Shoe Polishes
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 932
Down 32% over 5 years
The verdict
Shoe Polishes carry a danger score of 24/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 103 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 32% over the last five years.
- 24/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 103
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 2.5%
- end in hospital admission
- 0-4
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 932 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 24/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for shoe polishes - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume103 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)2.5%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-32%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Shoe Polishes (CPSC product code 932, in the Home Workshop Tools & Equipment category) generate an estimated 103 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 1,646 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 24/100 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 32% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2011 (298 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2021 (5 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for shoe polishes is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 788 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by derma/conjunct to the eyeball (104 cases). The 0-4 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 554 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 2.5% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 3 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how shoe polishes 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 | 184 | 370 | |
| 5-14 | 192 | 16 | |
| 15-24 | 257 | 70 | |
| 25-34 | 141 | 0 | |
| 35-44 | 146 | 0 | |
| 45-54 | 0 | 16 | |
| 55-64 | 0 | 16 | |
| 65-74 | 99 | 78 | |
| 75+ | 60 | 0 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| All Parts Body | Poisoning | |
| Eyeball | Derma/conjunct | |
| Ear | Foreign Body | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Upper Arm | Fracture | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Upper Leg | Burn, Chemical | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Eyeball | Other | |
| Face | Burn, Chemical | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| All Parts Body | Other | |
| Eyeball | Burn, Chemical | |
| Face | Derma/conjunct | |
| Finger | Contusions, Abr. |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
12MOF PRESENTS WITH CONCERN FOR POSSIBLE ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF SHOE CLEANER. MOM REPORTS PT WAS FOUND WALKING AROUND THE HOUSE WITH SHOE *** SHOE CLEANER AND MAY HAVE INGESTED SOME 30 MIN-1.5HR AGO. MOM DID NOT WITNESS INGESTION BUT REPORTS SMELLING IT AROUND PTS MOUTH AND ON PT'S SHIRT. MOM DENIES ANY BEHAVIOR CHANGE OR CONCERNING SYMPTOMS. DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF SUBSTANCE.
11MOF PRESENTS TO THE ED FOR EVALUATION OF BILATERAL EYE REDNESS AND IRRITATION SINCE 1240 TODAY. FATHER REPORTS PATIENT'S 3 Y.O SIBLING POURED *** SHOE CLEANING POLISH ONTO PATIENT'S HEAD CAUSING TO FALL INTO HER EYES DX: CHEMICAL CONJUNCTIVITIS OF BOTH EYES
14MOF PRESENT TO ED AFTER POSSIBLE ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF HER FATHERS LEATHER SHOE POLISH/CONDITIONER. PARENTS NOTE PT WAS W/ GRANDFATHER IN THE BASEMENT,NOTED TO HAVE DARK BROWN SHOE POLISH AROUND HER MOUTH ON HER HANDS. NOT KNOWN IF TRUELY INGESTED,NOT KNOWING THE INGEDIENTS AND POSSIBLE TOXIC EXPOSUREDX: INGESTION OF FOREIGN SUBSTANCE(POSSIBLE INGESTION OF LEATHER SHOE POLISH)
14mom got into a container of *** Boot Buffer liquid (isoparafinic hydrocarbon), c/o grunting and drowsiness. DX: accidental hydrocarbon ingestion; hypoxia; aspiration pneumonitis.
19MOM PRESENTING AFTER INGESTION OF FLUID REFRESHED SHOE CLEANER THIS MORNING AT HOME. MOM THINKS HE MANAGED TO SWALLOW SOME, POSSIBLY 140ML. HAS BEEN ACTING NORMALLY BUT IS SCRATCHING HIS NOSE A LOT AND A LITTLE FUSSY. DX: INGESTION OF SHOE CLEANER
2YOF presents after accidental ingestion of *** shoe cleaner this morning. Mom states that she believes it was a small amount since she did not really notice much difference in the total volume of the bottle. The bottle was left uncapped. Since the ingestion, Pt has vomited x2. DX: Ingestion of non-toxic substance, accidental or unintentional
8 MOF - MOM SPILLED SHOE POLISH ON PTS HEAD. GOT SOME IN EYES. DX CHEMICAL EXPOSURE TO EYE
12MOF GRABBED A SMALL BOTTLE OF SHOE CLEANER & PUT IT IN MOUTH; SMALL AMOUNT DID END UP IN PT'S MOUTH DX: ACCIDENTAL INGESTION OF SUBSTANCE %
69 YOM STOOD UP THIS EVENING TO POLISH A PAIR OF SHOES WHEN HE NOTICED LIGHTHEDEDNESS. HE SAT DOWN AND THE LIGHTHEADEDNESS RESOLVED. DX: DIZZINESS, ORTHOSTATIC HYPOTENSION.
27YOM CHEM CONJ EYE, GOT SHOE POLISH IN EYE
A 2YOF PUT SHOE POLISH ON FACE, DEVELOPED REDNESS, HIVES, DERMATITIS
12 YOM INJURED AFTER HUFFING SHOE REPELLENT,AT HOME. DX-CHEST TIGHTNESS,TOXIC INHALATION INJURY ACCIDENTAL
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
[REDACTED] was a 14-month old male toddler who had ingested ~2 ounces of Hunter Boot Buffer Spray, the active ingredient being isoparafinic hydrocarbon, which was possibly aspirated by the child based on his reaction (lots of coughing). Aspiration of the product, in tandem with concomitant infection with rhinovirus, lead to progressive issues with breathing in the patient, which eventually culminated in ARDS. Patient admitted to intensive care, intubated and placed on a ventilator.
Purchased: Kiwi Instant Polish (liquid black shoe polish). When new (second time the cap was off): As I pushed the top cap off to expose the application sponge, the whole top came off, dumping the contents all over the floor, chair, pants, and boots. The cap would not resecure to the shoe polish bottle. The top and bottle clips were not broken and shows no misuse. I am a Fire Fighter / Medic (hazmat tech & specialist) and a mechanical engineer when not at the fire department. This bottle is poorly designed. As a result, the product contents are not properly secured is a hazard to the public.
46 year old male and 16 year old son were waterproofing their boots in their house. I do not know what kind of ventilation was used. that same day, he had respiratory difficulty and went to an Urgent Care but was discharged home. Son developed chest pain. Next day, both cats were dead. Father had difficulty breathing and could not get out of bed. Wife was not home during the waterproofing process. Son has improved but husband has had an additional ED evaluation and seen by PMD requiring steroids for his respiratory symptoms. Cats were taken to the MSU Veterinary College where they wanted to do necropsies but family could not afford the procedure. I have been unable to obtain the specific ingredients in the aerosol but it is highly suggestive of the prior episode of Bootmate which led to a recall because of nanoingredient used for waterproofing. This is Heelix Foot and Shoe Care aerosol bout at Rocky's Outdoors: 810-742-5420. the only ingredient they could give me was the propellants: propane, isobutene and hexane. It also contains mink oil. I am unable to locate this product on the web.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to shoe polishes on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are shoe polishes?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, shoe polishes have a danger score of 24/100 (low risk). An estimated 103 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from shoe polishes?
The most common injury is poisoning to the all parts body, accounting for approximately 788 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from shoe polishes increasing or decreasing?
Down 32% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for shoe polishes injuries?
The 0-4 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 554 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by shoe polishes?
Of all ER visits involving shoe polishes, approximately 2.5% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (97.5%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with shoe polishes?
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 24/100 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.
