Hundreds of thousands of laundry and other cleaning products have been recalled in Canada because of the risk of bacterial infection.
Health Canada issued the recall Thursday for roughly 227,000 units of laundry detergent, fabric conditioner and household cleaning products manufactured by The Laundress.
As of Nov. 30, 2022, the U.S.-based company was aware of 11 cases of pseudomonas infections reported by consumers, and is investigating any link to the affected products, Health Canada said.
“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled product and contact The Laundress for reimbursement,” the agency said.
The Laundress said people who submit a request for reimbursement will receive a cheque in up to eight to 10 weeks.
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Bacteria from the recalled products can enter the body if you breathe it in, or it enters through the eyes or breaks in the skin, according to Health Canada.
While the bacteria does not usually harm healthy adults, people with weakened immunity and underlying lung conditions are at an increased risk of severe infection, the agency warned.
The recall is not limited to Canada. In the United States, approximately eight million units of The Laundress products have also been recalled.
Laundressrecall.com has a list of all the laundry and household cleaning products recalled.
In October, thousands of dry shampoo products manufactured by Dove, Bed Head and Tresemmé were recalled across Canada due to the detection of benzene, a cancer-causing chemical.
Health Canada said it had received more than 100 reports of incidents or injuries related to that recall, as of Nov. 2.