Compliant Always
Get in touch

Selling cleaning products and detergents in Australia

In Australia, businesses that import or make the chemicals in cleaning products register with AICIS under the Industrial Chemicals Act 2019. Consumer chemical products follow the labelling rules of the Poisons Standard: signal words, 'KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN', first aid and safety directions, and child-resistant closures for some products. Disinfectants can be therapeutic goods.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Chemicals
Industrial Chemicals Act 2019, administered by AICIS
Labels
Poisons Standard, applied through state and territory law
Signal words
CAUTION (Schedule 5), POISON (Schedule 6)
Domestic products
Must not contain Schedule 7 poisons
Disinfectants
Not excluded from the Therapeutic Goods Act
Net quantity
National Trade Measurement Regulations 2009

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is each chemical introduced under a category, and is the introducer registered with AICIS? Read more
  2. 2Is any ingredient in a Schedule of the Poisons Standard, and which? Read more
  3. 3Does the label carry the signal word, cautionary statements, first aid and an Australian address? Read more
  4. 4Does the container need a child-resistant closure? Read more
  5. 5Is it a disinfectant that falls under the Therapeutic Goods Act? Read more
  6. 6Is the net quantity marked correctly? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Industrial chemicals and AICIS

Registration and introduction categories for the chemicals in cleaning products.

  • AICIS regulates the introduction, meaning import or manufacture, of industrial chemicals: chemicals used other than for agricultural, veterinary or therapeutic purposes, or in food or feed.
  • Businesses importing industrial chemicals, or products containing them such as cleaning products, register with AICIS and pay an annual fee; the registration year begins on 1 September.
  • Each introduction falls in a category based on risk; exempted and reported introductions need no assessment but carry record-keeping and reporting obligations, while assessed introductions need an assessment certificate.
  • Introducers keep records of each chemical introduced, its category and the basis for it, and make an annual declaration within the set period.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the introduction category and the basis for it with each chemical, alongside suppliers' composition data and safety data sheets, dated. Ask about this

Poisons Standard labelling

The signal words, statements and details that go on a scheduled poison's label.

  • Business.gov.au says consumer chemical products follow the labelling requirements of the Poisons Standard, which states and territories apply through their own legislation.
  • Schedule 5 (Caution) covers substances with a low potential for harm, reduced by packaging and simple warnings; Schedule 6 (Poisons) covers a moderate potential for harm. Products for domestic use must not include Schedule 7 poisons.
  • Required words are on the outside face, in English, in durable, contrasting characters at least 1.5 mm high.
  • The signal word (CAUTION or POISON) is on the first line of the main label in bold sans serif capitals at least half the height of the largest letter, with 'KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN' directly below.
  • Dishwashing machine products containing alkaline salts also carry 'BURNS SKIN AND THROAT'.
  • The label carries the approved name and strength of the poison, directions, safety directions, warnings, first aid instructions headed 'FIRST AID', and the manufacturer's or distributor's name and a physical address in Australia.

How we help: Compliant Always reads your label artwork against the Poisons Standard entries for each scheduled ingredient, and shows which statements are missing or out of place. Ask about this

Containers and prohibited preparations

Child-resistant closures and the preparations that may not be supplied for domestic use.

  • Dishwashing machine tablets containing Schedule 5 alkaline salts are closed with a child-resistant closure at any size; dishwashing machine liquids, solids or gels up to 5 L or kg also need one.
  • Schedule 10 lists alkaline salts for domestic use in automatic dishwashing preparations with a pH above 12.5 among substances whose supply and use should be prohibited.
  • A child-resistant closure complies with AS 1928-2007 or Therapeutic Goods Order No. 95, and keeps its child-resistant properties for the expected life of the poison.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the closure test reports and pH results for each product, so the evidence for the container is on record. Ask about this

Detergents, disinfectants and therapeutic goods

Where a cleaning product falls under the Therapeutic Goods Act.

  • Detergents and soaps for laundering or general cleaning are excluded from the Therapeutic Goods Act, unless they are disinfectants within the meaning of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations.
  • Business.gov.au lists disinfectants among therapeutic goods that need TGA approval and must meet its packaging and labelling requirements.

How we help: Compliant Always sets your product's claims beside the exclusion, so a product making disinfectant claims is flagged for the therapeutic goods route. Ask about this

Measurement marking and consumer law

Net quantity, packer details and safety duties under the Australian Consumer Law.

  • A prepackaged product is marked with a clear, conspicuous statement of its measurement on the principal display panel, in metric units.
  • Products packed in Australia carry the packer's name and an address in Australia where documents can be served personally.
  • A supplier notifies the Commonwealth Minister within 2 days of becoming aware of a death or serious injury or illness that may have been caused by its consumer goods (section 131).

How we help: Compliant Always reads your pack artwork for measurement marking and packer details, and keeps batch records ready for a report or recall. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Introducer (importer or manufacturer)AICIS registration, introduction categories, records and the annual declaration.Categories and supplier data kept with each chemical.
BrandThe label: signal word, statements, first aid and an Australian address.Label artwork read against the Poisons Standard.
PackerContainers, child-resistant closures and measurement marking.Closure and quantity evidence kept by lot.
Chemical supplierComposition data and safety data sheets for the raw materials.Supplier documents collected once and shown to each customer that asks.

States and territories

The Poisons Standard is a set of recommendations that each state and territory implements through its own legislation, so the way a Schedule is applied can vary.

The Australian Consumer Law is enforced by the ACCC for widespread issues and by state and territory consumer protection agencies, which handle individual complaints.

Questions businesses ask

Do I need to register with AICIS to sell cleaning products in Australia?
If you import or manufacture industrial chemicals, including importing finished cleaning products that contain them, you register with AICIS for each registration year and pay the registration charge.
Which labelling rules apply to household cleaners in Australia?
Consumer chemical products follow the labelling requirements of the Poisons Standard for any scheduled ingredients: signal words, cautionary statements, directions, safety directions, first aid and the supplier's Australian address.
What does CAUTION or POISON on a label mean?
They are the signal words for Schedule 5 (Caution, low potential for harm) and Schedule 6 (Poisons, moderate potential for harm) of the Poisons Standard. The signal word goes on the first line of the main label.
Do dishwasher tablets need child-resistant packaging?
Dishwashing machine tablets containing Schedule 5 alkaline salts are closed with a child-resistant closure at any size, and dishwashing machine liquids, solids or gels need one up to 5 L or 5 kg.
Are disinfectants regulated by the TGA?
Detergents and soaps for general cleaning are excluded from the Therapeutic Goods Act, but not those that are disinfectants within the meaning of the Therapeutic Goods Regulations. Business.gov.au lists disinfectants among therapeutic goods.
How big must the text be on a chemical label?
Words required by the Poisons Standard are at least 1.5 mm high, in English, in durable characters that contrast with the background. Smaller letters, at least 1 mm, may be approved for containers of 20 mL or less.
Can a household product contain a Schedule 7 poison?
No. The Poisons Standard says products for domestic use must not include poisons listed in Schedule 7.
Does a cleaning product label need an Australian address?
A scheduled poison is labelled with the name and a physical address in Australia of its manufacturer or distributor, not a post office box. Products packed in Australia also need the packer's name and address under trade measurement law.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Australia?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the Commonwealth, state and territory layers in Australia. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product and keeps the documents behind each one ready. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Australia and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch