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Propylene glycol (PG) is generally recognized as safe, GRAS. It shows up in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. You wouldn't want to eat a lot of it, but small amounts are harmless to humans and other animals.
ETHYLENE glycol, on the other hand, is a deadly poison. It is one of the few poisons with a sweet taste.
Didn't intend to hijack; I just had to stick my chemist $0.02 in.
The Swiffer thing smelled like a hoax even before I got to the post that revealed it as such. There are rules about products like that, after all.
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Answer from the manufacturer (posted to an email list)
We're glad you came to us for the facts about Swiffer WetJet. All our products have been evaluated by internal and external
veterinarians and scientists, and Swiffer WetJet and Swiffer Wet cloths are safe to use around pets. Let us assure you, this rumor is completely false. Our Wet cloths and WetJet liquid solution cleaners
do not contain antifreeze or any ingredient similar to it.
We have pets too and their health is very important to us. We hope you'll help us put an end to this rumor by letting others know the
truth.
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This was in an email I got from the
ASPCA.
THE VERDICT’S IN ON SWIFFER WET JET RUMOR
Last week at the ASPCA, we received an influx of calls and letters from concerned pet owners regarding a widely distributed e-mail claiming that the chemicals in the Swiffer Wet Jet cleaning product caused liver failure in a dog and two cats. We immediately checked with our experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC), and are relieved to be able to set the record straight.
The Swiffer Wet Jet System contains water, propylene glycol n-butyl and isopropyl alcohol. According to APCC veterinary toxicologists, the ingredients in Swiffer Wet Jet 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 differs from ethylene glycol, the potentially toxic ingredient present in most antifreeze products that causes kidney, not liver, failure.
The APCC will continue to monitor this situation, and we will post any updates in ASPCA News Alert as necessary. For more information on how to protect your pet from potentially dangerous substances, please visit APCC online.
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I duno if this is still going around, but my vet says it's false. She said the thing they say that's in it that causes liver failure..it's not in it, it's really something else I just dont remember the names. Also, it would cause kidney failure not liver so the story doesn't make sense.
Just thought I'd post that incase ppl were still curious about it..
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As soon as I read this I went to snopes.com too. Thank heavens it's a hoax, I've used these in the past.
