Clorox recalls 6.3 million bottles of Mistolin and Lestoil cleaners in Puerto Rico over bacteria risk

Clorox Puerto Rico has recalled roughly 6.3 million bottles of scented Mistolin Dilutable Cleaners and Lestoil Heavy Duty Multi-Purpose Cleaners after testing found the products may be contaminated with the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The recall, posted by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on September 3, covers products sold only in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. No injuries or illnesses have been reported so far.

The recall spans 28-, 40-, 64- and 128-fluid-ounce bottles with production dates from April 1, 2025, to June 17, 2026. It covers nine scented Mistolin varieties, including Frescura Tropical and Manzana y Canela, and four scented Lestoil varieties, sold at retailers including Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Supermercados Econo and Supermercados Selecto for between $1.40 and $8 a bottle. Mistolin and Lestoil are longtime staples of Puerto Rican households, sold there for decades under Clorox ownership alongside brands more familiar on the U.S. mainland, and the recall's scale reflects how widely the products are used across the territory rather than a niche or regional product line.

A common bacterium, a narrower risk group

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a bacterium found widely in soil and water that rarely sickens healthy people. It poses a more serious risk to people with weakened immune systems, chronic illness, or external medical devices such as catheters or ports, who can develop infections if the bacterium enters the body through inhalation, eye contact or broken skin. Infections in vulnerable patients can range from skin and eye irritation to more serious bloodstream or respiratory infections that require antibiotic treatment, and the bacterium is notable in hospital settings for sometimes resisting common antibiotics. Consumers who believe they have symptoms of infection after contact with a recalled bottle, such as unusual skin irritation, eye redness or respiratory symptoms, are advised to contact a healthcare provider and mention the recall. The CPSC's notice specifically flags immunocompromised individuals and those with implanted medical devices as the population most at risk from exposure, while stressing that the general population faces minimal danger from ordinary contact with the product.

How to check if you have a recalled bottle

Consumers who purchased scented Mistolin or Lestoil cleaners should check the date code printed on the bottle. Affected units carry a code beginning with "PR01" followed by a five-digit number between 25091 and 26168. The CPSC's own recall announcement urges anyone with an affected bottle to stop using it immediately.

The recall notice instructs consumers to "immediately stop using the recalled cleaners and contact Clorox for instructions on how to receive a refund."

To claim a refund, consumers can register at the manufacturer's official recall website, mistolinrecall.com, or call 855-215-5439 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET. Clorox and its claims administrator, Sedgwick, are offering a refund of the purchase price with a receipt, or the manufacturer's suggested retail price without one. The recall site asks consumers to submit photos of the bottle's UPC code and date code as part of the claims process, then dispose of the product rather than returning it to a retailer, since stores are not equipped to verify affected date codes at the register.

Clorox has faced product-quality scrutiny before, including a 2023 cyberattack that disrupted manufacturing and led to temporary shortages of some of its cleaning products nationwide, though that incident was unrelated to product safety. This recall is a manufacturing and quality-control matter specific to the Puerto Rico production and bottling operation for Mistolin and Lestoil, both legacy brands Clorox has owned and manufactured locally for the territory for years rather than importing from the mainland.

Who is affected

The recall is limited geographically to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Mistolin and Lestoil are widely sold household staples, meaning the roughly 6.3 million affected bottles are concentrated in a relatively small consumer market compared with a mainland U.S. recall of similar size. Medical Daily reported that the risk calculus for the recall centers almost entirely on the vulnerable population the CPSC identified, since the bacterium is not typically dangerous to otherwise healthy users who might be exposed through routine cleaning.

WFTV reported that the recall also affects vacation rental properties and short-term lodging across Puerto Rico that commonly stock the scented cleaners for guest use, an angle that has drawn additional attention given the U.S. territory's reliance on tourism. Property managers who stock recalled bottles for cleaning between guest stays are being urged to check their supply closets alongside individual consumers, since a contaminated bottle used across many properties could expose a larger and more transient population than a single household purchase would.

What happens next

The CPSC notice does not indicate any additional retail restock or replacement product timeline; consumers are directed to dispose of recalled bottles rather than exchange them in stores. Clorox has not released additional public comment beyond the formal recall and remedy language filed with the CPSC. The agency's notice remains open for consumer claims, and the company has not set an end date for the refund program. The CPSC typically becomes involved in a recall once a manufacturer's own testing or a retailer complaint surfaces a potential hazard, after which the agency and company negotiate the scope of the recall and the remedy offered to consumers before a public notice is issued. Consumer product recalls tied to bacterial contamination are relatively uncommon compared with recalls for mechanical or chemical hazards, and the CPSC said it would continue to monitor complaint data for any reports of illness tied to the affected lots as the claims process proceeds.