MSU Researcher Says Over The Counter Cleaning Product Has Deadly Results

E. LANSING (WWJ) - If you are refinishing a bathtub, do not use a product that contains the toxic chemical methylene chloride.

The advice to stay away from the product comes from a Michigan State University researcher, who says since 2007 there have been three deaths in Michigan from inhaling the chemical or taking it in through the skin while working on bathtubs.

Use something else, urges MSU professor of medicine Dr. Ken Rosenman.

"I can buy methylene chloride stripping products in my local hardware store and yes, methylene chloride is the chemical that killed these people," said Rosenman.

MSU reported its findings to the Centers for Disease Control, which found ten other deaths around the country, including one in Toledo, blamed on methylene chloride use.

You can buy products containing this chemical at any home improvement store, but there are alternatives that can do the job without deadly consequences.