Laundry Pods Post Serious Risk to Children

They’re squishy. They’re brightly colored. They’re convenient for adults. They’re extremely enticing to kids. And they’re extremely poisonous. We’re talking about detergent pods, which children often mistake for candy or toys and have landed more than 700 U.S. children in the hospital in two years, according to a research study. The most serious complications children have suffered are coma and seizures.

Consumer Reports has announced Thursday morning that it no longer recommends liquid laundry detergent pods after hospitals continue to have high-rates of accidental poisonings in young children, because they pose a serious health risk to children younger that six years old. Kids often mistake the colorful packets for candy resulting in a large amount of accidental poisonings. The chemicals are so concentrated that kids can end-up in danger in seconds.

Children often burst the detergent capsules or put them in their mouths. This can result in poisoning, but also burns to the eyes, mouth, and throat. In the study, 144 kids suffered eye injuries, 30 went into comas, and 12 had seizures.

Since poison of young children from household cleaning products is one of the top reasons for calls to poison control centers, it’s imperative that detergent pods and other chemicals are kept out of reach of little hands. It’s also important to post the number to your poison control center prominently in your home and educate your children that cleansers aren’t candy or toys. The organization is strongly urging households with children younger than six-years-old to stop buying them.

Parents and child caregivers can help children stay safe by following these tips:

• Parents with young children and child caregivers should use traditional laundry detergent, which is much less toxic than laundry detergent pods.
• Store laundry detergent pods up, away, and out of sight – in a locked cabinet is best.
• Close laundry detergent pod packages or containers and put them away immediately after use.
• Save the national Poison Help Line number (1-800-222-1222) in your cell phone and post it near your home phones.