Franzus Recalls Wrinkles Away Electric Clothes Steamers Due to Burn Hazard
Franzus is recalling 188,000 Wrinkles Away Electric Clothes Steamers because the base assembly may separate, spilling boiling water and causing serious burns.
What this means for you
Illness, injury, or structural failure has been reported. Stop using the product immediately and contact the manufacturer for a refund or repair.
Our severity reasoning: The source text explicitly states that users sustained 'serious burn injuries' from the hot water, which aligns with the rubric criterion for 'significant injury reports' under the Severe (4) classification.
Plain-English summary
The Franzus Company Inc. is voluntarily recalling 188,000 "Wrinkles Away" Electric Clothes Steamers, Models WA-111 and WA-222, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The recalled units were produced between July 1984 and December 1984 and sold nationwide by retail stores and catalogue distributors. The product is a handheld electric appliance used to remove wrinkles from clothes, featuring a beige and brown plastic nozzle, a brown plastic cylinder body, and a base heater assembly.
The recall is being issued because the base and heater assembly may separate from the product without warning, spilling boiling or hot water onto the user. The company has received approximately 50 reports of product failure and injury, with many users sustaining serious burn injuries from the hot water. The recalled models can be identified by the embossed model number "Cat. No. WA-111" or "Cat. No. WA-222" on the plastic base cap. Special Edition Models WA-111SE and WA-222SE are not included in this recall.
Owners of the recalled clothes steamers should stop using the product immediately. To obtain a free replacement unit with a back-up fastening device, consumers should call Franzus at (800) 706-7060. The company will provide a new unit and reimburse consumers for mailing expenses to return the recalled item. Additional information is available via the CPSC toll-free hotline at 800-638-2772.
The recalled product
- Product
- Wrinkles Away Electric Clothes Steamers
- Manufacturer
- Franzus
- Hazard
Distribution
Distributed nationwide across the United States.
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