Stop Now If You Are Using This Hand Sanitizer
It wasn’t too long ago when the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic turned hand sanitizer into the most sought-after product on the market. But even as demand dipped back to more normal levels, the helpful hygiene standby remains a convenient way to disinfect between regular hand washings. And with seasonal viruses like the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID spiking, many people are bringing back their trusty bottles. But before you start gelling up again, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) is warning there’s one hand sanitizer you shouldn’t be using right now. Read on to see which product you should toss immediately.
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The products we use to clean and sanitize are designed to keep us safe and healthy. But every so often, items can make their way onto the shelves that potentially put the public at risk, leading officials to recall items or issue safety alerts.
In July, the FDA released a warning to the public that certain handheld ultraviolet (UV) wands used to disinfect surfaces were unsafe to use. The agency said that eight different models could expose people to unsafe radiation levels and cause skin and eye injuries within seconds of use. The notice advised anyone who purchased the potentially dangerous products to stop using them and to switch to “safer alternative methods” such as chemical cleaners to sanitize their homes instead.
Just last month, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced that Clorox had issued a recall on several of its Pine-Sol cleaning products in a move that affected 37 million bottles in total. The company said the items were pulled out of “an abundance of caution” after discovering they may contain Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. While the microorganism is commonly found in water and soil and doesn’t typically affect healthy people, it can be dangerous for anyone who is immunocompromised or uses external medical devices.
Even other hand sanitizers have recently been the subject of recalls, such as Antica Ocean Citron Hand Sanitizer (alcohol) Gel 65%. On Sept. 16, the FDA announced that the company’s Florida-based manufacturer Salon Technologies International, Inc., had issued a voluntary recall after discovering the product contained benzene, which is a known carcinogen. But now, the agency is warning about another potentially dangerous product.
On Nov. 7, the FDA announced that Colorado-based Adam’s Polishes, LLC had issued a voluntary recall for 20 lots of its Adam’s Polishes Hand Sanitizer. The affected products are packaged in 4-ounce, 8-ounce, 16-ounce, and one-gallon bottles and were sold through online sales and retail stores nationwide between June 2020 and March 2022.
Recalled products are also stamped with the lot numbers 133470, 133471, 133472, 133473, 133474, 133475, 133476, 133477, 133478, 133479, 133480, 133481, 133482, 133483, or 137731, 137732, 137733, 137734, 139322, or 143327. The agency also urges customers to visit the company’s website to determine if their bottle is subject to the recall.
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According to the agency’s notice, Adam’s Polishes pulled the hand sanitizer after FDA testing found that it contained undeclared methanol, which can be highly poisonous if drunk. The agency warns that ingesting a “substantial” amount of it can lead to “coma, seizures, permanent blindness, permanent damage to the central nervous system, or death.”
So far, the company says that customers have reported no adverse reactions, injuries, or deaths related to the product.
The FDA urges anyone who purchased the recalled Adam’s Polish hand sanitizer to stop using it immediately and safely dispose of it in accordance with laws in your area. You should also contact your doctor or healthcare provider if you’ve experienced any health issues related to the product.
The company says that it’s currently contacting customers by email to alert them to the recall. In addition, anyone who bought an affected bottle can contact the company by email to request a credit. However, you’ll need to include a picture of the bottle along with its lot number to qualify. Customers with general questions are also urged to contact the company via email or phone at a number posted on the agency’s notice.
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