Liquid Plumr Products Recalled After Failing Child Resistance Requirement: CPSC

More than 5.4 million bottles of Liquid Plumr are being recalled, due to problems with ineffective child resistant caps, which may put young children at risk of suffering chemical burns and poisoning. 

The Liquid Plumr recall was announced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on July 14, following at least 221 reports of the bottle caps leaking and eight incidents of the child-resistant bottle caps not working as intended. To date, no injuries have been reported in connection with the recalled bottles.

The leaking bottles pose a serious risk to children who may be able to access the detergent. The cleaning agents contain sodium hydroxide which could cause users and children to experience chemical burns and irritations of the skin and eyes. Although the chemical does not cause toxicity, the side effects of ingestion could include vomiting, chest and abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing and corrosive injuries to the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach and intestines.

Under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act, any product containing sodium hydroxide, an active chemical in the Liquid Plumr cleaning agents, must be sealed with child-resistant packaging.

Included in the recall are Liquid Plumr Pro-Strength Foaming Clog Fighter, formerly sold as Slow Flow Fighter, with UPC code 44600-00214, Liquid Plumr Pro-Strength Urgent Clear with UPC code 44600-30548, and Liquid Plumr Industrial Strength Urgent Clear with UPC code 44600-31484. The recalled solvents were sold in orange bottles with a red cap, blue bottles with a red cap or in a black bottle with a red cap. UPC codes can be located on the bottom of the bottles.

The products were manufactured in the U.S. under The Clorox Company of Oakland, California where they were sold at various stores including Dollar General, Family Dollar, HEB, Home Depot, Kroger, Lowe’s, Meijer, Publix, Rite-Aid, Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and other dollar, grocery, hardware and mass merchandise stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, Drugstore.com and Quidsi.com from January 2012 through May 2016 for between $3 and $5.

Customers are being asked to keep the recalled products out of reach from children and contact Clorox Company’s Liquid Plumr call center at 855-490-0705 for instructions on how to properly dispose of the product and obtain a refund. Customers may also visit the manufacturer online at www.liquidplumr.com and navigate to the “Important Safety Recall Notice” tab for additional information.