RUMORS
Swiffer WetJet
You may have heard of an internet-circulated report alleging that Swiffer WetJet poses a danger to pets and children that walk across floors recently cleaned with the product. According to the email, WetJet contains "an ingredient used in antifreeze" that when ingested causes liver damage.
This rumor is completely false. Swiffer WetJet and other Swiffer products are safe to use in the household.
Swiffer's safety has been confirmed not only in P&G tests by P&G Toxicologists, but also by independent scientists and other organizations. According to the ASPCA Poison Control Center:
"The Swiffer Wet Jet system contains water (90-100%), propylene glycol n-propyl ether or propylene glycol n-butyl ether and isopropyl alcohol (1-4%). These ingredients are safe to use around pets when used according to label directions and would not cause liver damage at product concentrations. Propylene glycol n-butyl/propyl ether differs significantly from ethylene glycol, the potentially toxic ingredient present in most antifreeze products. Ethylene glycol is frequently implicated in causing renal failure in dogs following antifreeze ingestion. Propylene glycol n-propyl ether and propylene glycol n-butyl ether are very safe ingredients at levels used in cleaning products and do not cause kidney or liver failure."
For a copy of the Swiffer MSDS please visit Swiffer.com.
For further information please also see http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/swiffer.asp.
New Poisonous Mushroom Species
There have been recent reports in the press of a "genetic mutation which had changed previously edible mushrooms to deadly poison ones." These reports are false. The mushroom poisonings in question are related to the ingestion of new variants of the Amanita mushroom species, which has long been know to have toxic effects. In all cases, AAPCC cautions consumers against eating wild mushrooms as many edible species may look identical to poisonous mushrooms.
Strychnine, LSD and Pay Phones
The following email, which suggests that deaths have occurred from absorption of strychnine and LSD from touching contaminated pay telephone keys is untrue.
"Hello, my name is Tina Strongman and I work at a police station, as a phone operator for 911. Lately, we've received many phone calls pertaining to a new sort of problem that has arisen in the inner cities, and is now working it's way to smaller towns. It seems that a new form of gang initiation is to go find as many pay phones as possible and put a mixture of LSD and Strychnine onto the buttons. This mixture is deadly to the human touch, and apparently, this has killed some people on the east coast. Strychnine is a chemical used in rat poison and is easily separated from the rest of the chemicals. When mixed with LSD, it creates a substance that is easily absorbed into the human flesh, and highly fatal. Please be careful if you are using a pay phone anywhere. You may want to wipe it off, or just not use one at all. If you have any questions, you can contact me at the links listed below. Please be very careful. Let your friends and family know about this potential hazard. Thank you. Tina Strongman."
It has been falsely reported that exposure to Febreze is harmful to animals. For further information please visit the ASPCA's Animal Poison Center's website to review their 2002 press release.