The History of Lysol

Lysol was created in 1889 as an antiseptic disinfectant that was intended to help end a cholera epidemic in Germany. In 1918, it was advertised as an effective way to fight the flu during the influenza pandemic. Roughly twelve years later, Lysol disinfectant liquid was being used by hospitals and was available for purchase at drug stores. In the 1920s, a series of Lysol ads in women’s magazines promoted it as a feminine hygiene product. Some sources cite that these ads — which promoted antiquated and problematic views — were also coded messages touting Lysol as a birth control option at a time when access to safe and effective birth control was severely limited by laws such as the Comstock Act of 1873. However, Lysol was neither safe nor effective as either a feminine hygiene product or a form of birth control, and in fact caused great harm. Lysol’s formula contained several harsh ingredients, including cresol, which was included in the formulation prior to 1952 and could cause severe burning, inflammation, and even death. Lehn & Fink, the company that owned Lysol at the time, was the subject of a number of complaints and lawsuits over Lysol’s use as a feminine hygiene product and was found to have lied in advertisements (the company claimed to have garnered endorsements and testimonials from physicians, but an investigation by the American Medical Association later discovered that these supposed experts did not exist). In 1960, the oral contraceptive pill was approved by the FDA and the harmful practice of using Lysol as a contraceptive swiftly declined. In 1967, Sterling Drug acquired Lehn & Fink and launched Lysol as a bathroom cleaning brand, releasing the line’s first toilet bowl cleaner in 1968. Today, Lysol is a well-known home cleaning brand with products like disinfectant wipes and bathroom cleaning sprays; it is currently owned by Reckitt.