The Recall Desk
HighCPSC·23058·Announced 2022-12-01

The Laundress cleaning products recalled for bacterial contamination

The Laundress is recalling approximately 8 million laundry and household cleaning products that may contain harmful bacteria including Burkholderia cepacia complex, Klebsiella aerogenes, and Pseudomonas species. People with weakened immune systems or underlying lung conditions face risk of serious infection.

What this means for you

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The source identifies high-risk pathogenic bacteria (Pseudomonas species) without reported illnesses or hospitalizations confirmed in the source text. The 11 reported Pseudomonas infections are under investigation but no confirmed connection to the products has been established. This places the recall at score 3 per the rubric criterion for high-risk pathogens without confirmed reported illness.

Plain-English summary

The Laundress, a subsidiary of Conopco Inc. (d/b/a Unilever), is recalling approximately 8 million laundry detergent, fabric conditioner, stain solution, and household cleaning products manufactured at its facility between January 2021 and September 2022. Testing has identified bacterial contamination in certain recalled products, including Burkholderia cepacia complex, Klebsiella aerogenes, and multiple species of Pseudomonas.

The bacteria can pose a serious infection risk to people with weakened immune systems, those with external medical devices, and people with underlying lung conditions. The bacteria may enter the body if inhaled, through the eyes, or through a break in the skin. People with healthy immune systems are usually not affected by the bacteria. The company is aware of 11 consumers who have reported Pseudomonas infections and is investigating whether these reports are connected to the recalled products.

Affected products were sold online at TheLaundress.com, Amazon.com, and other websites, as well as in stores at The Laundress, Bloomingdale's, The Container Store, Saks Fifth Avenue, Target, Nordstrom, and other major retailers nationwide through September 2022. All products have "The Laundress - New York" printed at the top of the label. The recall includes products with lot codes beginning with prefix letter F and last four digits numbered 9354 or less, H and last four digits numbered 2262 or less, and T and last four digits numbered 5264 or less.

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled products and request a refund from The Laundress using either a photo of the lot code with initials and date written in marker, or a receipt. Consumers who purchased products on or after January 2021 may submit their email address for a refund through www.TheLaundress.com. After requesting a refund, consumers should dispose of the product by closing the bottle tightly and placing it in household trash without emptying the contents. For more information, contact The Laundress at 800-681-1915 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit www.TheLaundressRecall.com.

The recalled product

Product
The Laundress laundry and household cleaning products
Category
Consumer Product — Cleaning products
Hazard
  • bacterial-contamination
  • pseudomonas
  • burkholderia-cepacia
  • klebsiella-aerogenes
Affected units
2,021

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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