Pine Sol

January 14, 2008 by Debra Lynn Dadd

Question from Elisabeth

Recently, an office-mate used a large amount of a pine sol/water mixture in a spray bottle in our office in the small kitchen area. I had a severe asthmatic attack after that (burning eyes, throat, coughing, chest pain, difficulty breathing), and everytime I spend even 30 minutes in the office, I get a similar though milder reaction - even after three weeks! I have asked the company to clean up the area, but they don't see how a common household disinfectant like pine sol could be causing this and don't know what they should do. They said there is nothing toxic in pine sol and no one else is being affected. (I suspect they think I'm making it up.) 

Do you know of any ingredients in pine sol that could be harmful when inhaled, or instances where people have had asthmatic attacks or allergic reactions from (original) pine sol being sprayed in a kitchen area? Thank you. 

Debra's Answer

I took a look at the MSDS for Pine Sol and it contains the hazardous ingredients pine oil and isopropyl alcohol. These are required to be listed by law as hazardous.

Many people have reactions to pine, even in the wood and in Christmas trees. That's probably what you are reacting to.