Windex Cleaner ‘Non-Toxic’ Marketing Claims Could Fool Consumers

S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. and two women who say it deceptively markets four “non-toxic” Windex cleaners offered “dueling definitions” of the term, but the plaintiffs plausibly alleged consumers could be misled, a federal court in California said.

Michelle Moran and Monica Waddell allege consumers would believe “non-toxic“ means the cleaners don’t pose any risks to humans or the environment, including household pets. But the four products contain ingredients that can cause eye irritation and breathing difficulties, and they are toxic to the environment, they allege.

S.C. Johnson relied on a definition of “toxic” from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and contends ...