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Dishwasher Pods Are Poisonous, And Also Irresistible To Children

They do look a bit like lollies.
Dishwasher pods are more poisonous than powder or liquid.
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Dishwasher pods are more poisonous than powder or liquid.

Of all the household nasties children might accidentally eat, dishwasher tablets are disturbingly poisonous and are landing children in emergency departments.

A U.S. study published in Injury Prevention found children younger than six were four times as likely to end up in hospital after contact with laundry pod detergent as opposed to regular liquid or powder.

Tablets for dishwashing machines look like lollies to children.
Zoonar RF
Tablets for dishwashing machines look like lollies to children.

The research looked at all hospital admissions data of children under the age of 5 between 2012 and 2014 and during that time, 10,000 children sought emergency care after coming into contact with laundry pod detergent.

This compares to 26,000 after other types of detergent.

Some detergent pods look delicious.
Bloomberg via Getty Images
Some detergent pods look delicious.

The study is calling for changes to detergent pods including childproof containers, more muted colours, opaque packaging; and better public awareness of the dangers posed by laundry pod detergent for young children.

In the meantime, It might be worth storing detergent pods in a hard-to-reach place.

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