Plug in Air Freshners Cause House Fires?

Question

According to my mother who frowned upon my continued use of them on a visit to my house yesterday!

Is this true?

Is there any online info/stats about this?

Are particular brands considered more dangerous than others?

I'm not planning on giving them up - I like them!

Answer 1

I have heard that they are - but nothing concrete.  I use them as well.   I wouldn't leave them on all day and night though.

Anything you plug in could be a fire hazzard really - especially if you have not had rewiring done for a while.

Answer 2

I saw a TV programme about this not so long ago.  Apparently it was the cause of a few house fires.

I think they are good things and have a few in my house but I wouldn't advise leaving them on for an extended time or leaving them unattended for long periods of time.  Treat them as you would a candle and use with care.

Answer 3

Ilove them too ! but as always whenever you stick something plastic next to heat (electricity)  it can melt just keep an eye on them .

Answer 4

It's an internet rumor - as long as you use them in the manner specified in the package - they are safe - here is additional information (and I'd print the articles linked below out for your mom - this is how these rumors get started):

Manufacturer maintains the product is proven safe

S.C. Johnson, the manufacturer of Glade PlugIn brand air fresheners, has stated that all the devices it currently sells have been thoroughly tested and proven safe when used as directed. And although the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission presided over a voluntary recall of 2.5 million "misassembled" Glade Extra Outlet Scented Oil Air Fresheners in 2002 on grounds that they "could pose a risk of fire," no agency warnings on any make or model of plug-in air fresheners have been issued since.

Anecdotal reports unfounded

As noted in a May 2002 article in the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Consumer Product Safety Commission acknowledged investigating "scores" of complaints pertaining to the safety of plug-in air fresheners around that time but found no cause for further action.

Some fire victims interviewed in TV news reports during the 2002 recall blamed plug-in air fresheners for damage to their homes, but, although a similar product made by a different company was named as the probable cause of one fire, no Glade brand air fresheners were found to be at fault.

Also in 2002, a class action lawsuit was filed alleging that a faulty Glade PlugIn air freshener had ignited, resulting in $200,000 damage to a Chicago home. The suit, which contended that other consumers had suffered similar damages, accused S.C. Johnson of negligence for not warning the public that its products could overheat and cause fires. According to the company, the presiding judge denied class action certification to the case due to lack of merit, and a modest settlement was agreed upon out of court.

Independent tests show no product malfunction

An independent investigation conducted by Underwriters Laboratories, a nonprofit safety certification firm, found that none of the malfunctions reported anecdotally could be duplicated in a laboratory setting, and concluded that fires attributed to Glade product defects were probably the result of faulty home wiring instead.

Internet rumors are false, says Glade manufacturer

Answer 5

I would suspect so  

cheap chinese imports and liquids !!  

May fuse the house  if modern trips fitted

old wiring may cause a short and just keep going till it burns

I hate them things

I test electrical tools,  and China has a poor reputation for failing safety standards

Answer 6

according to my brother in law who is a fireman he says they cause a lot of fires in the home.

Answer 7

Yes they do; don't ever let them dry out, don't leave them switched on in an unoccupied room, switch them off at night...

Answer 8

I won't use them anymore. A friend had their house burn down. He was a contractor, and built the house himself.  The fire started in the very plug in where his wife had just put a new one. I came right home, threw mine in the trash and won't have them again. I use the solid ones, that you just open and sit around.  No electric ones for me.