Lysol is a well-known cleaning and disinfecting agent that many people use in their homes worldwide. But not everyone is aware of its interesting past and its original use.
This cleaning product is widely bought and used in the US, UK, and Europe. It’s owned by the parent company Reckitt Benckiser, which has manufacturing facilities in several places globally.
But, Lysol wasn’t always known as a household cleaner. If you look at old Lysol ads, it’s evident that it was initially sold for a totally different reason.
What was the original use of Lysol?
The first version of Lysol, an antiseptic disinfectant, was made in 1889 by Gustav Raupenstrauch. It was developed to stop the cholera outbreak in Germany, which was causing a lot of damage.
Later, in 1918, during the Spanish flu pandemic, Lehn & Fink announced the product again. It was marketed as a useful tool to fight the influenza virus.
By 1930, Lysol was being used in hospitals and pharmacies. Around 1962, the company started making the Lysol disinfectant spray that we know today.
Lysol’s ‘contraceptive advertising’ explained
In the 1920s, Lysol was promoted as a product for “feminine hygiene.”
Old ads from that era show that Lysol was marketed for douching, with claims that it could help women avoid genital infections and odor.
However, it’s explained that “feminine hygiene” was actually a coded term for birth control. In the 1920s, oral contraceptives weren’t invented yet, and other methods like condoms and diaphragms were costly. So, many women turned to Lysol as a cheaper contraceptive option.
Nicole Pasulka, a writer for Mother Jones, states that using Lysol internally led to many deaths in the early 20th century. This includes women who tried to use Lysol as a contraceptive.
Historian Andrea Tone, in her book “Devices and Desires: A History of Contraceptives in America,” explains that “feminine hygiene” was often a euphemism for birth control when using contraceptives was seen as scandalous.
The brand issued a statement strongly advising against the internal use of the product. The statement specifies that “under no circumstances should our disinfectants be administered into the human body.” It also states that “Lysol disinfection and cleaning products are intended for surfaces and not for personal use. They cannot be used on the body or on food and should always be used as directed.”
It’s important to note that Lysol should not be used as a contraceptive or for any other internal purposes.
What is Lysol used for today?
Lysol products are mainly designed for cleaning surfaces. The brand provides a variety of items like sprays, wipes, and cleaners for multiple surfaces. They’ve also developed hand soaps and sanitizers that they say can eliminate 99.9% of bacteria on hands.
Lysol competes with several other brands in the market, including Febreze, Cif, Tilex, Mr. Clean, Oust, Pine-Sol, Domestos, and Clorox. Interestingly, none of these brands have a history as intriguing as Lysol’s.
Back in 1911, drinking Lysol was one of the most common methods of sui-cide in New York and Australia. This was due to an active ingredient in Lysol, benzalkonium chloride, which is mildly toxic to mammals.
Various Product Innovations Introduced by Lysol Over the Years
In 1930, Lysol started supplying its disinfectant liquid to hospitals and pharmacies.
Between 1957 and 1958, Lysol bought the rights to a private-label disinfectant spray from National Laboratories, Inc.
By the end of 1962, Lysol had introduced a disinfectant spray, which was a new way of applying the product using aerosol.
In 1968, Lysol started making bathroom cleaners, including a toilet bowl cleaner.
In 1985, Lysol launched an all-purpose cleaner, marking a significant development for the brand.
Three years later, Lysol began distributing aerosol disinfectants to other regions, including Houston, to help fight ‘lung rot.’
In the early 2000s, Lysol introduced disinfectant wipes. These pre-moistened wipes were designed specifically for cleaning non-porous and hard surfaces.
In 2009, Lysol expanded its product line to include hand soaps. By 2015, Lysol products were being owned and distributed by Reckitt Benckiser LLC, based in Parsippany, New Jersey.
