have water supplies with the highest levels of this toxin nationwide, over 100 times the EPA’s cancer risk guideline of 0.35 parts per billion. New York’s legislature has since banned laundry detergents with more than two ppm of dioxane, but the suit contends that the damage is already done.

“To the extent the Product may have taken belated efforts to prevent contamination with dioxane or sought waivers to continue selling it as is, any changes will be unable to reverse or biodegrade the dioxin already present within this State,” the case reads.

The plaintiff, a New York resident, says she would not have paid as much for Arm & Hammer Clean Burst laundry detergent had she known it contained a toxin that could potentially harm her, her clothes, and the environment.

The suit alleges Church & Dwight Co. knew its Arm & Hammer Clean Burst laundry detergent contained dioxide, and was aware of the dangers associated with the chemical, but still marketed the detergent to consumers willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable products, a tactic known as “greenwashing.”

The lawsuit looks to cover anyone in New York, Mississippi, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Oklahoma or Utah who purchased Arm & Hammer Clean Burst laundry detergent during the applicable statute of limitations period.

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