Recall: EASY-OFF Oven Cleaner Recalled by Reckitt & Colman

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 11, 2000 Release # 00-052

Company Phone Number: (888) 993-3389 CPSC Consumer Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: Ken Giles, (301) 504-7052

CPSC, Reckitt & Colman Inc. Announce Recall of EASY-OFF Oven Cleaner

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.