Abrasive Cleaners
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Home Workshop Tools & Equipment · CPSC Code 953
Down 14% over 5 years
The verdict
Abrasive Cleaners carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 1,016 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 14% over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 1,016
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 5.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 953 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for abrasive cleaners - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume1,016 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)5.4%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-14%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Abrasive Cleaners (CPSC product code 953, in the Home Workshop Tools & Equipment category) generate an estimated 1,016 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 20,322 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 14% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2016 (1,645 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (540 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for abrasive cleaners is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 10,456 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by burn, chemical to the eyeball (1,650 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 6,917 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 5.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 1 consumer incident report filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how abrasive cleaners fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 4,211 | 2,706 | |
| 5-14 | 536 | 757 | |
| 15-24 | 1,075 | 1,299 | |
| 25-34 | 884 | 1,926 | |
| 35-44 | 603 | 1,847 | |
| 45-54 | 608 | 1,477 | |
| 55-64 | 415 | 834 | |
| 65-74 | 66 | 582 | |
| 75+ | 110 | 373 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Eyeball | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Hand | Derma/conjunct | |
| Lower Arm | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Arm | Derma/conjunct | |
| Face | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Trunk | Burn, Chemical | |
| Lower Arm | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Trunk | Other | |
| Hand | Burn, Chemical | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Face | Derma/conjunct |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
30YOF PRESENTS FROM HOME W/BILATERAL EYE IRRITATION & REDNESS IN THE SETTING OF EXPOSURE TO CHEMICAL IRRITANT. PT WAS USING *** CLEANER WHEN IT SPLASHED IN BILATERAL EYE. THIS OCCURRED VERY EARLY THIS MORNING. DX: CHEMICAL COJUNCTIVITIS OF BOTH EYES; CORNEAL ABRASION, LEFT
31 YOF STATES THAT SHE ATE *** CLEANING SOLUTION ONE WEEK AGO AND HAS HAD THROAT PAIN SINCE. DX: INGESTION OF CORROSIVE CHEMICAL UNDETERMINED INTENT.
31 YOF INGESTED POWDERED *** CLEANER BECAUSE SHE LIKES THE TASTE AND SMELL. DX: NO DX.
31 YOF REPORTS INGESTING COCAINE AND *** CLEANER PRIOR TO ARRIVAL. DX: HYPERKALEMIA.
31 YOF REPORTS SMOKING CRACK COCAINE AND EATING 1/2 TEASPOON OF *** CLEANER BEFORE GOING TO BED YESTERDAY, WOKE UP WITH SHORTNESS OF BREATH THIS MORNING. DX: DRUG INTOXICATION WITH DELIRIUM.
31 YOF INGESTED *** CLEANER WITH BLEACH WHICH SHE STATES SHE INGESTS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS DUE TO ENJOYING THE TASTE. ADAMANT THIS WAS NOT SUICIDE ATTEMPT. STATES SHE INGESTED MORE THAN SHE USUALLY DOES THE PAST TWO DAYS WITH LAST INGESTION 3 AM THIS MORNING. DX: INTRACTABLE EPIGASTRIC ABDOMINAL PAIN, NAUSEA, INGESTION OF BLEACH UNDETERMINED INTENT.
2 YOM BIB FAMILY WITH CONCERN FOR CHEMICAL INGESTION. FOUND IN A ROOM WITH A CONTAINER CONTAINING OF *** WITH BLEACH AND NOTED POWDER ALL OVER THE ROOM. UNSURE HOW MUCH WAS INGESTED. CALLED POISON CONTROL PRIOR TO COMING TO ED. VISITING FROM *** STAYING WITH GRANDPARENTS. DX INGESTION OF BLEACH ACCIDENTAL OR UNINTENTIONAL
20MOF BIB MOM PRESENTS TO THE ED WITH C/O POSSIBLY DRINKING *** ONE HR AGO. MOM IS AWAY FOR 5 MINUTES FROM HER AND NOTICED TO HAVE SOME BLEACH ON HER SHIRT. DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF CAUSTIC ALKALI
13YOF PRESENTS TO THE ED AFTER THE PATIENT WAS SPRAYED IN BOTH OF HER EYES WITH WHITEBOARD CLEANER COMPLAINING OF LIGHT PAIN AND EYE PAIN. DX: EYE PAIN, EYE LESION, DRY EYES
59YOM WITH CONCERN FOR ACID BURN TO RIGHT INDEX FINGER AFTER SPILLING CAR CLEANER ON HIS HANDS YESTERDAY DX: ABDOMINAL PAIN
2YOM PRESENTED TO ED C/O MEDICAL CHECK UP, PER DAD PT WAS FOUND IN BATHROOM, PT SPRAYED *** BLEACH CLEANER IN EYE AND FACE. DX; ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE TO BLEACH
76YOF, SHE WAS USING A *** PAD YESTERDAY AND NOTICED HOLE IN THE GLOVE THAT WAS USING AND DEVELOPED PAIN IN THE LEFT PALM AND NOTICED A PIECE OF *** PAD IN HER PALM DX: FOREIGN BODY OF SKIN OF LEFT PALM
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Scotch-Brite Copper Scrubbing Pads--metal shreds and causes splinters and can be ingested I used as normal to clean pots and pans, etc. The copper-coated metal shredded into 1/4 inch slivers and I got a splinter. More dangerous, the slivers stick to utensils, dishes and pans and get into food and can be ingested. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. There are many similar complaints and comments on the product website.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to abrasive cleaners on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are abrasive cleaners?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, abrasive cleaners have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 1,016 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from abrasive cleaners?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 10,456 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from abrasive cleaners increasing or decreasing?
Down 14% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for abrasive cleaners injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 6,917 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by abrasive cleaners?
Of all ER visits involving abrasive cleaners, approximately 5.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with abrasive cleaners?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Home Workshop Tools & Equipment
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 32/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 0-4 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
