Woman sparks panic after claiming Lysol wipes have cancer-causing chemicals

A woman has sparked panic on TikTok after claiming that Lysol wipes may contain cancer-causing chemicals — but is this true? Here’s what we found. 

Lysol and Clorox disinfecting wipes are popular cleaning products that make clearing up spills and stains easier and are generally more effective than using a wet paper towel.

Despite their popularity as household cleaners, one woman is sending consumers into a panic after claiming that Lysol wipes may contain cancer-causing chemicals.

TikTok user ‘Teaghan’ is going viral on TikTok after her claims about the popular products sparked concern from those who use Lysol wipes in their everyday lives.

Are you using Lysol wipes properly? Viral TikTok sparks panic

In a video posted on February 8, Teaghan claimed that people shouldn’t be ‘rawdogging’ their Lysol wipes. Instead, she said that they should be using gloves when handling the wipes, as they could contain dangerous chemicals.

“Aye, so y’all know you ain’t supposed to be rawdoggin’ those Lysol wipes, right?” she said. “You’re supposed to wear gloves. Your body’s absorbing those chemicals. We all gonna have cancer.”

Teaghan’s video went viral, racking up nearly one million views in just a single day as commenters poured in, panicking over the realization that most of them had never worn gloves while using the wipes.

“Nobody told me nothing!” one user wrote.

“Between them and those ramen cups goin’ in the microwave, it’s bound to happen,” another joked.

Yet another pointed out that the actors in Lysol commercials aren’t wearing gloves when they use the wipes — something that experts say is a must for safety purposes.

According to Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, it’s important to distinguish between wipes meant for surfaces versus those meant for hands. 

Wipes designed to clean surfaces can be “harmful” to skin, so it’s important to wear gloves and wash one’s hands after using such products, he said in an interview with Today.

But do Lysol wipes actually contain cancer-causing chemicals? Research from Michigan State University showed that such wipes boast a chemical compound called ‘quaternary ammonium compounds,’ which are linked to “serious health problems” such as birth defects, asthma, infertility, and more, on top of possibly leading to antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

Based on the available evidence, commenters are agreeing that it might be a good idea to wear gloves when using Lysol wipes moving forward… but just as many are happy to accept their fate and will continue to use Lysol wipes as normal.