Lysol
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| Product type | Disinfectant, all-purpose cleaners |
|---|---|
| Owner | Reckitt Benckiser |
| Country | U.S. |
| Introduced | 1889 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | Lehn & Fink (later subsidiary of Sterling Drug) |
| Tagline | "Healthing" |
| Website | www |
Lysol (/ˈlaɪsɒl/ LYE-sol) is a brand name of cleaning and disinfecting products distributed by Reckitt Benckiser. The line includes solutions for hard and soft surfaces, air treatment, and hand washing. The active ingredient in many of the Lysol products is benzalkonium chloride. The active ingredient in the Lysol Power and Free line is hydrogen peroxide. Scents from Lysol include Crisp Linen, Floral, Fruit & Citrus, Gourmand, and Fresh.
The first Lysol Brand Antiseptic Disinfectant was introduced in 1889 by Dr. Gustav Raupenstrauch to help end a cholera epidemic in Germany. The original formulation of Lysol contained cresols. This formulation may still be available commercially in some parts of the world. Formulations containing chlorophenol are still available in the United Kingdom.
In 1911, poisoning by drinking Lysol was the most common means of suicide in Australia. One of the active ingredients, benzalkonium chloride, is highly toxic to fish (LC50 = 280 μg ai/L), very highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates (LC50 = 5.9 μg ai/L), moderately toxic to birds (LD50 = 136 mg/kg-bw), and slightly toxic ("safe") to mammals (LD50 = 430 mg/kg-bw).
In 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic, Lehn & Fink, Inc. advertised Lysol disinfectant as an effective countermeasure to the influenza virus. Newspaper ads provided tips for preventing the spread of the disease, including washing sick-rooms and everything that came in contact with patients with Lysol. A small (US50¢) bottle made five gallons (19 liters) of disinfectant solution, and a smaller (US25¢) bottle 2 gallons (7.5 liters). The company also advertised the "unrefined" Lysol F. & F. (Farm & Factory) for use in factories and other large buildings – a 5-gallon (19 liters) can, when diluted as directed, made 50 gallons of disinfecting solution.
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