The EU Detergent Regulation applies to laundry vinegar. Depending on what laundry vinegar contains, you need to address at least the labelling requirements and the requirements set for the list of ingredients. Any use of perfumes must always be indicated in the label, and the most common perfume ingredients with potential to cause contact allergy must be listed using their names. Read here what requirements of the Detergent Regulation are applicable to your laundry vinegar.
The EU regulation on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP Regulation) also applies to laundry vinegar. You need to determine whether laundry vinegar should be classified as a hazardous mixture, in which case a warning label must be attached to the packaging and the packaging must meet the requirements of the CLP Regulation. More information is available here (in Finnish).
For example, laundry vinegar that contains less than 10% of acetic acid in a water solution is not classified as a hazardous mixture. If you add essential oils to your laundry vinegar, note the following:
- The sensitising substances contained by essential oils may, even in very small concentrations (0.001%), require the EUH208 hazard statement “Contains (name of sensitising substance). May produce an allergic reaction.”
- The substances contained by essential oils may cause laundry vinegar to be classified as a hazardous mixture, depending on their hazardous properties and concentrations.
- Information on essential oils is available from their suppliers.
- More information on the classification of the health hazards of mixtures is available here (in Finnish).
You also need to verify whether you need to submit a chemical notification to Tukes. The chemical notification may be required if your laundry vinegar contains more than 1% of acetic acid, or it contains other substances classified as hazardous. More information is available here.
Remember that the packaging labelling must be in Finnish and Swedish.
(22 November 2019)