CPSC Fines Clorox $14.15 Million for Pine-Sol Safety Issues

Clorox agreed to a $14.15 million civil penalty due to allegations from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding safety reporting failures.

The action addresses the Happi Top 50 company’s purported failure to promptly report a potential issue with its Pine-Sol Scented Multi-Surface Cleaning Products.

According to the CPSC, the products may have harbored defects that posed a significant hazard or risk to consumers, which Clorox was legally obliged to disclose immediately.

Bacteria in Storage Tanks

According to Clorox, in early 2019, Clorox microbiologists reported that storage tanks and finished Pine-Sol products may have contained bacteria described as “possibly a Pseudomonad.”  

Subsequently, Clorox received reports of cloudiness in products in certain retail stores, and a report from a distributor regarding cloudy products that had been distributed in multiple locations, said the CPSC report. While Clorox took steps to mitigate the potential for bacterial contamination, Clorox did not immediately report to the Commission as required.      

Recall History

As reported in Happi, Clorox then recalled several of its household cleaning products produced between January 2021 to September 2022 after testing has identified bacteria in certain products.

 The recalled products were: 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. 

Original Pine-Sol (pine scent) was not included in this recall.

Clorox produced approximately 37 million recalled products in that aforementioned period.

According to the company, the recalled products may have contained bacteria described as “possibly a Pseudomonad.”

Settlement Agreement

In addition to the $14.15 million civil penalty, the settlement agreement requires Clorox to maintain internal controls and procedures designed to ensure compliance with the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA), including enhancements to its compliance program. Clorox has also agreed to submit an annual report regarding its compliance program, internal controls and internal audit of the effectiveness of compliance policies, procedures, systems and training. 

The Commission has provisionally accepted the settlement agreement, subject to public comment.