The Lysol we know now is sold as disinfectant only. But at one time it was also marketed as a means of birth control. Listen in today to the twisted history of this common household product.
# Summary
This Stuff You Should Know episode dives into the surprisingly wild and troubling history of Lysol, the popular disinfectant that started as a medical antiseptic in 1889 and took a deeply disturbing turn in the 20th century. After hospitals stopped using it due to safety concerns, the makers brazenly marketed it to women as a contraceptive under the euphemism of "feminine hygiene" for decades, even though it was dangerous, didn't work, and caused hospitalizations and deaths. The hosts explore how Lysol dominated birth control in America until the pill came along, plus they discuss the modern science showing we might be over-sanitizing our homes and actually weakening our kids' immune systems in the process.
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