Listerine’s slogan right? Didn’t they have to change it some time back? Not sure it was because it wasn’t as effective in killing them as they suggested or that they had to add the “can” since there are other causes.
Here’s the question though… if germs cause bad breath, is there anything more effective than hydrogen peroxide?
there can be a problem with routine use of germ killing mouthwashes. your mouth is an environment of bacteria, both bad and not bad. when you kill all the bacteria then they all start to repopulate from a lower number. if the bad bacteria happen to overtake the others then you can get tooth and gum problems. in a healthy mouth the nonharmful bacteria out compete the bad ones. every mouthwash use you restart a new race for which bacteria makes the biggest population.
alcohol based mouthwashes also suck the water out of healthy tissue which is a mild trauma to them.
Years ago, Listerine claimed you would get “fewer colds and milder colds” if you gargled daily with it. I think it’s the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) that polices advertising. In any event, Listerine was told it could no longer make that claim. I think that’s what you’re remembering.