A rumour has been making the rounds of pet owners lately. A widely-forwarded email message is causing alarm by claiming that Swiffer Wet Jet harms dogs because of an ingredient that is “one molecule away” from being anti-freeze.
This email is known to be a hoax — so there’s no need to worry, if you own a dog or cat and use this product at home. The manufacturer has posted a rebuttal on the Q&A section of their website. As well, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center has issued the following statement in response to the Wet Jet rumour:
Veterinary toxicologists at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center have reviewed the claim described in a widely distributed email alleging a relationship between the use of Swiffer Wet Jet and liver failure in a dog. The email alleges that exposure to the ingredients in Swiffer Wet Jet caused a dog’s death.
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.
Note that the product description for Swiffer Wet Jet Starter Kit does advise that you should “Keep out of reach of toddlers and pets to avoid accidental ingestion.” But of course, that applies to most of our household cleaning products — just good common sense!
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