initiatives / Consumer safety
Safe use
Household detergents and maintenance products are safe when used and stored according to the directions on the label. The cleaning products industry has developed handy safe-use icons, to help consumers use household cleaning products safely and help prevent domestic accidents.
Detergents Europe’s ‘safe use’ icons are freely available for use by all companies placing cleaning, detergents and maintenance products on the EU market. They provide clear, consumer-focused messages on how to use cleaning and maintenance products at home and are available with safe use sentences in each of the EU languages. These messages have been communicated via on-pack labelling and other communication tools since 2004 and are regularly updated.
Five of the safe use icons refer specifically to liquid detergent capsules such as liquid detergent capsules for laundry, dishwashing detergents and laundry additives. These are in wide use in Europe, communicating important safety instructions on using capsules in a very visual, consumer-friendly manner: Use with dry hands; Close the lid and bag properly; Do not pierce or cut. The most recent addition is the icon: Do not tear apart stuck capsules.
The safe use icons
Use of safe use icons outside Europe
In order to help secure the safe use of products across all markets, the icons and accompanying sentences may also be used outside the EU 27 and outside the Detergents Europe product portfolio, provided that they comply with the Detergents Europe Guidance on application (see page 13 of guidelines for use outside the EU) and the local legal requirements.
If used outside the EU 27 and no translation is available from Detergents Europe, the company using the icon together with the associated sentences should secure adequate translation. No change should be made to the design. In all cases, Detergents Europe retains copyright of the safe use icons/sentences but does not take liability for any misuse of this material.
If used outside of the Detergents Europe product portfolio and outside the EU 27 (except Turkey), reference to Cleanright.eu may be omitted. Recommendation to use the icons with the accompanying texts is strongly supported by Detergents Europe. If only ‘silent’ versions of the icons are possible, it is strongly advised that the reference to a web portal giving the relevant Detergents Europe accompanying sentences (and referring to the sources material in Detergents Europe) be made.