Milliken recalls carpet cleaning powder on bacteria fears

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Milliken and Co has recalled about 550,000 containers of carpet cleaning powder because it may contain harmful bacteria, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Wednesday.

The recall by the Spartanburg, South Carolina, company covers various lot numbers and sizes for Arm & Hammer, Capture, Healthy Home, Oreck, Resista and Riccar brands of dry carpet cleaners, the agency said in a statement.

The agency said exposure to the bacteria, which were not identified, could cause respiratory and other infections in people with impaired immune systems.

The powder can be sprinkled on carpets and rugs to clean and deodorize them. There have been no reports of injuries or incidents, the statement said.

The U.S.-made product was sold at stores nationwide, including carpet and vacuum cleaner outlets, from July 2015 through September 2016. The cost was between $5 and $40 for individual bottles or between $20 and $50 for a kit, the consumer safety agency said.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

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