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Detergent Pods Pose Risk to Children, Study Finds

Since the introduction of colorful, single-load packets of laundry detergent in 2012 through the end of 2013, more than 17,000 children under age 6 ate or inhaled the contents or squirted concentrated liquid from a packet into their eyes, researchers reported Monday.

Their study is the first to compile all cases reported to the National Poison Data System, confirming fears that accidental poisonings with laundry packets, which many households choose for their convenience, are not uncommon. Because reporting to the database is voluntary, the figure is likely…

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Featured

  The Tragic Side of Tide Pods

The colorful laundry packets have become one of P&G’s biggest blockbusters. There’s only one problem—too many kids are getting poisoned by them.

 What Eating a Laundry Pod Can Do to You

Teens are ingesting these concentrated pods on purpose as part of a social media trend. Don't be this stupid.

Articles of Interest

Why people are (mostly) joking about eating Tide Pods

You shouldn’t try the Tide Pod Challenge, despite the memes. But it’s not weird to want to.

'Pretty Poison' Laundry Detergent Pods Cause Increase in Poisonings, Serious Effects

It’s not an epidemic—just two children died in 2013 and 2014, fortunately—but rates of poisonings from laundry and dishwasher detergent packets or “pods” are steadily increasing, and so are serious injuries from those exposures.

'Pretty Poison' Laundry Detergent Pods Cause Increase in Poisonings, Serious Effects

The potentially deadly allure of “pretty poison” detergent pods for young children has only worsened since I last wrote about the problem. It's not an epidemic—just two children died in 2013 and 2014, fortunately—but rates of poisonings from laundry and dishwasher detergent packets or “pods” are steadily increasing, and so are serious injuries from those exposures

Detergent pods are dangerous — and expensive

It’s no surprise that detergent pods, with their candy-like appearance, are dangerous in households with children. But they’re also a bad value; studies suggest they’re three times more expensive than boxed detergent.

Keep Kids Away From Laundry Detergent Packs

Buehler says parents need to treat the detergent packs with respect. "They can't be left where a child can find them," he says. For its part, Procter & Gamble, maker of Tide Pods, said Friday it would add a double-latch to the containers of pods as a safeguard. Those will show up in stores starting in July.

Laundry detergent capsules and pediatric poisoning

Household cleaning products rank in the top 5 most common exposures for children who are 5 years of age and younger.6 Laundry detergent capsules have 3 main routes of exposure: ingestion, ocular, and dermal.

Laundry Pods More Dangerous to Children Than Other Detergents, Study Finds

Manufacturers have so far have resisted additional steps such as changing the formulation or appearance of the packets themselves, which critics say too closely resemble candy or toys. Many of the packets are currently still sold in plastic resealable bags that some say resemble food pouches.

P&G, Other Laundry Pod Makers Agree to New Safety Standard

Companies, consumer advocates aim to reduce accidents involving children.

Procter and Gamble and Tide Detergent: Protect kids from toxic laundry pods

Please sign my petition to protect our kids from toxic laundry pods.

Resources

Laundry Detergent Pods and Children

Laundry pods are a huge new category of cleaning product. For unknown reasons, this type of laundry liquid has caused dangerous injury to children and at least one death. Effects of biting into a laundry pod include coughing, choking, trouble breathing, coma, and possibly death. The detergent also can irritate the skin and burn the eyes.