NEWS from CPSC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

CPSC Denies Petition To Ban Fabric Softener "Bounce"

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 15) -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today it has denied a petition to ban the fabric softener "Bounce" because of possible skin irritancy.

However, the matter of cautionary labeling for the purpose of warning and instructing users of Bounce and similar fabric softeners is under continuing review. The Commissioners have instructed the staff to investigate the irritancy and flammability properties of Bounce and other comparable products and to report those findings to the Commission.

The petition was considered under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act which also provides for cautionary labeling of products if the CPSC determines that labels are needed to alert consumers to the possibility of skin irritancy or flammability or other such hazards.

CPSC was asked to ban "Bounce," manufactured by Procter and Gamble, in a petition received May 4, 1976, from the Empire State Consumer Association, Inc., of Rochester, New York.

In denying the petition, the CPSC said that from the information available, it could not be shown that Bounce was likely to cause substantial personal injury or substantial illness to such a degree that a ban is necessary to protect the public health.