Laundry Detergent Packets
Highly concentrated “single-load liquid laundry packets” can cause serious harm to young children.
3,135 Kids 5 and younger
Exposed to single-dose laundry packets from Jan. 1, 2013, to April 30, 2013
For More Information
1-800-222-1222
For Media: 703-894-1858
Poison centers receive many calls each year about children getting into laundry detergent. Swallowing it often causes mild stomach upset, if there are any symptoms at all, but poison center experts say the new highly concentrated single-load liquid laundry detergent packets seem to be different.
Some children who have gotten the product in their mouths have had excessive vomiting, wheezing and gasping. Some get very sleepy. Some have had breathing problems serious enough to need a ventilator to help them breathe. There have also been reports of corneal abrasions (scratches to the eyes) when the detergent gets into a child’s eyes.
The experts at your local poison center urge parents and caregivers to:
- Always keep detergents capped and locked up high, and out of the reach of children.
- Follow the instructions on the product label.
- Call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222 immediately if you suspect a child has come in contact with this detergent.
In 2012, poison centers received reports of 6,270 exposures to highly concentrated packets of laundry detergent by children 5 and younger.
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