Two top household brands in the UK and US, Dettol and Lysol, have issued a statement cautioning against the use of their cleaning products to treat coronavirus ‘in no circumstances’ after Donald Trump claimed that disinfectant could be used to weaken the disease.

The US president has been condemned after he suggested it would be “interesting to check” whether a disinfectant injection could help combat coronavirus.

During his latest White House press conference, Mr Trump said researchers were looking at the effects of disinfectants on Covid-19.

His scientific advisor and coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, appeared stunned when the president began asking: “I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?

Reckitt Benckiser (RB), the British owner of Dettol and Lysol, issued an unprecedented statement on Friday to discourage “improper use” of household cleaning supplies and disinfectants.

“Due to recent speculation and social media activity, RB (the makers of Lysol and Dettol) has been asked whether internal administration of disinfectants may be appropriate for investigation or use as a treatment for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2),” read the statement.

“As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body.”

The RB statement added that all its products should only be used as intended and according to usage guidelines.

“We have a responsibility in providing consumers with access to accurate, up-to-date information as advised by leading public health experts,” it added.