More Than 14,000 Bottles of Laundry Detergent Recalled Over Bacteria Risk, Officials Warn

THE CLEANING PRODUCT CAN POSE A POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARD FOR SOME CONSUMERS.

Even if the washing machine is one of the great time-saving appliances of its day, the art of doing laundry can still be pretty complicated. At some point, we've all ruined a favorite article of clothing by forgetting to follow instructions on the tag or accidentally dropped a single blue red in with a load of whites. Fortunately, the extent of the damage is usually limited to items that can be replaced. But before you run your next load, officials at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are warning that Art of Green has recalled more than 14,000 bottles of laundry detergent over a bacteria risk. Read on to see why this everyday essential is a potential health threat.

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More than 14,000 bottles of laundry detergent have been recalled.
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On Dec. 12, the CPSC announced that Texas-based AlEn U.S.A. LLC had issued a recall for its Art of Green laundry detergent products. The affected items include Art of Green Free and Clear laundry detergent in 100-ounce bottles with the UPC 4315204860 and date code LOT M 220315.

It also includes Zen Lavender Garden laundry detergent in 100-ounce bottles with UPS 4315204850 date code LOT M 220314 and 33.8-ounce pouches with the UPC 4315204874 and lot codes LOT Q 220324, LOT Q 220325, LOT Q 220326, and LOT Q 220328.

Customers can identify the products by locating the UPC on the products' back labels near the barcode. Date codes are located on the bottles' caps and on the back left corner of the pouches. The CPSC says the 14,550 affected units were sold at Save Mart, Lucky, and Food Maxx regional stores and online at Amazon.com from April 2022 through October 2022 for between $6 and $25.

The cleaning product was pulled due to bacterial contamination.
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According to the agency's notice, the company pulled the laundry detergent from shelves due to potential contamination by bacteria. This includes Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a microorganism commonly found in soil and water.

While it doesn't pose an immediate threat to people with healthy immune systems, those who are immunocompromised or use an external medical device "face a risk of serious infection that may require medical treatment," the CPSC warns. Usually, the bacteria can enter the body through cuts, the eyes, or inhalation.

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Here's what you can do if you've purchased the recalled Art of Green laundry detergent.
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The CPSC says that no illnesses related to the Art of Green recall have been reported so far. Still, they advise customers who have the laundry detergent in their homes to stop using it immediately, closing the lid tightly and throwing it in the trash. The agency specifies that you shouldn't empty the bottle before throwing it away.

Customers can also receive a refund for the affected product by taking a picture of the UPC and lot code before they put it in the trash. You can reach out to the company at the contact email address posted on the agency's recall notice.

There have been recalls issued for other household products and appliances recently.
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This isn't the only time recently when a company has issued a recall for a household product or appliance over safety concerns. On Oct. 25, the CPSC announced that Clorox had issued a wide recall on several of its Pine-Sol cleaning products that ultimately affected 37 million bottles. Similar to the Art of Green recall, the company said it pulled the items from shelves out of "an abundance of caution" because they might have contained Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

The following month, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Adam's Polishes had issued a voluntary recall for 20 lots of its Adam's Polishes Hand Sanitizer that were sold online and in brick-and-mortar stores nationwide between June 2020 and March 2022. In this case, the agency said the product contained undeclared methanol, which can be highly poisonous if drunk. Customers were advised to stop using the product and dispose of it immediately.

And earlier this month, the CPSC announced that Conair LLC had issued a recall for about 66,000 units of its Cuisinart Compact Blender & Juice Extractor Combos with the model number CBJ-450. Officials said the popular appliance has a defect in which the nut that holds the blender blade in place can become loose and detach while it's in use, creating a serious cut risk.