More than 17,000 reports were filed with US poison control centers in 2012-2013 of kids under the age of six (two-thirds or these were kids 1 or 2 years old) who swallowed or bit into laundry/dishwasher detergent pods. If you don’t know what these are, they’re the small, clear packets of laundry or dishwasher detergent that have become popular recently). That’s a lot. Why so (relatively) common? The packets are often colorful, small, and look like candy or food to kids. They’re also easy to drop and the clear packets are meant to dissolve and be easy to open since that is what they’re designed to do in the dishwasher or clothes washer.

So, while these packets are convenient, take extra care when handling and storing or stick with regular detergent – also safely stored, of course.

Sources/Further Reading

Journal of Pediatrics study on laundry detergent pods