Things I Remark On

[firstfrost]

• Yesterday, mjperson told me that it was illegal to use Lysol unless you precisely follow the directions. I didn't believe him. We quested to CVS and examined the Lysol (and the handi-wipes, and half of the other cleaning supplie), and sure enough, most of them say "It is a violation of federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling." I find this deeply disturbing. (The Green Clean Somethingoranother does not have such a warning. I may have to buy it next time, in gratitude for it not threatening to have me arrested.)
  
  Some googling suggests that this is an EPA regulation for pesticides, and that manufacturers of pesticides are required to put that specific line on their labels. I am still a little suspicious - being legally required to put a line saying it's a federal crime to use it wrongly doesn't actually mean there *is* a law that encompasses it being a crime to spray from 5 inches away instead of 6 to 8? And the lack of a label doesn't mean it *isn't* a crime to spray it into someone's eyes... I claim I have a First Amendment right to spray my Windex into the air in protest!
  
  
• There was a (very good) tuba player in the Davis Square T station today. Not your usual busker. Neat.
  
  
• I have been madly productive on all sorts of crazy things recently. It's more of an eclectic assortment than usual - knit and crochet, Photoshop and Illustrator, log-writing and, mmm, I don't know what goes with that. Work, I suppose. The other accounts person was on vacation last week, so I had to answer all the phone calls All By Myself.

Comments

[kirisutogomen.livejournal.com]

I just checked a bottle of bleach, and no legal threats on it. Whatever law is requiring this phrase must be very silly if it's required on lemon eucalytpus oil but not sodium hypochlorite.

[earthling177.livejournal.com]

Well, I think the law is probably ill-written if not just silly. I have a bottle of Clorox Regular Bleach here, about 2-3 months old that has the warning. I have had other bottles of Clorox (can't remember the name, Splash-Free or some such silliness?) that did not have the warning, but that also made no claims about disinfection and killing 99% of germs. That's why I mentioned that I think the warning is related to the claim that the product disinfects, or kills insects etc. Chlorine bleach can still be pretty nasty if mixed with things like ammonia or even if left undiluted on skin or ingested. Eucalyptus oil can be toxic, but I believe the warning is also related to their claims of disinfection.

[kirisutogomen.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is making some sense. The Scrubbing Bubbles with the warning turns out to have antibacterial claims on the can. The bleach (generic, just bleach, no claims about magic anti-splash powers) makes no disinfectant claims and makes no threats about Federales breaking down your door.

On the other hand, none of the three insect repellents I've found it on make any claims about killing insects, bacteria, or anything else, but they all threaten me with the Feds.