Clorox class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Two consumers filed a class action lawsuit against The Clorox Company.
- Why: The plaintiffs claim Clorox knew its scented cleaners were vulnerable to a dangerous bacterium but sold them without warning.
- Where: The Clorox class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit claims Clorox sold scented Mistolin and Lestoil multi-purpose cleaners that may contain Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that can cause serious infections.
Plaintiffs Carolina Rivera Toro and Stephanie Barbosa of Puerto Rico say they bought and used the cleaners before learning of a September recall.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a recall of about 6.3 million bottles on Sept. 3, 2026, covering products manufactured from April 1, 2025, through June 17, 2026. The cleaners were sold in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for about $1.40 to $8 per bottle.
Toro and Barbosa argue the Clorox-branded labels promised effective cleaning on multiple surfaces while disclosing only an eye irritation hazard. They claim consumers cannot detect the bacterium, which poses the greatest risk to people with weakened immune systems.
“A household cleaner that may contain an infectious pathogen is unfit for its ordinary purpose,” the class action lawsuit says.
The plaintiffs say they would not have bought the cleaners had they known of the risk. They want to represent a nationwide class of people who bought the recalled cleaners in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands for personal or household use, not for resale, plus a Puerto Rico subclass.
Lestoil recall followed Pine-Sol contamination, lawsuit claims
Toro and Barbosa argue Clorox knew its scented cleaners were vulnerable after recalling about 37 million Pine-Sol bottles over the same bacterium in October 2022. That recall led to a $5.65 million class action settlement with buyers and a $14.15 million civil penalty for failing to promptly report the contamination.
The plaintiffs also claim Clorox waited more than 11 weeks after production ended to announce the recall.
They argue the recall is inadequate because refunds require a photo of each bottle’s universal product code, though most bottles have been used up and discarded. “A consumer who no longer has the bottle receives nothing, no matter how many bottles they bought and used,” the Clorox lawsuit says.
The class action lawsuit accuses Clorox of violating California consumer protection laws and committing fraudulent concealment, breach of implied warranty and unjust enrichment.
The plaintiffs demand a jury trial and seek damages, including punitive damages, and injunctive relief, such as Spanish-language recall outreach.
A separate class action lawsuit accuses Clorox and Hamilton Beach Brands of falsely marketing their air purifiers as being equipped with HEPA filters.
Did you buy any of the recalled Clorox cleaners? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiffs are represented by Michael Connett, Leslie L. Pescia and Rachel N. Minder of Siri & Glimstad LLP and Kevin Laukaitis of Laukaitis Law LLC.
The Clorox class action lawsuit is Toro, et al. v. The Clorox Co., Case No. 4:26-cv-10893, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
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