It seems like evening news programs are always talking about a new hazard you’ve never thought of. Something that crept up on me and a lot of other people recently is the danger presented by those popular laundry detergent pods. A recent news story reported that some 17,000 children under the age of six have gone to emergency treatment centers after ingesting laundry pods or getting detergent in their eye.
To a child the colorful laundry packets may resemble candy, but they can cause serious intestinal injury if bitten and swallowed. It’s common for moms and dads to have a child close by when doing laundry. Often they make a game of it by inviting the youngster to help out handling the items to be washed. But all it takes is a few seconds with your back turned for a toddler to grab one of those pods.
Please be sure to keep all household cleaning products out of the reach of small children. If possible, put a lock on the door leading to your laundry area so they can’t get in to “play house” when you’re not watching.
Also, keep those laundry pods in their original container so they don’t look like pieces of candy waiting to be grabbed. And, read the warning label so you know what to do if a child does ingest one while you’re around.
Oh, and put a childproof lock on those front-loading washing machines. Small children love to open the doors and crawl inside.