Rise in kids eating laundry detergent pods
By ladybug565
@ladybug565 (2216)
United States
June 27, 2012 7:29am CST
Sweet-smelling and colorful, but toxic, single-use laundry detergent packs or “pods” are causing a rising rate of poisoning in kids who confuse them for candy. In the past 72 hours alone, nine childhood poisonings of toddlers (typical age 23 months) have been reported to the California Poison Control System (CPCS).
My thoughts on this:
At 23 months old a child should be watched closely enough and Laundry products and other cleaning supplies should be kept out of the reach of children.
also I was happy to read further in the article that Tide is working on a childproof lid.
Your thoughts?
3 people like this
10 responses
@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
28 Jun 12
Hello ladybug565
I realize that I'm a bit dense, but there have been times when I have thought that laundry detergent pods looked quite tasty. I can imagine children being confused by this.
I do agree that a 23 month old child should be watched closely enough that this isn't a problem, but the reality is that a lot of children aren't properly watched.
I'm glad that Tide is working on a childproof lid, but I don't think this is going to be enough simply because there are so many curious children who also have irresponsible parents. Then there are the children who do have responsible parents, but crap happens.
Peace
4 people like this
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
28 Jun 12
Hatley I'm glad your daughter wasen't hurt. It does only take a minute for them to get into things. my children have. I used to eat the flinstone vitamins by the handful because my mother left them right on the table. luckily I never got sick.
page turner you are right even with responsible parents crap happens. I know some children can work the childproof caps as well if not better than some adults. lol.
maybe they should make the pods look less like candy or not make them at all.
2 people like this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Jun 12
_-lost my whole comment yes we have to watch toddlers really close.my two year old lisa managed to get a chair into the bath room then climb up onto the sink opened the door and get down the flintstone kids vitmins. in doing this the chair slipped and so d id lisa rose so screams sent me flying into the bathroom.I grabbed the vitamin
bottle, counted them and she had not had time to eat any then I looked her over and only her pride was hurt. this all happened in
fiv e minutes of m y not watching,, one has to do it all the time. if she had not fallen she could have overdosed and been very ill.
I was guilty of taking five minutes to sweep a floor.scary indeed.
luckily she was not injured from the fall but w as a ve ry scared little girl.
luckily she was not injured from the fall but w as a ve ry scared little girl.2 people like this
@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
28 Jun 12
This will sound funny but I'm totally serious -- they should make the detergent pods look like turds.
@jsae29 (1120)
• Philippines
28 Jun 12
Parents should really be careful now. They should put cleaning materials in places where kids could not find them. We couldn't blame the babies, they don't know anything about those products. And sometimes, laundry detergents are very sweet smelling like bubble gum or berries, even adults are enticed to taste them.
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
28 Jun 12
There is a term for people that crave laundry soap and other strange things, I wonder if this could be the issue with any of them. Its kinda strange to me that it would be appetizing. It seems like the initial taste would turn them off from eating any more of it. And the funny thing about the whole thing is that little kids are so picky, they will eat soap but be super picky on what is put on their plates.
1 person likes this
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
28 Jun 12
true but as I have been reminded even with careful parenting children are curious and it only takes a minute. they are very colorful and do resemble candy.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Jun 12
hi ladybug you just c annot be too careful with toddlers. we mus
wath anytghing colorful that may tantalize a toddler and lock up
our detergents. Even if a lid is so called child proof that does not m ean itt really it. kids can figure out things ans zip they are in
trouble eating something poisonous.my thoughts are do not depend on child proof lids,lock up laundry supplies and be safe.
1 person likes this
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
28 Jun 12
so true. better safe than sorry and good to have the number for poison control handy.
my children are all grown up now.
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
28 Jun 12
horrible typos must not mus watch not wath anything not anytghing it
not itt and not ans sorry for not editing this
@PageTurner (2825)
• United States
28 Jun 12
Sorry to hear that you had such a scare with your granddaughter and the Flinstone Vitamins, Hatley, but glad to hear that all is well.
(I love to eat Flintstone Vitamins. YUM.)
@ptrikha_2 (46909)
• India
27 Jun 12
This is indeed a very serious situation. We need to be ultra careful when our children are playing. At our part, we keep detergents ata height. Yet, when they grow up and get to 5 or 6 years of age, then they may start playing with these things. We need to be careful then also.
2 people like this
@xmichelletarax (370)
• United States
27 Jun 12
hey mom....mom....mom...hey mom... is that what happened to me???? did you let me eat laundry detergent when i was little? lmfao. sorry i had to
1 person likes this
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
27 Jun 12
very funny! lol no but I did drop you on your head a few times. lol
1 person likes this
@ladybug565 (2216)
• United States
27 Jun 12
yup lol hey you have an 8 star today
1 person likes this
@xmichelletarax (370)
• United States
27 Jun 12
thanks... thanks a ton.... lol. that explains alot doesnt it lol
1 person likes this
@livingforever (29)
• United States
28 Jun 12
I wonder if it tastes as good as it smells? That's what surprises me the most, the kids didn't spit it out after the first bite or lick.
I don't use those pods and I keep my detergent on a high shelf so the kids can't reach it. I'm sure there are lots of things kids can get into that we don't consider as harmful but when it comes to cleaning products, that's just a given.
I think Tide is too expensive and will probably cost more now with it's new lid. I won't be buying it and my kids won't be eating it.
1 person likes this
@ladygator (3465)
• United States
28 Jun 12
Wow! That is just terrible. And I agree completely. My question to the parents is where do they store their detergent? Children should not have access to it at all. I am picturing my laundry room. I dont let litte ones in the laundry room and the detergent is kept on TOP of my dryer or on the window sill behind the dryer. They would not be able to reach that even if they went in their for some reason. My children were never unattended and still arent. I know right where they are at all times. This is just stupid that so many children are being poisoned with this!!
1 person likes this
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
3 Jul 12
It's sad and alarming to hear such kind of news. Carelessness of adults can kill kids. How could these detergent pods be within the reach of these innocent kids? The parents must be having the biggest regret of their life ever. This is a wake up all to all parents. Let us keep those toxic things around our house away from our kids. I know how busy parents are, I know how hard it is to be responsible to each and every details of our household, indeed parents are busier than bees, nevertheless that does not mean we should neglect the small but needful things around our home.
@jaiho2009 (39141)
• Philippines
2 Jul 12
This is really alarming.
Parents should be responsible.
They must hide those soap from their kids.
Put the soap out of reach ,out of sight since they know that kids are always curious of many things especially new and colorful things.
@asyria51 (2861)
• United States
28 Jun 12
Anything that is harmful is well out of reach of my child. I have a shelf that I can barely reach standing on a stool, that is where all of the cleaning supplies and laundry detergent are kept. It is a pain to have to climb up for the stuff that I use on a regular basis, but it keeps my child safe.
Even 3 and a half year olds have lapses and put strange things in their mouths.
1 person likes this
