Clorox Laundry Sanitizer Misleadingly Advertised as Able to Kill ‘99.9% of Bacteria,’ Class Action Alleges
Craw v. The Clorox Company
Filed: October 19, 2022 ◆§ 2:22-cv-02225-CSB-EIL
A class action alleges that Clorox-brand laundry sanitizer misleadingly claims to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria since a standard laundry process sanitizes fabrics to the same degree.
Illinois
A proposed class action alleges the Clorox Company’s claim that its laundry sanitizer kills 99.9 percent of bacteria is misleading since there is no evidence that the product sanitizes laundry any better than a standard laundry process.
The 12-page case contends that marketing Clorox-brand laundry sanitizer as able to “kill 99.9% of bacteria on laundry” gives consumers the false impression that the product reduces the risk of disease spread through contaminated fabrics better than a regular laundry routine. Evidence shows that the Clorox detergent at issue sanitizes fabric just as sufficiently as a standard laundry process, the lawsuit argues.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for environmental infection control in healthcare facilities, the risk of disease transmission during the laundry process is “negligible,” the suit relays. The case also cites a 2015 Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology study that found that there have been only 12 reported disease outbreaks associated with laundered textiles in the past 43 years worldwide. Many infections reported to have originated from laundering processes were introduced by direct contact or aerosols from non-washed linens, the suit alleges.
Per the complaint, the standard laundry process, which includes hot, warm or cold water, detergent, and a drying cycle, is enough to successfully eliminate any risk of potential bacteria survival and transmission.
“At hot and warm temperatures, washing inactivates microorganisms, accelerates activation of detergents and facilitates mechanical removal of soil and other particulates. Even cold water washing with detergent, followed by a normal drying cycle, reduces the risk of bacteria survival and harm to a negligible level. The drying stage, such as use of a tumble drier or exposure to sunlight when clothes are dried outdoors, further reduces the potential for bacteria to survive and cause harm.”
The case argues that these misleading representations allow The Clorox Company to sell its laundry sanitizer at a higher price.
The lawsuit looks to cover anyone in Illinois, South Dakota, West Virginia, North Carolina, Kentucky, Utah, Nebraska, Kansas, and Wyoming who purchased Clorox laundry sanitizer during the applicable statute of limitations period.
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