Is Swiffer WetJet Really a Hoax?
For years, e-mails like the one here, have been making their way into people’s home and computers around the world starting like this: “I recently had a neighbor who had to have their 5-year old German Shepherd dog put down due to liver failure. The dog was completely healthy until a few weeks ago, so they had a necropsy done to see what the cause was. The liver levels were unbelievable, as if the dog had ingested poison of some kind. The dog is kept inside, and when he’s outside, someone’s with him, so the idea of him getting into something unknown was hard to believe. My neighbor started going through all the items in the house. When he got to the Swiffer Wetjet, he noticed, in very tiny print, a warning which stated “may be harmful to small children and animals.”
“He called the company to ask what the contents of the cleaning agent are and was astounded to find out that antifreeze is one of the ingredients. (actually he was told it’s a compound which is one molecule away from antifreeze).
“Therefore, just by the dog walking on the floor cleaned with the solution, then licking it’s own paws, and the dog eating from its dishes which were kept on the kitchen floor cleaned with this product, it ingested enough of the solution to destroy its liver.
“Soon after his dog’s death, his housekeepers’ two cats also died of liver failure. They both used the Swiffer Wetjet for quick cleanups on their floors. Necropsies weren’t done on the cats, so they couldn’t file a lawsuit, but he asked that we spread the word to as many people as possible so they don’t lose their animals.”
Of course, Urban Legend says this is a hoax, and immediately, everyone who originally sent this e-mail to everyone in their address book, had to become humble and send out a retraction, letting them know it’s a hoax.
But is it really a hoax? I believe otherwise!
Early in July, 2005, I got in one of my moods where I needed a change in cleaning methods, and with all the floors I have in my home, the Swiffer WetJet was just what I was looking for. So off to Walmart I went the next morning, and bought the starter kit, feeling all excited as I couldn’t wait to get home and wash my floors! Now really, who gets excited over washing floors? Well, for a few short hours, I was!
Later that afternoon, hours after the floors were dry, one of my Boxers, Zeus (8 yrs old at the time) had his first seizure ever! OMG!!! I thought my world had crumbled. Here’s a dog who’s been healthy his entire life, and out of the blue, a seizure? As I sat on the couch with him laying partially on my lap, comforting him through my tears, my mind was racing with thoughts of what could have caused him to have that seizure. As it hit me, my then 15-year-old son walked in the front door with Max (the baby Boxer of the family, then 1-1/2) and told me that Max, during their walk, just dropped on someone’s front lawn and had a seizure.
I knew I was right! It was the darn Swiffer WetJet that I had just used earlier in the day to wash my floors. It was the ONLY new product in the house! I got up off the couch, went into the closet, grabbed the demon and out in the trash it ALL went! I immediately rewashed the floors with my natural citrus cleaner, bucket and mop! Neither Zeus or Max EVER had a seizure since that day! Somehow, Alli (my 6 yr old female Boxer) managed to escape the chemical side effects.
So, is Urban Legends right, that this is just a hoax? If anyone reading this has a beloved pet, or knows someone whose pet experienced ANY negative side effect after having floors washed with the Swiffer WetJet, please share your experience with all our readers in the comments section below. Perhaps we can validate that this is NOT a hoax, and save the health and lives of more pets everywhere.
Hi Bree,
I just wanted to let you know that I’ve been following your sites for years now (through your weekly newsletter and now this spectacular blog of yours), and they’re the best sites on the net, as far as information for us pet owners. I’ve been a long-time customer of yours too, which you already know, and I always look forward to seeing the new stuff you find.
Although I don’t have any personal experience with this swiffer wet jet, I believe your right in that there’s a little truth to every rumor or hoax. I’m so glad your boys are ok after that nightmarish day of seizures, and I really enjoyed reading a bit about you and your family.
What I’d be interested in is knowing what you use to clean your house. Maybe you could start sharing more about your own personal experiences in your posts – it really makes a connection with people.
keep up the great work Bree -you are the best.
love, Cookie and crew
Thanks so much Cookie for all the wonderful compliments. It’s so nice to be appreciated! 🙂
As I mentioned to you yesterday, I’m going to do a separate post on what I use to clean my home, as well as other separate posts on pet and human-safe products I use regularly, most of which can already be found here, on my blog, and on my website. This will give readers a chance to comment on each particular item. Your idea about including my own personal experiences with my own family is an awesome idea! Thanks for the suggestion! This is one of the many reasons I encourage my visitors to comment…so I know what they want! Truly, nothing beats the personal touch! 🙂
Our beautiful black lab,Cassidy began having seizures in mid August. She is only 7 years old and has never been sick, having just passed her yearly pysical with flying colors the day before. I had heard of the Swiffer issues, but thought they were a hoax. Besides we mostly used Clorox ready mop.
As a nurse I did not think a company could continue to produce a product that could have such toxic effects on pets or, God forbid, children. Since our three older boys moved out, we do not need to wash the floors as often. My 16 year old daughter does the sweeping and swifting, spot cleans and only uses the wet swift sporadically.
Yesterday, she was busy so I decided to do the floors myself. I had been using the chorox product but it was empty so I remembered I had swiffer wet pads, which we use sporadically. Since the dog had had 4 seizures I did look at the labeling. I noticed it said keep away from pets and children. I tried to read the ingredients.
To be on the safe side I put the dog outside while doing the floors and until they dried. I even told my daughter and her girlfriend not to walk on the floor barefoot while it was wet. They woke me up that night because the dog was having another seizure @ 2:15 am, just 12 hours after I washed the floors!
I went back first thing this morning and checked the dates of the 5 seizures she’s now had and they were 12,15,8 and 11 days apart. Not an unusual schedule for sporadic use of a floor cleaner. I told the family we would only use vinegar and water on the floors from now on. My husband wants to use Simplegreen when there is ground in dirt.
The first thing I did when I got up this morning was to google seizures and wet swift products and yours was the first site I came to. The other thing I noticed about Cassidy is that she seems very thirsty lately and the shedding she’s done since this has happened is unbelievable, also her breath is worse than usual. We will be going to the vet yet again next week and I’m going to contact the Vet school at MSU, my alma mater.
Thank you for taking the time to do this site. I am not absolutely convinced there is a connection, because in medicine it is easy to get side tracked. But i’m convinced enough to stop using the product, let my friends and family know, and continue to do research in the area.
Sue
My dog had a seizure also tonight after I used the swifter I heard about the dangers and she had seizures years ago when I used I now read that it was safe and to my surprise again, she had one after I used the swifter today I immediately re washed the floors and threw the chemical away
We’re currently working to find the cause of seizures in our 10 year old husky/malamute.
Her first seizures came a few months ago in the middle of the night while we were camping. I recall saying I wanted to come home to a clean house, so I’m almost certain I used the Swiffer WetJet that day. She had two seizures that night and we ended up at the emergency clinic. They screened for many possible secondary conditions, including liver disease and thyroid issues, but found nothing. One of her liver levels (SAP) was elevated.
Since that time she’s had seizures sporadically, maybe one every one-two weeks, which is approximately how often I use the Swiffer.
Yesterday I used the Swiffer in the kitchen, living room and hallway, more than usual. She had been without a seizure for two weeks (no Swiffer in that time) and had six seizures last night! I’m not saying there is a link, I don’t know, but I can tell you that the Swiffer is out in the garbage. My husband broke it in half so no one else uses it. Our dog is still at the emergency clinic, but I’ll remop the floors before she comes home.
One other thing we’re considering as a cause is rawhides. She had a seizure two weeks ago, after having a rawhide that day. We decided to cut them out for a while and she didn’t have any seizures for those two weeks. Yesterday we decided to add them back in to see if anything happened. So that’s something we’re considering as well. Now I’m confused, is it the rawhides, the Swiffer, both, neither?
She’s scheduled for a spinal tap in the morning. We’re still going to (hopefully) rule out the major causes of her seizures, but something about the Swiffer link feels right. That’s not enough to say that Swiffer caused her seizures, but it’s enough to never use a similar product around my animals again.
I should also add that when we first brought her into the clinic, based on her bloodwork results, their first suspicion was that she ingested some sort of toxin. Because we had been out camping and hiking, mushrooms were the first thing they considered. Now I wonder if it wasn’t a toxin in our own home!
I think this is all garbage. There are more sites out there saying this is a hoax than there are backing up the suspicions. Aside from which, it could have been anything! Epilepsy, toxic plants, something they got into in the yard, or anywhere. I cannot believe you all would watch your dogs 24/7 so therefore you don’t know what it is that’s causing their seizures. I think you all should do a lot more homework before posting blogs bashing products. Heck even call the company and ask them directly! They cannot by law lie to you so there’s proof in the pudding.
Sorry but I think your statement is a little naive. Big corporations have poisoned many humans and animals over the years and have hid it quite well. We have pet foods, that are known to be toxic to many animals, yet they still set on the shelf of big box stores. We had a healthy 7 year old Shitzu who had her yearly last month, inside dog, only goes out to potty in a fenced in area clean of debris. We have gotten a lot of snow recently so I started using Swifter wet jet yesterday on our floors. That is the only new thing she has been around. About 11pm last night she was unable to walk stairs on her own, today she is having tremors and is very lethargic. We’re leaving for the vet in 30 minutes and I will repost and let you guys know if there was any connection.
Amazing you say that I got mantle cell lymphoma from using round up. A terminal cancer. They kept saying what chemicals have you worked with or pesticides and I kept saying none I work in a school. I continue using round up because I have rocks instead of grass. Then about 2 years into the stupid a** cancer I read that round up causes lymphoma. I think you need to be careful what you reply because there are toxins in chemicals that’s why they’re called chemicals
I just got the email and as usual I am having a case of analysis paralysis and researching the topic (I have a dog, 3 kids and am pregnant). The only comments refuting this hoax come from the ASPCA and P&G themselves. The ASPCA is corporately sponsored by IAMS, a P&G product, so their research isn’t really independent. Just something to keep in mind when doing “homework” as Beth suggest. The company has already made their statement, look it up on their website. Just because they have to tell you the truth by law, doesn’t mean they will and it is naive to think they will. Just look at the tobacco companies for proof in your pudding. Or ask yourself how many accidents it takes before an auto company makes a recall? Even if this email proves untrue, you still have to look out for yourself and those you are responsible in this world and there is nothing wrong with raising concerns.
I just got the wetjet and love it. Regardless of what the ASPCA says, I’m not using the solution around my dog after reading your posts. In addition, like lots of people, I put down my Pergo floor because I have allergies and mild asthma. The Swiffer solution is very irritating to me. I could have kept my carpet if I wanted to feel nasal congestion and sneeze all over everytime I cleaned. So, I plan to use the mop and a spray bottle filled with Heinz white vinegar and water. Better for the dog, me and probably the floor. White vinegar is a great, safe cleaning agent.
Hi Bree,
this article of yours shocked me a lot and one of the reasons I joined your dream team is the possibility to tell my clients at The Purrfect Nanny (www.ThePurrfectNanny.com)about the possibility to use nature cleaning products instead of chemicals. Also wanted to tell you about the fact that my husband got a bad asthma attack on a anti flea spray I sprayed the dogs with. I had received it from our vet and he told me it was not harmful. So much about that. Nowadays I only get natural products to fight fleas. They work as well as spays, Frontline etc and don’t harm the pets or us.
Love
Beate
What are the natural products to fight fleas that you use?
I want to know if it is doing this to our pets, what is the potential harm to our children?!?
Hi there! I was just searching on the internet some info about whether Siffer Jet is bad for babies playing on the floor after floor is washed by Swiffer, and i found your comments. So i would imagine if it kills dogs, then i am nog going to use it on my floor for my 8 months old baby! HOW DO YOU THINK???
I have a chihuahua that was having strange symptoms out of nowhere such as vomiting an shedding (an abnormal amount) she doesnt go outside and has never done this before. sometimes i use the original wetjet cleaner, but most of the time refill the bottles with my own cleaner. such as vinegar and water or murphys oil soap and water. I do know that the wetjet cleaner has about the strongest odor of any floor cleaner. From now on i will just refill the empties with my own cleaner. to do this just crack the seal on the white cap with pliers , fill and reseal.
What a bittersweet experience to find this website! We have two pugstons (boston terrier/pug mix) and the male is constantly licking anything and everything in sight. This past fall 2006 we were shocked and scared to death to witness his first seizure. We took him to the vet and were not able to detect anything wrong with him biologically that would have been linked to the seizure. We were told to watch him carefully and bring him back if any more occurred. Much to our relief, he did not have any more….. until a little over a month ago. The same time we did a major clean sweep to prepare for an open house as our first major effort to sell our home. We still did not make any connections as to why these seizures were happening and to only one dog. This evening, we finally have a strong lead. We used the swiffer wipes to wash all the tile and laminent floors, top to bottom, in our house to prepare for another home showing. An hour later (at the most) our male pugston had another seizure! We were once again horrified and desperate to find the cause. Reviewing all the events prior to the seizure, we both stopped on the swiffer. We had recently heard how potent this cleaning product was and had discussed finding alternative products that were more environmentally friendly as we also prepare for our new baby’s arrival in the next month. It was at that point that I decided to do some research on the correlation b/w dog seizures and the chemicals used in the swiffer wipes. Much to our dismay (but confirming our instincts), we instantly found a plethora of information on the dangers of this product and the link to medical problems among animals… seizures being a common occurence. After writing this entry, I am going to share our experience with everyone I know to hopefully prevent any future tragedies. Please do the same. This makes me absolutely sick to my stomach that this extremely dangerous product is so readily available on the market! Please feel free to share this story with anyone who is currently or may in the future use this product.
Thank you so much for your comments. I was also getting sick of washing all my floors on my hands and knees. I was considering using the swiffer wet jet again, and now after reading all of your comments I have decided not to. I am bound and determined to believe that my golden retriever that we recently had to put to sleep because she had mouth cancer, received it from the chemicals from the wet jet. Her cancer was on the outside of her mouth and it started to run down her face. Her favorite place to lay was the kitchen floor. At the time of her death, the news had just started to come out that it was dangerous. I thought at the time that that is what it had to be, but then I thought it was an Urban Legend. Now I am going back to believing that it was the wet jet that did it. Thank you again for all the comments!
Hi Bree, I just searched the web and found your site, I had read the warnings in years past and didn’t think that much of it, however I used the ready-jet product years back, last April our dog, 9 years old, starting not acting like himself, he had excessive thirst, excessive urinating, (wonder why) took him to first vet thought he had a UTI, treated him, he was getting more fatigued, lethargic, so went to second vet, she did a liver profile, his results were 1666 (normal 23-100) put him on different meds, little improvement, my brother in-law saw his results, (he is a people doc) and said he has hepatitis, dog not getting that much better, vet wanted to do a liver ultra-sound and a biopsy, 3rd vet was recommended, he put him on another med, and told us he had cholangio-hepatitis, put him on a couple more pills, and weaned him down to just one, Denosyl, an excellent pill for the liver, he is on his second month, and is slowly getting better, will have the hopefully final blood draw next week. $2000, and a long summer we hopefully have our dog back. I do not know what caused the liver failure, he is a 9 year old black lab, stays in the house while at work, have high school kids look in on them at lunch while we are at work, we take him on only suppervised walks, also have a healthy chocolate lab, very healthy, they have never been kenneled, but I have my a feeling it had to do with the easy mop…. Do you know if the Clorox product has the same effect. Please let me know,
Thank you for your article. Sincerely Lorie Leath.
Hi–I have 2 boxers, both female, one 6 and one is 2. My 2 year old started losing her hair about 6 months after we got her, my vet said it was a an allergic reaction, probably to food. We put her on high-end dog food, which proved to be too much for my older dog and made her vomit. My younger boxer (onyx) continued to have have skin issues. We have since tried medications, some “all natural” some not, and finally over the past few months, I noticed her hair was coming back and she wasn’t as “itchy” when you pet her. She has been very active and playful, healthy, besides the hair issue. A couple of months ago, I was out in the yard with them and she dropped, having a really bad seizure and went unconcious on me. It was horrifying, but I have worked in healthcare (people) for years and knew what to do for her. Nothing since then. A few days ago, my 6 year old went into heat. I had my 10 year old spot mop the “drops”, many of which were around the dog dishes. She used the new swiffer wet pads I had just bought. I have had the mop handle since we bought Onyx because I thought it would be a good “quick clean-up” for when she wet on the floor during the training, but found I didn’t like it much and quit using it. Occasionally, I think about it and can’t say if I used it before the seziure incident. BUT, yesterday, we woke up to find Onyx looking like she had been wrapped in large bubble, bubble wrap and her fur put over it. She was itching and acting strange the night before, enough so I stayed up with her until late. But in the a.m., she looked like something from SCI Fi movies! My youngest daughter (9) rushed into my room screaming that something was wrong with Onyx (happens to be HER dog). In the end, I assumed it had to be the food she was eating, we gave her some allergy meds, I went to work and kids went to school. The dogs stay in a crate while we are away, when my husband got home, the lumps were almost all gone. I fed them, my daughter swiffered the floor and low and behold, Onxy was covered within an hour or two with lumps again! I am unsure at this point if it is food or swiffer, but I will be taking both out of her “diet/routine” and will add back the food in a small amount and go from there. If nothing happens, I can be pretty sure it is the swiffer! Thanks for posting these things, it eases my mind to know that I didn’t feed her the wrong food, as I try to be so careful of that!
The very first Swiffer wetjet I got I thought was great until it started to leak the solution from the bottle. I called the # on the bottle and they told me they would be sending me a coupon for a new one. Now as of yesterday the new one is leaking too. I called the # on the bottle of solution and they told me that it was probable a bad seal on the bottle. They are sending me a coupon for a new bottle of solution. What excuse will I get new? The only way I can stop these things from leaking is to hang the mop upside down. Has anyone had this problem? Please help!
Hey, it’s me again. Forgot one important thing. My floors seem to be sticky after I wash them. Anyone had this problem.
I have two beautiful female cats that are 12 years old and my best friends in the world so, you can’t imagine how horrified I was two years ago when one began to have violent seizures. Vets could find nothing wrong other than elevated liver counts. They assumed it was epilepsy and she began a regime of meds that have completely changed her life as much as my own. I used to travel for a living in sales and am unmarried and had no help with her twice a day med schedule so, I began working from home. I like the rest of you probably were when your animal became sick, was obsessed with everything that we had been doing differently in our home. I had house cats that were never allowed outside so if they were poisoned it was at home. My vet assured me that even though epilepsy is quite rare in cats that it was the likely cause. For two years I haven’t even been able to go on an overnight or weekend trip without a pet sitter or taking my cats along. When I say this has changed my life….you can’t even imagine. When thinking back over everything, and I mean everything…the only thing I can think that I was doing different during that time was using a swiffer that I purchased and used twice and didn’t really like. I remeber cleaning the floors a night or two before I found her in a puddle of her own urine, not knowing she had just had a mild seizure…I was scared to death. She was so healthy and there she was in the dark on the floor looking scared to death and peeing on my “clean” floors. I didn’t know what to think, she was always happy, healthy and alert and had NEVER pee’d outside her litter box. I knew something was wrong. She had never even been sick once. Now, nearly two years later I have put it together since finding this site….She was poisoned by me!!! I have been drugging her with phenobarbitol for two years just because of some horrible product that shouldn’t be one the market. To think I watched her fall from the top of my kithcen cabinets, down to a tile counter top and flop all over the kitchen while having a seizure (the morning after finding her in the dark). After witnessing that seizure she continued to have violent seizures every 2 or 3 hours for 3 days. It was all during a hurricane here in Florida and until the hurricane was over I couldn’t get her to the vet. To make it worse…she continued to walk on that stupid floor and continued to ingest that toxic substance and have seizures until medicated. I AM FURIOUS to think of the tears, fear, time, energy, and money wasted… years of vet bills and epilepsy and liver meds. As if it weren’t all bad enough…she has now developed a kidney stone, probably from the stupid epilepsy medicine.
Yes it is true i did the same thing and work at a vets,i cleaned my wood floors with this and soon after my dog became ill.I took him to work and found out his liver enzyme was 678 sky high normal is between 50-150.It had to be the swifer,my baby is only a 1 1/2 old i have got it down to normal now thank god,but for anyone out there please,please do not use anywhere near your pet!
I have been using the Clorox Ready mop for almost 2yrs. I believe I started using it after getting my pitbull. She loves to lick the floor and eat off it when if I drop something. She has NEVER experienced any side effects from the cleaner which says alot since she has a picky stomach to begin with.
Long story..but I have just come to the conclusion that I am personally having difficulties with the swifter wet jet product. (many symptoms) one term I have used is neuro stimulant… I am a Nurse(RN)..This is the first article that I have read while looking for info… My Search begins…Thanks
Thanks for sharing your story and I personally feel like there is no way this is a hoax. I have a beautiful dog named Sadie. She is a German Shepherd/Collie mix. Sadie had her first seizure in June of 2007 then another in July. We were of very concerned so we went to her vet and had a series of tests and blood work done and there was nothing abnormal at all. My husband and I racked our brains trying to figure out why this healthy 4 year old dog would be having these seizures. The only thing we could contribute it to was the swiffer. We had never heard of such a thing so we just prayed it wouldn’t happen again. Then just last week it happened again. This time it was way worse. After it lasted 30 minutes we took her to the the animal hospital. It was late in the evening so her regular vet was not in the office. Earlier in the evening I had used the swiffer on my front porch. Sadie was out there with me the whole time. I know I should have gone with my gut after the first 2 seizures but I guess it is the convenience if the swiffer that makes it such a common thing in households across america. To make a long story short, after a few shots and a some quiet time she is now okay. I can’t imagine not having her in my life. She is an awesome dog. I sometimes joke and say I like her more than I like my husband. Somedays that is the truth. I will say that we are now a swiffer free house!!
Hi, I got my swifer wet jet, right before Christmas 07.
I myself, have been having really bad congestion in my chest. Does anyone know if this cleaner could be causing this problem? I have had this for the whole month of Jan. MY Dr. calls it bronchitis. My 2 pet have not had any symtptoms of any kind from the cleaner.
I love my swifer wet jet, no more heavy mop buckets, no wringing mops, just pull off the pad, and throw it in the trash.
Is there a website, that clearly links Swifer with all these pet problems?
Thanks
So, is Urban Legends right, that the story of the Swiffer is just a hoax? If anyone reading this has a pet they love beware and be cautious, I did not know of this story and experience the worst! Our dog chewy a Brussels Griffon died and we cannot be certain that it was the Swifer but shortly after his death we purchased a new pup and once again we encountered the same problems which made me cautious about the Swifer product. We experienced the same negative side effect after having the floors washed with the Swiffer WetJet and have now stopped using the product. We had to take our new pup to the vet over the same problems, the dog was weak and could not stand up and again the same blood problems. Perhaps this story is NOT a hoax, maybe the product reacts with some other floor chemicals or finish but I will play it safe and stay away from the product. Maybe my comments will make you think twice about the use of this product.
3/18/08
About a month ago my husband call me at work to say our 1 years old black lab, golden retriever mix, Echo had a seizure. We of course took him to the vet and they ran tests that indicated no medical reason as to why Echo had a seizure. We took him home and later that night he had another one. At that time they put him on a antiseizure medication. He has been on this medicine for the past month. This past weekend I cleaned our laundry room and floors in basement with a swiffer, which I have used for past year and a half and never thought twice about it until now. Echo had a seizure Sunday night. I then recalled hearing reports of animals having seizures a few years ago before I had a dog. Needless to say I don’t plan on using any swiffer products in the future. After reading this blog and researching this issue on the internet it is clear to me that the swiffer product is the main reason for my dogs seizures and I will place money on the fact he has no more.
As in all hoaxes, people claim that the story that is told, is true. And nothing but true.
The thing is, that there are always people, who do not, under no circumtances, believe that a story that they just have read, is a lie.
The thing with the swiffer is, that people can prove that it cannot possibly be true at all, but as long as one person believes, it IS true, the legend will stay. Swiifer liquid is not a lemonade, it should not be swallowed. But the liquid reamins that stay of a floor that just has been treated, are completeley harmless.
People who received the hoax, and read it, will see that the chemical formula of the Swiffer liquid, is different from the formula that IS dangerous for animals.
Another example: decades ago a journalist of a scottish newspaper made up a story about a creature in on of the Scottish lakes (Loch Ness……).
No matter how many times this journalist told that it was fake, that he made up the whole story , in a time that there were hardly news facts to write about, there are always people who do’nt believe him.
There were scientific teams, who searched the whole lake. With boats, sonar, and they didn’t even find a trace of what could have been the remains of ”Nessie”. Scientificly spoken: the is no ”Nessie”, and there has never been a creature like that.
Though, people can’t believe it, science must be wrong. Why?
Because they didn’t find the evidence that Nessie never existed?
No way. The only reason that the story of Nessie is still there, is that it attracts tourists to the lake, and to the hotels that surround Loch Ness.
Back to the Swiffer story: as long as there are people, who think that the liquid stays at the surface, the story will be duplicated as a warning.
Remember: as long as you read the following lines in the message:
”Please duplicate this message as much as you can, and send it to all your friends in the adress book”, or: “Better to receive this message 25 times, than no message at all”,
as long as your message contains lines like this, you can be sure that is is a hoax. And nothing else.
Needless to say: I have two cats. They walk, play and sleep in the rooms where I use my swiffer products. My cats are 17 and 18 years old. And never have been ill at all.
As soon as there is someone who claims that Swiffer is harmless, someone else write a story about a dog or cat or any other animal, who got ill.
So, the story keeps itself alive.
I will definitely stay using the swiffer.
My dog is about 9 years old and for the past couple of years she has been having seizures, bur we could never figure out why. Just yesterday i was cleaning the floor with a Swiffer and not even a half hour after i had done this my dog went into a seizure, still didn’t think anything of it. Then today i cleaned my floors with a swiffer and then again she went into a seizure. I started thinking about something my mom had said about swiffers and dogs, so im pretty darn sure i won’t be using anymore swiffer around my house, and then ill see if this is true or justa hoax like alot of peple are saying.
I have 4 cats. Three seem to be fine with the Swiffer, but it happens to cause seizures in the other one. (Who is a very healthy 2 year old male. Believe me, I’ve had ALL the tests to prove he is as healthy as can be!!) But the Swiffer chemical does cause him to have seizures. Could be the smell that triggers a neurological reaction, could be ingestion (since he eats anything found on the floor), could be absorbed through his paw pads. Who knows? The point is that it DOES affect him in a negative way & is therefore not worth using.
Some people seem to think that there is supposed to be a clearly defined black & white answer here. I have never seen this original email that floated around, but some people seem adamant that it is a hoax. Who cares? If someone believes this particular product is affecting their animal (& loved one), leave them alone. And I must say that you are naive if you believe “Big Business” tells you the truth. In every side of the story, there can be partial truth.
Perhaps this only affects a small percentage of the animal population. (e.g., The FDA says that only a small percent of the human population is allergic to red dye, so therefore it is safe for consumption. Well too bad for those select few who are allergic to it.) WHAT IF the chemical in the swiffer causes a seizure type reaction in a small percent of the animal population.?? I will definitely not be using it anymore because I know that 25% of my cat population is negatively affected.
THANKS so much for posting this blog and to all of you who have shared your story. It is very helpful & encouraging to hear real stories like this and to know that my kitty boy isn’t as much of an anomaly as I thought.
My cat is 5 years old and has never been sick a day in his life until recently. Now I have used swiffer wet jet before in my house and he has never been sick. Well we moved recently and now his litterbox and food dishes are in my closet together and I clean up the floor after him with the swiffer. Well he started getting respiratory and sinus infections where he would reverse sneeze constantly. The vet said it was allergies and that they just get them. Well I thought about it and remembered how I had heard about swiffer being harmful. I stopped using it and in a week his sneezing had stopped and his sinus infection cleared up. It couldn’t have been a coincidence. My dog however hasn’t had any problems. I think that if an animal is exposed to it constantly that it can be harmful and I also think that all animals are different and that it may affect some more than others!
I just got today the original message about WetJet Swiffer – after i lost 3 baby cats one after another one they all died of the same thing liver failure and I didn’t know why. I have the swiffer wet jet in my household..and i finally got the answer why my cats all die with same syphtoms ( liver high enzyme and liver failure)and the vet didn’t know what cause it – because the cats were unrelated to each other and they were not going outside i got them all six months apart from each other to make sure if there is any virus at home it will not survive..but they were all tested by vet and they were no virus found in them..just the liver failed…I have two dogs one german sheperd and one westhighland terrier – the terrier gets sick after licking the floor and throw up and he pee after inside the house…
So I guess after loosing my 3 members of family, a lot of tears, a lot of sleepless nights, a lot of searching for what could cause death to my babies, a lot of $$$$$ on vets, and hospitals emergency – i think by doing my logical maths and reading all those posts and adding my life expirience with the “i love my swiffer” – i’m getting a divorce with the swiffer and he’s out of my house….
I recently put laminate floors through out my house, I bought the swiffer wet jet to clean them…I used it for the first time after my 2 kids went to bed..sometime around 1 am my 2 year old woke up with a bleeding nose and I woke the next morning throwing up..I didn’t think anything of it..I used the swiffer probably 3 more times..two days ago I woke up to find a puddle of cat urine on my dining room floor..I realized that my cat had been a little under the weather for that entire week, loss of appetite, sleepy etc..I took him to the vet 2 days ago and they informed me that he was severly jaundice and had some sort of liver disease, maybe even a tumor on his liver..we had to put him to sleep. I was telling my neighbour what had happened and she asked if we used the siffer wet jet and that I should check the internet for some info..I came across this site and felt I should post my experience…
MY DOGS HAVE BEEN SO ITCHY AND BITING UNDER BELLIES AND FEET. I THINK THIS IS DUE TO THE SWIFFER PADS AND WHEN THEY LAY ON THE FLOORS, THEY ARE ABSORBING THE SWIFFER SOLUTION EVEN THOUGH THE FLOORS ARE DRY!! I HAVE APPLIED SALVES AND OTHER PERS. MEDS TO GET RID OF IT AND IT COMES BACK!!!
HAS ANYONE HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH THIS AND SUSPECTS SWIFFER SOLUTION????
Yes my Moms dog got super unhealthy and was biting at this skin and fur and was red and irritated. Just stop the swiffer and it will go away! I really don’t understand the people here protecting a chemical company.. seems obvious to be representative of swiffer. Just buy the swiffer like device and fill it with green cleaning chemicals and your problems are
Resolved! Swiffer is toxic no one can deny that.
I cleaned my grandfather’s kitchen with the Swiffer WetJet – shortly after I started cleaning, my 2-year old daughter started coughing and wheezing. That was the only thing different about his house that day. Take it for what it’s worth – I will not ever use this product in my house with my kids or dog or myself.
My wife has always used the Swiffer Wetjet to clean our kitchen tile, until recently. Now she only uses vinegar and water. That being said…
Our VERY healthy two year old cat developed organ failure. We loved the cat so tried dialysis to help. We ended up putting her to sleep and it makes me sad to think we have have been the cause of her pain and suffering.
It makes perfect sense. Chemicals aren’t designed to be ingested. Of course, as humans we would be ingesting them but our pets walking on these floors, absorb them in their pads/hair and eventually ingest them.
I would love to hear that a class action lawsuit is brought against companies like this and that they’re hit hard in their pocketbooks. Something needs to be done to not only protect our environment but our loves ones; our pets.
Sorry, I should have proofed my post prior to clicking send. Humans should NOT be ingesting chemicals and have have should have been MAY have been the cause.
Lastly, LOVED ones, not loves ones… I should have finished third grade.
With all the talk–has anyone actually asked the company
for the ingredients in the wetjet liquid? This would actually tell us if it is harmful. Please request this as
I have just bought the product with all the trmmings and I
would like to know so we can tell if it really is harmful as
my one year old grandaughter comes over and will be crawling
all over the house. Thank you.
Virginia Angelucci
Just FYI, I have 3 dogs, 2 doxies that are 13 and an Australian cattledog that is 6. They are all inside dogs, even the big one. I have used Swiffer since it came out on my kitchen and bathroom tile floors and none of my dogs have had a seizure or been sick. Their yearly lab work is perfect so I can’t see how Swiffer did anything harmful. My deepest sympathies to all pet lovers who have lost part of their family to whatever it is. I lost my 16 yr. old doxie to congestive heart failure about 13 years ago and it nearly killed me.
No product that is harmful to dogs or kids should be made by usage inside the house. It’s ridiculous and those type of products should be put through the ringer. The internet is a powerful site
Hi
I Was just reading the blog’s on here about the swifter wet jet,we have a sheltie thay is 3 months old and last sunday my pup was sitting on the carpet beside me and he started to have a seizure i couldn’t figure out what was wrong…I rushed him to our vet’s and he stayed there over night they flushed out his system and thank god he is fine now…But i then realized i had purchased my swifter wet jet before we got Niko and i do believe that he got sick after i had washed my floor’s as there is nothing else he can get into..when he is outside we are alway’s with him..so anyone with this product please be careful mine is now in the garbage..
JUNE
I just realized that the swiffer solution is causing a reaction in me, personally. I immediately started trying to figure out what chemical it could be in that solution that was causing it and this is the first website that I came across having to deal with the swiffer toxicity issue. I have very sensitive sinuses and nasal passageways; always have. I actually had them previously chemically burned in an accident involving anhydrous ammonia in Minot, North Dakota, when a traincar carrying that derailed near where I was going to college, so I know how chemical issues in the nasal passageways feel. Anyway I finally pieced it together tonight, and after reading how much this ‘sweet chemical’ is non-offensive to most people and animals are attracted to it, absorb it, and then die of liver failure and/or seizures related to the toxicity of it, I’m pretty sure that I know the exact chemical that we’re talking about here. It’s either a member of the glycol family or a close chemical analog. I can’t remember if it’s ethylene or proplyene glycol that is used in antifreeze but that causes the exact same thing and you want to know something else interesting? The only other time that I’ve had rapid and long lasting onset of this kind of sinus and mucous membrane irritation is when I was in a car where the radiator and cooling system malfunctioned, something burst, and the antifreeze began venting into the occupant area of the vehicle. Safe for animals and kids my ass, this is a toxic chemical. Glycol is a chemical that is known as an easy way to poison somebody because it isn’t quickly refused by the body. You don’t gag on it, it tastes sweet, like a beverage; yet it hits the liver, shuts it down, and kills a person, and it’s hard to pick up in medical tests.
I’m thinking of a lawsuit.
Drop me a line if you’ve had anything like this happen. damo.gets@gmail.com
We used to have a beautiful Border Collie called Emma. We loved Emma dearly, and she loved us. When Emma was about 3 yrs old we moved into a new house in south Calgary, Alberta Canada. The house had a very large ceramic tile section on the main floor. Emma slept on the ceramic floor almost every night. We always presumed she liked the cool floor. Swiffer Wetjet is the main implement we use to clean that ceramic floor (as of today, not any more). About six months after we moved into the house our gorgeous Emma started having mild seizures. Initially our vet wasn’t too concerned about the seizures. Border Collies are a bit more prone to them than most other breeds. But the seizures got worse and more frequent. We eventually started giving Emma anti-seizure medication. The seizures still got worse. The vet was monitoring Emma’s blood and her liver started to fail. It was taken for granted the liver failure was a side effect of the anti-seizure medication. The seizures got worse, we gave her more medicine, her liver and other organs got worse and worse and she had more seizures. At 6-1/2 yrs old, despite spending $22,000 on vet bills over 3 years, and although Emma was still a beautiful clever loving best-friend, Emma’s vital organs were failing and she was having severe seizures at least twice a week. We had to put Emma down. I still tear-up when I think of her suffering, and still miss her to this day.
Today, Jan 27 2009 I read the above (possible hoax) Swiffer Wetjet story for the first time. When I shared the story with a friend at lunch today, he told me he’d heard the story was a fake. Despite this, and given our poor Emma’s demise, for some reason I was still curious about the story and ended-up goggling my way to petblog.preciouspets.org.
Now I’m wondering; Did we poison our beloved Emma? This question is going to haunt me until I go wherever Emma went almost three years ago.
My miniature schnauzer just died from antifreeze poisoning!
He was perfectly healthy and 2 years old. We do not work on our cars in our yard. The yard is fenced. There was simply no way for him to have gotten into any antifreeze unless someone brought it to him.
We have been using swifter for years….
WTF.
I think you have been reading too much internet garbage and letting your imagination run away with you. There’s no one in th eworld that loves nor cares for his dogs more than me. I’d spend my last dime on them and take them to the vet before I’d go to the doctor myself. But this is pure mass hysteria. Several vets have commented on the P&G website and snopes.com has THOROUGHLY research this nonsense and has concluded that any connection between health issues and the chemicals used in Swiffer products is purely coincidental. Read the material handling sheets that come with P&G cleaning products. Understand the difference between the chemicals that are used to make antifreeze and those in cleaning products. THEY SIMPLY ARE NOT THE SAME. Why would a company like P&G manufacture a product that could be proven to be dangerous to pets? WHY? Wouldn’t that be economic suicide? Yes, it would. Now, calm down and be reasonable. Take you animals to the vet. Boxers sometimes have trouble with seizures and YOUR dogs could have undiagnosed problems that have absolutely NOTHING to do with ANYTHING in your home.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Those of you who think that your dogs have been poisoned by ethylene glycol, which is the chemical in antifreeze, not in Swiffer solution, that’s propylene glycol, not the same, keep saying they died of LIVER failure. Now see, that’s a problem because people and pets poisoned by ethylene glycol don’t die of LIVER failure, they die of KIDNEY failure. Seems to me that you either don’t know which of your dog’s organs failed or you don’t know much about cleaning products.
Yesterday at work a coworker told me that the Swiffer was not safe around pets and kids. As usual I’m skeptical when people tell me things like this but with my wife due with our first child in March, I thought I should at least do the research. Most of the stuff I found stated that it was a hoax, an urban legend even. After coming across your website, and reading these accounts I feel I should add mine to the list. My wife and I got our cat JoJo in October of 2002. We always lived in small apartments with carpet and no reason to use the swiffer. When we bought our house in the summer of 2005 we were suddenly burdened with wood laminate floors and lots of white lanolium in the kitchen. This required frequent cleaning and we always used a swiffer. JoJo never had a seizure but he was constantly sick and would frequently throw up. Last spring he started acting weird, pooping out of the box which he never did, and losing weight. His checkup with the vet found nothing out of the ordinary, but his liver enzymes were slightly elevated which was of mild concern to the vet. Three weeks later we took him back in and he was in full liver failure. Two days later we had to put him down. I’m not sure if there is a connection between the two or not but there are enough accounts ,plus my own experience to get it out of my house with my new child on the way.
Despite the rude and condescending tone of his comments, I’d like to thank Mr. Thorneburg for the insights stemming from his defence of P&G, and for correcting us on the mode of death when one ingests antifreeze.
However, I think a few wee things need to be set straight:
Most of us have no idea what chemicals are in Swiffer Wetjet products. That’s because P&G doesn’t tell us. Anyone with a healthy dose of scepticism might be inclined to wonder why P&G doesn’t tell us.
It is a fact that P&G tells us on the Swiffer product label; “KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS”. There’s no speculative component or hoax to this, it really says that on the package. Take a look!
In this blog we’re sharing very sad heart wrenching stories about the loss of animal friends we loved. Speaking only for myself; I don’t appreciate Mr. Thorneberg’s caviler attitude to the subject.
Notwithstanding Mr. Thorneburg’s comments, all the stories in this have the same theme: After we started using the Swiffer, our previously healthy pets became unhealthy, some even died. Why did they get sick or die? We don’t know. All we’re doing is sharing observations. That’s the first step in the scientific process of diagnosng a problem.
But this extract from Mr. Thorneburg’s comments is very interesting:
“Why would a company like P&G manufacture a product that could be proven to be dangerous to pets? WHY? Wouldn’t that be economic suicide? Yes, it would. Now, calm down and be reasonable. Take you animals to the vet. Boxers sometimes have trouble with seizures and YOUR dogs could have undiagnosed problems that have absolutely NOTHING to do with ANYTHING in your home.”
The answer to the first question is a slam-dunk: P&G makes Swiffer products because people buy them and that makes the shareholders of P&G rich. Any other answer is sheer nonsense.
How about this one: Why would a company like Ford build a car they know bursts into flames when hit from the rear? Same answer.
We used to think it was safe to spray asbestos in our attics and walls. Why don’t we do that anymore?
We used to spray DDT all over the place. But we don’t now. Anybody know why?
There was a time when scientists handled radioactive materials with their bare hands thinking they were safe. Most of them died from some form of cancer. Anybody think it wasn’t the radiation that killed them?
Economic suicide? It’s all in the numbers, just like at Ford. Of course we don’t get to see the numbers. Only P&G, Ford… see the numbers they use to gamble with our health.
I’m certain of one thing; P&G doesn’t care one speck about the demise of my poor wee Emma, or any of the dead loved ones in this Blog. All P&G cares about is money, money, money, and I’ll never trust the well-being of my loved ones in their greedy corporate hands.
We took our animals to the vet (and our children to the doctor). How would the vet know the Swiffer is the problem? It was never asked. The vet is as out in the cold as the rest of us. Vets are scientists and there is no scientific data, anywhere (maybe hidden away at P&G’s research lab?).
Yes, some animals are prone to seizures. Nobody in this blog ever said that every seizing critter is seizing because of Swiffer products. We’re just sharing stories that have some common elements.
Of course, all manner of things go wrong with all sorts of living beings under many different conditions. But this doesn’t mean that Swiffers don’t cause some health problems. We simply don’t know. That’s the point…
And dear Mr. Thorneburg, one last thing; You’re making a valid comment when you insult us by saying: “Seems to me that you either don’t know which of your dog’s organs failed or you don’t know much about cleaning products.”
My perfectly healthy dog died from a complete system shut down brought on by something the vet couldn’t diagnose, and, I don’t know anything about household cleaning chemicals.
The only thing I know for sure is this:
Given how important the health of my grandchildren and pets is to me: I’ve heard enough stories to convince me that the possible risks of using Swiffer products is not worth the benefits, and therefore anyone I know will never use them again.
I too have lost a dog to Swifter wetjet..I used for the first time in the month of October..My Border Collie/Shepard mix was so ill over a weekend.When we took him to the vet on Monday his liver enzymes were 4000,,off the chart should have been 150..His eyes,skin,gums were so yellow.His gall bladder backed up also cause by the liver..He didn’t eat for a couple of weeks, threw up everything..The vet came to my house to give him fluids to flush his system..He recovered taking gall bladder pills that humans take,several other types of pills..Then in December I used swifter wetjet again,not knowing what had caused his first round of illness..Bam Dutch was sick all over again, even though he was still on liver pills and gall bladder pills..I finally realize the common denominator with both illnesses was the swifter.Working at Lowes I mentioned this to an employee..they pulled up the ingredients of Swifter Wetjet on the computer..Product not listed is Propanol..Informed my vet this and she said that would have caused the liver damage..Dutch has died and I tell customers looking to buy it.. Dutch’story after spending $4000. to try and save him.I did write manufacture but no response from them. I know of 3 dogs and 2 cats also that have died from this product,
I just yesterday purchased a Swiffer Wet Jet, and upon arriving home, one of my neighbours cautioned me regarding the solution being harmful to pets. Since I have a cat who is totally indoors, I searched the web this morning to gather further information.
Whether this is a hoax or not, that this could possibly harm my 13 yr plus friend and family member is good enough for me to return the product today, pronto. Regular soap and water works for me, keeping my loved ones safe in their own home.
Thank you again for your valued information.
Sincerely,
Nancy Larsen
My 2 year old beagle/lab mix is in the hospital with liver failure. The vet has no idea what has caused this..I may now we just cleaned the floors with Swiffer WetJet the day prior to her illness. We have sent word to the vet as to our findings. Will let you know what comes of it..I hope and pray it’s not to late…Thanks
Barb Matthews, you are awesome!!
I too don’t know if Swiffer is causing the problems to your pets but I have had cats and dogs my whole life and for me its a no-brainer to not use swiffer. Why would I take a risk when I can just clean with something else? And also Mr Thorneburg’s comments about corporate suicide? Please, did it shut down the petfood manufacturers when the animals were dying of melamine poisoning? No and all corporations know that the attention span of the American consumer is about 30 seconds.
I have wood floors that I usually damp mop with dilute vinegar and water. April is such a muddy month that I decided to get a Swiffer for in-between cleaning up. I have two Cocker Spaniels that are confined to kitchen and family room. They have a fenced in outside potty area. The weather has not been very nice for outdoor walks. One of the Cockers likes to lick everything. If flour falls on the floor when baking, she will lick it. Last wk end this dog got lethargic and would not eat. When our cockers do not want to eat, the vet knows something is wrong. She had just passed her physical in February. On Monday she seemed to be going down hill fast, when I took her in her liver was enlarged on the x-ray but not irregular but her liver enzymes were sky high. By the time I had gotten the bld levels she had detiorated, we did not think she would last the day. We started her on liver diet and liver meds. She improved, this morning her blood was checked again and her levels have come down 10 fold. The vet is amazed and started questioning poisons, mushrooms, cleaning agents. I couldn’t recall her getting into any cleaning agents as they are not stored in the kitchen but then when I reached for the Swiffer that I have only had 2 wks and she started licking the floor after I used it…it hit me! I was not aware of any of the info out here about the product.
after reading all of these postings … when I read Deborah post 49 …. Propanol was the missing link !!!! hmmmm Isopropyl alcohol aka rubbing alcohol !!!! ever drank it ??? oh you couldnt answer that question if you had LOL so you all have this toxic cemical in your bathroom and you rub it on your selfs?? get real PPL
http://www.answers.com/topic/propylene-glycol
I have a 5 year old cat and have used the Swiffer most of her life, no problems whatsoever (though I was unaware of the possible problems when we started using it). I would just like to know…. Does your pet still have health problems after throwing out the product?
Though I’m skeptical, I have retired my Swiffer at my husband’s request (yes, he’s a hypochondriac)
Hi I had heard that the wet swiffer mop cause some extreme health products in their cats.
What about the dry swiffer?
I need to know because I use the dry all through my house.
I have a miniature Schnauzer who licks her paws when she comes in from the rain.
Clearly all Swiffer products are lethal.
I TOO TRIED THE SWIFFER JET AND LIKED IT,AND MY 5 POUND TERRIOR,SWEETEY GOT SICK.SHE’S BEEN THROWING UP AND HAVING
LOOSE BOWELS,AND NOT EATING MUCH,THANKS FOR THE WARNINGS,I DID NOT KNOW,AND WILL NOT BE USING ONE ANYMORE.AS CONVIENT AS IT IS,MY DOG AND CATS WELL BEING IT NOT WORTH THE PRODUCT.PLEASE ADVISE OTHERS TO THE HIDDEN DANGERS OF THIS PRODUCT.ANIMALS,ARE PEOPLE TO.GOD BLESS,ALL THOSE ARE READING THIS TODAY,SAY A PRAYER OF PROTECTION FOR THOSE PETS AND PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW.ASK GOD TO HELP US GET THE WORD OUT.ASK
GOD,PRAY TO GOD,BELIEVE IN GODS PROTECTION.PINKEY
I hate that ya’ll are downing such a wonderful product that has been researched by so many vets. This product doesn’t harm my 2 lb chihuahua so I highly doubt it is the cause of your pets seizures. Ya’ll need to stop these uncalled for rumors and start taking responsibility and have your vet check your animals for epilepsy.
So is it odd to anyone that dogs get old and fall apart? Is it odd that 7 years for a boxer or any other large bread is considered a Senior? Isn’t it odd how I don’t use swiffer or clorox and only natural cleaning products and my 10 year old Eskie has seizures? Odd how dogs too can have epilepsy. Odd… It’s also odd that close to 50% of American’s have a cat or dog and you could throw out some statistic like 20% of American’s use Swiffer so therefor somewhere around 30% of pet owners use Swiffer, so wouldn’t there be a lot of dead animals and abnormally high vet visits? I’m sure there are people who are paid to monitor this kind of thing. If a product were to be so unsafe for the average house pet or child then the product would be recalled, a class action lawsuit would be filed and a lot of people would be sad but have more money. Just going to throw out one more for you, cars kill more pets than any other form of death. Stop driving your cars and killing my cats.
My dogs are kept in the kitchen while we work. After using my new wet jet, my dogs were vomiting constantly. I dont care WHAT they say. It is NOT safe. No way.Shame, cuz I lOVE the darn thing!
The other night my 4 year old son broke out in hives and was itching like crazy.I had know idea what was wrong and it scared me. He has a fair complexion (red hair, blue eyes) so his skin does show every scratch. His eyes were red and puffy also. I didn’t know the bumps were hives so I took him to the doctor the next day. I couldn’t figure out what was causing these break outs. Well I realized that the only thing different was that I used a new wet-jet cleaning solution. My son is very active and is always on the floor along with my 1 year old. I noticed that after he picked up his stuffed animal that was laying on the kitchen floor and put the animal to his face …then his face was inflamed. Today I got home from work and he was all broke out and as soon as we left the house he cleared up. I rewashed the floors tonight and will never use that product again. I can’t believe my baby has been crawling all over that floor for the past 2 days.
Wow, I didn’t know that Wet Jet solution was bad for dogs. We have one that I use occasionally, but I found that clorox wipes I use on the floor were giving our dog seizures. So dog lovers and owners, be careful with the chemicals you use. Our little fuzzies have great sniffers. Now all I use is pledge for dusting and vinegar for cleaning the shower/baths and kitchen. Oh, and baby wipes on the floor. They are great b/c they are non scented and have no harsh chemicals.
My cleaning lady used the Swift Jet to clean our tile floors today for the first time and my cat had a seizure a couple of hours after she left–the first and only one he has ever had! I took him to the vet immediately and they couldn’t find anything wrong–I am convinced this is the cause! Now what do we do?
My 7month old Lab had a couple of mild seizures and some vomiting. I took him to his vet and after a blood panel, they couldn’t find anything wrong with him. We didn’t see anything for a couple weeks until this week. It all started again. I spoke to the breeder and he told me about the swiffer wet jet and I was shocked. I have a cat that is not bothered by it at all. I am putting the wetjet in the closet and will wait to see if there is a change. To #60, ya’ll can’t say it’s not the product if you don’t have a pet going through this. I have two pets and only one is having a reaction. My pets go to the vet. If it’s a hoax or not, we need to find out for the sake of our beloved pets.
So if we need to tell our stories, keep your comments to yourself and be lucky your little dog is ok!!!
A few year back, my fiance had a boxer, Tyson, who was also about 8 years old… He was never sick! then He just stopped eating. He took him to the vet, they said that he had cancer and had to be put down because there was nothing they could do for him. After this, he read about the Swiffer WetJet, which he had used often. I would love to be able to use them now, but I am too afraid that our new boxer, Layla(4), will also get sick. I def dont think this is a hoax
Sadly I didn’t have a computer, or even know how to use one and research about this when I lost my 4 year old kitty to the same thing, which the vet couldn’t tell me anything except give us meds, keep taking him back to the vet for week long stays, then he’d get better and then come back to my chemical house to only get sick again and have to go back to the vet hospital. He had asthma and liver problems. Now my other cat that is 13 has asthma..I will never use the swiffer AND I will never use bleach,air fresheners, carpet powders of ANY kind, commet scrub or even the new natural products (I don’t trust them, some have essential oils in them that is toxic to cats..and so is a lot of stuff including potporri..they inhale the fumes and their liver cannot break down these things once it’s in their systems! They lack the enzymes in their liver unlike people.) I use Bon Ami cleaner to scrub the tub and sinks (the safest out there!-Don’t trust anything else, not even Bar Keepers Friend, found toxic too).Did you know that baking soda causes a chemical imbalance in cats? I use vinegar&water to clean with and in my Rug doctor carpet cleaner! I use club soda before I carpet clean too.I use Daddy Van’s Baby safe furniture polish (with no essential oils or chemicals). I then dust with a lightly damp rag of water. Do not trust any other furniture polish/wax because they usually put turpentine in them and do not list all their ingredients. We use All Free and clear laundry soap and a non chlorine bleach kept far away from pets too. I do NOT use regular ear cleaning solution on pets if it contains any tea tree oil(TOXIC), alcohol(toxic),or any essential oils..makes it hard to choose from, so i use a little Apple cider vinegar in water, or white distilled vinegar, but make sure it’s diluted enough (take a little sip to make sure). To brush cat’s teeth use 50% water and 50% of 3%hydrogen peroxide. We don’t trust most natural pet products, some are dangerous just as much as any other. We use sinurite and Respo-k from Native Remedies Pet Alive (online).
We also use an Oreck Air purifier.
For hairballs use Vaseline..not often, but it does the trick! It is safe, and will not be absorbed just pushes everything out..I know someone who lost their cat to using alternatives that vaseline would have cured.
The reason I’m listing all of this is to help others that have spent tons of money at the vet, lost their pet due to how their liver cannot break down the stuff we are so use to using! I had to learn the hard way too, and nobody told me anything..I had to do a lot of research to figure it all out. BUT the good news is that my cat hasn’t had an asthma attack in 8 months now!!!! Cats and dogs livers are very sensitive and they can get all kinds of systematic illnesses from toxins!!! I’m sure we are all better off without these toxins in our home! Take care of your family and your pets..My heart goes out to all of you that have lost your loving pets!
We have a 90 lb. yellow lab that just turned 4 years old. This morning, I used a wet jet to clean out my laundry room where the dog sleeps. A couple of hours afterwards, the dog came into the kitchen walking sideways and had a seizure that lasted about 5 minutes… Our 6 kids were horrified, because our last dog, that we had for 12 years, suddenly developed seizures and had a stroke and died a few weeks later, even though the vet put him on medicine. This yellow lab has been the healthiest pet we’ve ever owned, no prior illnesses at all. We were trying to decide what could have caused the seizure, and absolutely nothing was different except for me using the wet jet. I remembered then, that when I looked online about buying the mop, I had seen a bunch of comments from people who said their dogs had died from it. At the time, I thought it was foolishness. Now, I will never use their cleaning liquid again, and I am haunted by the thought that I was using my old wet jet at the time our other dog died… Who really knows the how these chemicals affect our health, and the health of our children, and pets. I’m not just picking on one company. I am saying that to certain individuals, MANY chemicals are toxic. The fewer we use, the better!
my 9 year old rotty just had his first seizure yesterday, my husband describes it as horrific.
I had just used the swiffer wet jet for the first time (I am usually very natural when cleaning, I thought I’d just use the bottle of cleaner it came with and refill it with something later) he was laying on his dog bed close to where I had cleaned and sprayed, about 1-2 hours later he was at work with my husband when he went into a 10 minute seizure that was violent. my husband said it looked like he was being struck by lightning. he bit his tounge and was bleeding from the mouth. took him to the vet they said his glucose was very low and his liver result were off. Now he is at a specialist in seattle. We are hoping for the best. he is in rough shape. Hang in there Buddy. I didn’t know of any concerns with the wet jet until I was searching for answers on hypoglycemic dogs they said to watch out for household cleaners, and that’s when the light switched on for me and I googled swiffer and dog seizures.
I googled “dog reaction to swiffer wet pads” this afternoon after my Malte-Poo has been having some pretty serious reactions at home when I realized the only new products I have brought into our home have been the Siffer Wet Pads & a new Febreeze Mr. Clean product. My poor Malte-Poo (5 Yrs old) was up all night last night molting (I have CLUMPS of fur all over my home), itching, vomiting, hives everywhere, heavy breathing. The only comfort she could find was to sleep on our tile floor in our bathroom, I assume the coolness eased her nausea and itching discomfort. She seems better today after a good dose of Benadryl, but I totally believe her allergies are from one of these cleaning agents I used on Sunday 2/14 and she had reactions on Tuesday 2/16. To close to be a coincidence. I just wanted to share, as I think on this blog it has been proven over & over again that this is not a hoax. Thanks so much for all the info!
Just to add the the “Truth”…I purchased at Swiffer WetJet on Sunday February 28 and used it March 1…in the middle of the night my chihuahua began violently vomiting and had diarreah later this morning! I had read some of the posts regarding the possibility of illness but made an effort to keep him off the floor that had been cleaned with it. He was still affected…I plan to keep the WetJet but use natural cleaning agents in it instead.
I have been using the Swiffer WetJet for about 2 years now on and off again. I have a 3yr. old Shih-tzu. He has overcame big obstacles in his life so far including a battle with Parvo when he was a puppy. He has always been active. Never really had any other big health issues. After I gave birth to my son, I continued to use the product not knowing anything could be wrong with it. In the spring of 09′ my dog began chewing the hair off his back, and started to get sores from where he was itching so much. I figured he had a allergy to the cheaper food I had just put him on, or maybe he had fleas and was allergic to them. I waited it out and eventually it went away. I decided once my son started crawling I would not use the Swiffer WetJet anymore, after reading the e-mail, and so I did it on my hands and knees with a all natural product. Last year, I decided to go back to using the WetJet because my son was walking now, and I figured he would have less contact with the product, and I wanted something less time consuming than on my hands and knees. I purchased another WetJet, and soon after using it again, my dog’s “allergy” has came back. His stomach gets really red and speckled, he is not as active, his skin is dry but his fur is oily, and yet again he is chewing and itching his fur out. I took him to the vet this time to see if we were experiancing a food allergy or what was going on. The vet said that it was a contact allergy to something. After arriving home and trying to figure out what is causing this contact allergy, I came across the WetJet again, and decided that it might be that. That is really the only thing that has changed in my household to make this allergy reappear, and my dog doesn’t go outside without a adult and a leash so I know he isn’t eating something. I don’t know if it truely causes liver failure, or whatever, but I do know, it is a harsh smelling chemical inside, and I value my dogs life more than my WetJet so I will no longer use the chemical inside it. I will use natural cleaning agents inside my WetJet Bottle to continue to save me time.
I’ve been using the Swiffer wet pads for a month or 2. On the 5th my one dog peed purple, which lasted 3 days. He didn’t have any other symptoms so the vet said to let it go. Today I cleaned the floors where the dogs are with the swiffer wet pads (citrus). About 12 hours later he peed pink. I looked at my calendar and the last time I cleaned these floors was the 5th. Nothing else has changed – food the same, no other cleaning, same water source, same toys, same grooming rituals, nothing was laundered even. This Friday and last Friday were the same, except for the Swiffer.
All of the stories here are frightening, and it’s better to be safe than sorry. Maybe your dog isn’t showing signs now, but God only knows what the buildup of these chemicals in the body will do in time.
(FWIW I’m not “green”, I don’t rally against chemicals – I don’t even recycle. I just wanted to warn people about what happened to my dog so their dogs won’t suffer.)
I am devastated, we just lost our beloved little Gizmo a beautiful two year old Persian cat. I had to go out of town for two days and before I left I mopped the floor with the Swiffer he usually is put up while I mop but this time he walked on the floor before it was dried. When I returned home he was almost dead, he was having a seizure by the time I rushed him to the vet he lived three minutes. This was a perfectly healthy little cat full of life and love, and he was just taken from us. I think this company should be accountable for hurting our pets!!!
I learned the hard way, that a chemical is a chemical is a chemical. For those of you who are dumping the liquid out of your swiffer bottles, do not reuse those bottles with your own cleaners cause the residue of the chemical leaches into the plastic. The best cleaner I’ve found and use is plain old water in steam form which is totally safe for pets and babies and our glorious plant. I love my H20 mop and ordered it here
asseenontv.com/prod-pages/h2o_ultra_mop_ontv.html
Steam kills dust mites, bacteria, viruses and a slew of other nasties. My rooms smell outside fresh when done, and no more chemicals for me.
My 6 yr old German Shephard starting having seizures in Oct. Is is a heathly dog and has no other issues. I just don’t understand, then after thinking I remembered a friend saying that she had heard that the Swiffer wetjet could be harmful til dogs. I bought my Swiffer wetjet in Oct, I find it very odd thats when he started having seizures. He continously is having seizures and have hundreds of dollars on vets bill and medication, still nothing is helping. If anyone has a similar story with the same bread please reply. My dog is part of my family and would love some answers.
You know its so hard to belive,I have used it on or floors for 1year,And I had two cats who walked on the floor all the time.And nothing happend. I love the wetjet. Now we fineally went out and bought anotherone, but we have a pregnant dog in the house. so Im sorry to say I think it would be better not to use it for awhile. I also just had a baby, so that is the biggest reason! but I wish you would somehow let the world know if it really is bad or not! or change the comical. I loveeeee useing the wetjet!!! But im scared to take a chance.And I know their are alot of people out their who love it too. Angela Jandera
I had used the swiffer wet jet and mop for over 6 years and recently one of may cats became severely ill. He lost over half his body weight and had stopped eating and became increasingly lethargic…I took him to the vet and they said that he had liver/kidney failure and asked if he had ingested any kind of anti-freeze or anything like that. he has been indoors his entire life and I don’t have any plants or anything of that nature. They immediately put him an IV and attempted to save his life but it was too late. My cat passed away five days after I took him to the vet. The vet had run a battery of tests and had no idea what had happened except for the fact that he may have ingested poison…there was no cancer or anything. I don’t care if there is a legit correlation or not. I WILL NOT use any swiffer products anymore because I don’t want to take the risk. If it can be avoided I would prefer not to intentionally poison my pets anyways. Besides, going green is the way to go these days and the same thing can be done with vinegar and water, What happened to my cat maybe didn’t need to happen and that makes me sad.
I’m DONE with Swiffer ! My cat had a seizure after I had cleaned the floor near her kitty liter very thoroughly. To know that I had caused that eats at me. No more scented candles or oils either. Flowers are completely banned as well- poisonous or not. My cat kinda sorta gets into trouble more than not! Vinegar and water it is !
I searched for Swiffer Sweeper to see if it was the reason my dog broke out with hives and has a swollen face and looks sick. I stumbled upon this blog. No SS for us.
I recently adopted a 5 week old bulldog. She had been sick and vomiting her food all the time and I was constantly at the vet. At the vet, she was fine and would not vomit. But when I brought her home, she would eat her food and then vomit all night. My parents took her for a couple days and they had no problems with her being ill either. So, the vet asked me what kinds of products I use in my home, and I explained that I have wood floors and often user the Swiffer WetJet. She said “bingo” and explained that they often see dogs all the time with various illness that they continue to link to Swiffer. My parents have carpet in their home and have never used the Swiffer, and my pup never threw up there. Is this even legal? I will not buy Swiffer ever again.
I have several cats, tried the swiffer years ago and all were throwing up. That was the end of the Swiffer and hello to the Haan floor steam cleaner. I’m a cat groomer & other clients have commented on their cats throwing up. They quit using the swifter & quit having issues.
Why would anyone want to expose their pets to chemicals, whether swiffer says it’s safe or not? Because their convenience is more important than their pets health?
I am currently going through two dogs having seizures. We have changed everything in their diet, spring water and walking them being very careful that they do not eat something outside. Last night my Coonhound had two seizures, desperately I got on line to see what this could be. We are beside ourselves. I did buy a swiffer not to long ago . . . But it doesn’t seem to happen right after, It happens days after. Could this be the swiffer?? That is it MINE IS GOING IN THE TRASH!!! I am sick to my stomach that this could be something that I have been doing to them. We have Vet appointment this afternoon, I curtianly hope this has not done permenent damage!! OMG!!
I have two dogs dx with IMHA one last year one this year…both became I’ll after using the Swiffer sweepers with febreze…it didn’t click until my second dog became I’ll…unless you have a personal experience you shouldn’t have such a strong opinion …my babies are sick and I know why!!!…..Swiffer! Nuff said
My two-year old cat suffered a seizure three days ago. It happened just hours after I used Swiffer Wet for the first time to clean the floors in the area where we keep her food/water bowls and litter box. It was heartbreaking and terrifying to watch on as she suffered through the seizure. I cannot say for certain that Swiffer Wet was the cause of her seizure. However, it was the only new thing my cat was exposed to that day. I have since washed the area down with a vinegar and water solution and will never use Swiffer Wet again. I can only hope and pray that the seizure was an isolated incident.
My dog is on vacation with us. (We use a steam cleaner in our home on tile flooring.) In this vacation condo, the owners left a Swiffer to use. We have been here almost a month and I’ve used this Swiffer a few times (it leaves a sticky feeling to my bare feet, even when dry.) Reggie, my dog, has started to chatter his teeth(he’s never done this before and he’s 17) and comes to me and lets me know he’s in distress. This is the only big difference on this vacation. He came with us last year to the same building, but last year was a different unit—-no Swiffer. I’ve now washed the floors with hot water and dried with towels. ( I’m hoping this works, no more sticky feeling!) Thanks for the comments, they can say it’s a “myth”, if they want, but I’m convinced the Swiffer is the culprit. Thanks for the input, I really appreciate it.
all I can say is my dog Sophie was a healthy happy dachshund beagle mix. I had my carpeting pulled up and laminate flooring installed throughout my home. I bought a Swiffer wetjet and soon after she began vomiting. It got worse and when I took her to the vet and had her bloodwork done, pancreatic enzymes and renal enzymes were elevated. Even though we gave her IV fluids, we couldn’t save her. I had to have her put down. She was eight yrs old. 6 weeks later I adopted a healthy rescue hound husky mix. Soon after she began to vomit some green bile. I stopped using the wetjet and cleaned my floors without any chemicals. She’s stopped vomiting. I don’t know whether there is any truth to Swiffer being harmful to pets, but I DO know that both dogs were sick when I used it, and it the trouble started after I got it.
She died of renal failure and pancreatitis.
Lots of talk but no one is breaking down the ingredients!!! Butyl ether: central nervous system depressant. Ammonium chloride (form of ammonia = “poison”. And the final couple ingredients are toxic and petroleum based. This stuff is toxic make no mistake about it!!!
For years I have been telling people my story, but I saw they would rather choose convenience over the health of their pet.
I had my beautiful baby Persian for 7 years. No health issues and a wonderful companion. She was sleeping on my chaise in the living room, and I was swiffering my floors. After an hour, she flipped in the air, and began to have a horrific seizure. I grabbed her, wrapped her in a blanket, and brought her to an emergency vet ( it was Sunday). The whole time she continued to seize. She stayed at the vet for 2 days, she was still alive, but a little walking zombie. She was on anti seizure meds. She could barely walk, her head was tilted, and could not feed herself. I pureed food–fed her with eye dropper brought her litter box up because she couldn’t do stairs. She got stronger, ate by herself, but with her tilted head, she could eat on only 1 side. She NEVER missed the litter box!! I loved my girl 10 years more!!! She always tilted to one side, and walked slowly until I had to let her go to the rainbow bridge. I KNOW FOR A FACT IT WAS THE WET JET!!!! Also why after all these accusations, would they now put pet safe??? They don’t want to be sued, and probably changed formula or tweaked it.