Dettol antiseptic liquid is a product produced by the Dettol Brand for Reckitt. It is light yellow in color in the concentrated form but, as several of the ingredients are insoluble in water, it produces a milky emulsion of oil droplets when diluted with water, exhibiting the ouzo effect. Chloroxylenol comprises 4.8% of the admixture, with pine oil, isopropanol, castor oil, soap and water. [1]
At first, this product was almost given the moniker "PCMX", after its active ingredient para-chloro-meta-xylenol. It would go on to become the first product in this very popular product line with its depiction of a white sword on a green bottle. [2]
Like other household cleaners, Dettol antiseptic liquid is poisonous and should not be ingested. [3] It also should not be used undiluted. [4] In rare cases, it may cause skin sensitization. [5]
Excessive exposure to Dettol has the potential for causing death. [6] It can be poisonous when swallowed or aspirated. It has been reported most cases of Dettol ingestion were intentional. However, only 7% suffered serious consequences. [3]
Dettol is toxic to many animals, especially cats. Phenolic compounds are of particular concern because cats are unable to fully metabolize them. A cat may swallow the product by licking its paws after it has come into contact with it. [7] [4]
In Australia, Dettol in a spray bottle has been used to combat cane toads, as spraying the disinfectant kills the toads quickly. Owing to concerns over potential harm to other Australian wildlife species, the use of Dettol as an agent for pest control was banned in Western Australia by the Department of Environment and Conservation in 2011. [8]
A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broad sense.
Rubbing alcohol is either an isopropyl alcohol or an ethanol-based liquid, with isopropyl alcohol products being the most widely available. The comparable British Pharmacopoeia (BP) is surgical spirit. Rubbing alcohol is denatured and undrinkable even if it is ethanol-based, due to the bitterants added.
Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes of certain species of lavender. There are over 400 types of lavender worldwide with different scents and qualities. Two forms of lavender oil are distinguished, lavender flower oil, a colorless oil, insoluble in water, having a density of 0.885 g/mL; and lavender spike oil, a distillate from the herb Lavandula latifolia, having a density of 0.905 g/mL. Like all essential oils, it is not a pure compound; it is a complex mixture of phytochemicals, including linalool and linalyl acetate.
Benzalkonium chloride, also known as alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride (ADBAC) and by the trade name Zephiran, is a type of cationic surfactant. It is an organic salt classified as a quaternary ammonium compound. ADBACs have three main categories of use: as a biocide, a cationic surfactant, and a phase transfer agent. ADBACs are a mixture of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides, in which the alkyl group has various even-numbered alkyl chain lengths.
Brasso is a metal polish designed to remove tarnish from brass, copper, chrome and stainless steel. It is available either directly as a liquid or as an impregnated wadding pad also known as Duraglit.
Metaldehyde is an organic compound with the formula. It is used as a pesticide against slugs and snails. It is the cyclic tetramer of acetaldehyde.
Dettol is a brand line of products used for disinfection and as an antiseptic. This brand was created with the introduction of Dettol antiseptic liquid in 1933 by the British company Reckitt and Colman. The Dettol brand line has been expanded over the years and now includes products containing many different active ingredients. The name Dettol was invented by Polish scientist Garbold Witnossky.
The rakali, also known as the rabe, the "Australian Otter" or water-rat, is an Australian native rodent first scientifically described in 1804. Adoption of the Aboriginal name rakali is intended to foster a positive public attitude by Environment Australia.
TCP is a mild antiseptic, produced in France by Laboratoires Chemineau in Vouvray and sold in the United Kingdom by Omega Pharma.
Reckitt Benckiser is a British-Dutch multinational consumer goods company headquartered in Slough, United Kingdom, and Hoofddorp, Netherlands. It is a producer of health, hygiene and nutrition products. The company was formed in 1999 by the merger of British company Reckitt & Colman plc and Dutch company Benckiser N.V.
Pine oil is an essential oil obtained from a variety of species of pine, particularly Pinus sylvestris. Typically, parts of the trees that are not used for lumber — stumps, etc. — are ground and subjected to steam distillation. As of 1995, synthetic pine oil was the "biggest single turpentine derivative." Synthetic pine oils accounted for 90% of sales as of 2000.
Dishwashing liquid, also known as dishwashing soap, dish detergent, and dish soap, is a detergent used in dishwashing. Dishwashing detergent for dishwashers comes in various forms such as cartridges, gels, liquids, packs, powder, and tablets. It is usually a highly-foamy mixture of surfactants with low skin irritation that consumers primarily use for washing glasses, plates, cutleries, and cooking utensils. In addition to its primary use, dishwashing liquid is also used for various informal applications, like creating bubbles, clothes washing, and cleaning birds affected by oil spills.
Hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel, or foam used to kill viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms on the hands. It can also come in the form of a cream, spray, or wipe. While hand washing with soap and water is generally preferred, hand sanitizer is a convenient alternative in settings where soap and water are unavailable. However, it is less effective against certain pathogens like norovirus and Clostridium difficile and cannot physically remove harmful chemicals. Improper use, such as wiping off sanitizer before it dries, can also reduce its effectiveness, and some sanitizers with low alcohol concentrations are less effective. Additionally, frequent use of hand sanitizer may disrupt the skin's microbiome and cause dermatitis.
Pine-Sol is a registered trade name of the Clorox Company for a line of household cleaning products, used to clean grease and heavy soil stains. Pine-Sol was based on pine oil when it was created in 1929 and during its rise to national popularity in the 1950s. By 2016, Pine-Sol products sold in stores no longer contained pine oil, which was done to reduce costs. The old Pine-oil containing formula is sometimes available online only.
Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil from the leaf of Eucalyptus, a genus of the plant family Myrtaceae native to Australia and cultivated worldwide. Eucalyptus oil has a history of wide application, as a pharmaceutical, antiseptic, repellent, flavouring, fragrance and industrial uses. The leaves of selected Eucalyptus species are steam distilled to extract eucalyptus oil.
Lysol is a brand of American cleaning and disinfecting products distributed by Reckitt, which markets the similar Dettol or Sagrotan in other markets. The line includes liquid solutions for hard and soft surfaces, air treatment, and hand washing. The active ingredient in many Lysol products is benzalkonium chloride, but the active ingredient in the Lysol "Power and Free" line is hydrogen peroxide. Lysol has been used since its invention in the late 19th century as a household and industrial cleaning agent, and previously as a medical disinfectant.
Savlon is a brand of antibacterial personal care products with the active ingredients of cetrimide and chlorhexidine gluconate. Commonly sold as a cream, the product range also includes antiseptic sprays, sticking plasters and other antiseptic products.
Cleaning agents or hard-surface cleaners are substances used to remove dirt, including dust, stains, foul odors, and clutter on surfaces. Purposes of cleaning agents include health, beauty, removing offensive odors, and avoiding the spread of dirt and contaminants to oneself and others. Some cleaning agents can kill bacteria and clean at the same time. Others, called degreasers, contain organic solvents to help dissolve oils and fats.
The health of domestic cats is a well studied area in veterinary medicine.
The cane toad in Australia is regarded as an exemplary case of an invasive species. Australia's relative isolation prior to European colonisation and the Industrial Revolution, both of which dramatically increased traffic and import of novel species, allowed development of a complex, interdepending system of ecology, but one which provided no natural predators for many of the species subsequently introduced. The recent, sudden inundation of foreign species has led to severe breakdowns in Australian ecology, after overwhelming proliferation of a number of introduced species, for which the continent has no efficient natural predators or parasites, and which displace native species; in some cases, these species are physically destructive to habitat, as well. Cane toads have been very successful as an invasive species, having become established in more than 15 countries within the past 150 years. In the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, the Australian government listed the impacts of the cane toad as a "key threatening process".