Listerine · Dental Floss
Listerine Ultra Clean Mint Shred-Resistant Dental Floss Refill
Lower concern; traditional nylon dental floss with no known PFAS trigger features, but Listerine makes no public disclosure.
Listerine's dental floss is a conventional nylon product with no water-repellent, grease-resistant, or nonstick coating claimed on packaging. Nylon itself is not inherently a PFAS source.
Shop Listerine on Amazon →Material
Nylon floss filament (shred-resistant fiber)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
cosmetics is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Listerine Ultra Clean is nylon monofilament floss, a petroleum-derived polymer engineered for shred resistance and durability. Nylon is chemically inert in the mouth at room temperature and does not leach into saliva under normal use. The mint flavor is a surface coating (essential oils and/or synthetic flavor compounds) that does not pose oral toxicity concerns at the trace amounts used in floss.
The brand's record and disclosure
Listerine (Johnson & Johnson subsidiary) does not publish detailed chemical ingredient disclosures or safety certifications specific to their floss line. The brand has no known recalls or regulatory warnings for this product. Johnson & Johnson maintains general compliance with FDA oral-care regulations but does not voluntarily exceed disclosure standards for dental floss.
How it compares in its category
Nylon floss is the mainstream category standard and carries no documented chemical risk advantage over waxed or unwaxed alternatives. Shred-resistant nylon formulations (like this one) are mechanically superior but not chemically distinct from standard nylon floss. Alternatives such as silk, Teflon-type coating (Teflon), or charcoal-infused floss have no established safety superiority and may present their own trade-offs (silk durability, Teflon-type coating microplastic concerns in theoretical high volumes).
If you buy it
Store in a cool, dry place to preserve the container's integrity. Do not heat or incinerate floss. Replace the refill when the dispenser becomes difficult to use or the filament shows visible wear. Discard used floss in regular trash, not drains. Use once daily as directed by dentists; no special precautions are needed beyond normal oral hygiene.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Synthetic fragrance (mint flavoring)
Mint flavoring on dental floss is present in trace amounts and poses no identified allergic or toxic risk to oral tissue in normal use. Mint essential oil and synthetic menthol are recognized safe by regulatory agencies at consumer product levels.
Nylon polymer degradation or ingestion
Nylon floss does not break down or shed microplastics during normal flossing. Floss is physically removed from the mouth and discarded; systemic ingestion is not a realistic exposure pathway.
Dye or colorant toxicity
No reports of harmful dyes in Listerine floss. The mint-green color is achieved with approved food-grade or cosmetic-grade colorants that are not in contact with saliva long enough to pose leaching concern.
Wax or coating contaminants (if present)
Listerine Ultra Clean is available in both waxed and unwaxed variants. Wax coatings (paraffin, carnauba, or synthetic) are food-contact safe and not absorbed by oral tissue; no contaminants are reported in this brand's formulation.
Aluminum or heavy-metal trace impurities
Nylon does not contain aluminum by composition. No reports of heavy-metal contamination in Listerine floss products exist in public records.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
Safer alternatives in Dental Floss
Cocofloss
Refill Trio
Coconut fiber, based floss with plant-based coating
Lower-concern dental product; natural materials and transparent PFAS stance, but no independent verification.
⚠Risky category by default
Dental Lace
Refillable Silk Dental Floss
Silk floss with compostable refillable packaging
Lower concern; silk floss with credible PFAS-free positioning and third-party certification.
✓Verified PFAS-free by a third party
Dental Lace
Plant Based/Vegan Floss Refillable Glass Container PFAS-Free (2 Spools/4-
Plant-based vegan floss (likely plant cellulose or silk fibers)
Lower-concern product with explicit PFAS-free claim; no third-party verification limits certainty.
⚠Risky category by default
More dental floss grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.