The UK hygiene care brand Dettol recently allegedly released an advertisement in China containing statements such as “I may not be a first-timer, but my future wife must be,” and “clean and not polluted by other men,” sparking controversy.
Dettol’s official customer service responded that they take this matter very seriously, have initiated an internal investigation as soon as possible, and will verify and handle it promptly.
According to Southern Metropolis Daily, quoting a video posted by netizens, the controversial ad was published on Dettol’s official WeChat video account “Dettol Laundry Sanitizer.” The video is nearly five minutes long and tells a story about maintaining a neither-arrogant-nor-servile attitude in intimate relationships.
The video is told from the male lead’s perspective. The male protagonist breaks up after discovering his partner has a history of cohabitation, saying things like, “So this is why you’re so skilled; turns out you were trained by someone else,” “Truly lacking in self-respect, living with another guy for so long,” “I may not be a first-timer, but my future wife can’t be,” “Glad I met her now—clean, not polluted by other men,” “Finally found a pure one,” and “Her first time will be mine sooner or later.”
Although near the end of the film, the female lead criticizes the male lead’s twisted views and lack of respect for women, and decides to cut ties with him, responding to the disinfectant product by “eliminating the source of contamination,” the advertisement has still provoked great controversy.
Some netizens criticized the ad as “insulting and objectifying women,” saying, “Ads for disinfectant should focus on the product itself—don’t use such flashy gimmicks.” Some consumers have expressed a boycott of the brand on social media.
Dettol is owned by British fast-moving consumer goods giant Reckitt, which also owns Durex and Veet. According to the 2025 financial report, Reckitt’s revenue rose 0.3% year-on-year to £14.205 billion, and operating profit rose 73.9% year-on-year to £4.217 billion.