EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner

CPSC Recall #00-052 — January 10, 2000

Recall Summary

Recall Number00-052
Recall DateJanuary 10, 2000
Remedy TypeDispose, Replace
Units AffectedAbout 50,000

Where It Was Sold

Supermarkets
mass merchandisers
hardware
drug and other stores nationwide sold the oven cleaner from November 1999 through January 2000 for about $3 to $4.

Product

EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner

Description

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Reckitt & Colman Inc., of Wayne, N.J., is voluntarily recalling about 50,000 cans of EASY-OFF Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner. The oven cleaner's contents can spew out because of an improperly attached valve assembly that can separate from the can. Direct contact with the contents poses a risk of chemical burns to consumers' skin and eyes. Reckitt & Colman has received 18 reports of these cans spewing oven cleaner, resulting in 12 reports of chemical burns to consumers' skin and eyes. The 16-oz. aerosol cans of oven cleaner being recalled are yellow and have a solid yellow plastic cap. "EASY-OFF" is in bold black letters at the top part of the can, "HEAVY DUTY" is written in white letters inside a red block, and "Original" is written in white letters over a blue background. Only the oven cleaner with lot number B9305-NJ2 printed on the bottom of the can is part of the recall. Supermarkets, mass merchandisers, hardware, drug and other stores nationwide sold the oven cleaner from November 1999 through January 2000 for about $3 to $4. Consumers should not remove the cap of this oven cleaner. Consumers should wrap the recalled can of oven cleaner in several layers of newspaper, take it outside and dispose of it with the regular household trash. The company will send consumers a replacement oven cleaner coupon. For more information, consumers should call Reckitt & Colman toll-free at (888) 993-3389 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, and between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. ET Saturday and Sunday.

Hazard

The oven cleaner's contents can spew out because of an improperly attached valve assembly that can separate from the can. Direct contact with the contents poses a risk of chemical burns to consumers' skin and eyes.

Incidents & Injuries

Reckitt & Colman has received 18 reports of these cans spewing oven cleaner, resulting in 12 reports of chemical burns to consumers' skin and eyes.

Remedy Instructions

Consumers should not remove the cap of this oven cleaner. Consumers should wrap the recalled can of oven cleaner in several layers of newspaper, take it outside and dispose of it with the regular household trash. The company will send consumers a replacement oven cleaner coupon.

What Should You Do?

Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a Dispose, Replace at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.

Frequently Asked Questions

Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (Dispose, Replace) at no cost to you.

If the product caused a fire or burn injury, document the incident with photos and preserve the product if it is safe to do so. Report the incident to the CPSC at SaferProducts.gov and to your local fire department. Contact the manufacturer to inform them of the incident — they are required to track and report injuries to CPSC. You may also want to consult a personal injury attorney, as fire and burn injuries caused by defective products can be grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.

In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.

If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.