Clorox recalled 6 million bottles of cleaner that may carry a hospital bacterium

Clorox’s Puerto Rico manufacturing arm has recalled roughly 6.3 million bottles of scented Mistolin and Lestoil cleaners after testing found they may carry a bacterium capable of causing serious infections in vulnerable people. The recall covers products sold across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands from more than a year of production, making it one of the larger consumer recalls the region has seen this year. Anyone with a weakened immune system or an external medical device is considered most at risk from exposure.

The Bacterium Behind the Recall

The recalled cleaners may contain Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that occurs naturally and widely in soil and water. It is not a contaminant introduced through some unusual process; it is the kind of organism that turns up in damp environments generally, which is part of why it can find its way into a manufacturing line producing liquid cleaning products.

According to the recall notice published by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, people with healthy immune systems are usually not affected by exposure to the bacteria. The danger is concentrated among people with weakened immune systems or external medical devices, who face a risk of serious infection requiring medical treatment if the bacteria enters through inhalation, the eyes, or a break in the skin.

Why This Bacterium Concerns Health Officials

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has a reputation in clinical settings as a resilient, adaptable organism. Many strains carry natural resistance to common antibiotics, which is part of why hospitals and infection-control specialists treat exposure in vulnerable patients seriously rather than dismissing it as routine. In healthy people, the immune system typically clears low-level exposure without incident, which is why the recall notice specifically calls out immunocompromised individuals and anyone using catheters, ventilators or other external medical devices as the population facing the greatest risk.

Which Bottles Are Covered

The recall applies only to scented versions of the products. Affected Mistolin scents include Alegra tu Día, Espíritu Play, Flores de Primavera, Fresco Despertar, Frescura de Lavanda, Frescura Tropical, Manzana y Canela, Pino y Especias and Sólo para Ti, while affected Lestoil scents include Energía del Yunque, Fuerza de Lavanda Tropical, Intenso Limon Boricua and Olas de Rincón. The bottles were sold in 28, 40, 64 and 128 fluid-ounce sizes.

Consumers can identify an affected bottle by a date code printed on the side that begins with the prefix PR01, followed by a five-digit number between 25091 and 26168, corresponding to products manufactured between April 1, 2025, and June 17, 2026. Products without a scent name printed on the label are not part of the recall.

The recalled products were manufactured at a single Clorox facility in Puerto Rico and sold exclusively in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The recall does not extend to Clorox-branded products manufactured or sold on the U.S. mainland, which come from different production lines under separate quality-control processes.

How to Get a Refund

The company is directing consumers to stop using the recalled cleaners immediately and register the product online, submitting a photo of the 12-digit UPC code and the date code before disposing of the bottle in its original container with household trash. Registered bottles that fall within the affected date range qualify for a full refund of the purchase price with a receipt, or the manufacturer’s suggested retail price without one.

The registration process is designed to confirm that a claimed bottle genuinely falls within the recalled date range before a refund is issued, which is why the company is asking for photographic proof of both codes rather than a verbal description. Consumers who no longer have the original bottle but purchased one of the affected scents within the recall’s production window are still encouraged to contact the company directly to determine whether they qualify.

The products were sold at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Supermercados Econo, Supermercados Selecto and other major retailers across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for between $1.40 and $8. No injuries or incidents had been reported as of the recall date, and the company can be reached directly through its dedicated recall hotline for questions about the refund process.

A Cleaning-Product Recall With a Narrow but Real Risk

Household cleaners are generally treated as low-risk products precisely because they are formulated to kill germs rather than harbor them, which is part of what makes a bacterial contamination in this category notable. The scale of the recall, at more than six million units, reflects how widely the affected date codes span rather than any evidence that most bottles caused harm; the company has confirmed no injuries tied to the recalled batches so far. Consumers who are unsure whether a bottle in their home falls within the affected range are advised to check the date code before continuing to use the product, rather than assume a lack of visible symptoms means it is safe.

This article was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by an editor.

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