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Consumer Organization Withdraws Support of Laundry Detergent Pods

December 8, 2015 | Category: Product Liability

Without a doubt, laundry detergent pods have helped countless busy people wash their clothes a bit more easily. However, when a noted consumer protection organization does its homework and recognizes the serious potential dangers in using these products, each Los Angeles product liability attorney at our firm feels compelled to speak out to our readers. It is important for all consumers to consider a few facts before deciding if detergent pods are safe for use in their homes.

Consumer Reports Says No to the Pod

In general, Consumer Reports does not recommend any pre-measured laundry detergent because they can be wasteful for many consumers. However, in July 2015, the organization announced that it was withdrawing support of laundry detergent pods for many reasons, including the following:

  • Within the first six months of 2015, poison control centers in the U.S. received over 6,000 reports of child injuries caused by ingesting or inhaling laundry pods or due to irritation of the skin or eyes.
  • The bright colors and designs of the pods make them appear like candy, essentially serving as an attractive nuisance to children.
  • The chemicals in laundry pods increase the risk of serious injury over the risks associated with standard laundry detergent chemicals
  • Not all medical professionals know how to effectively treat laundry pod poisoning, believing it is the same as for standard laundry detergents.

Pod manufacturers are actively making changes to create safer products by introducing visible product warnings on packages that are now triple-locked to prevent access by small children. While, they report a declining accident report rate, Consumer Reports believes the rate is still too high.

They are encouraging manufacturers to place the pods in individual packages within the container, add bittering agents to the pods, increase the burst strength and slow the dissolve rate. Legislators are also encouraging additional changes, including making pods less attractive and changing the chemical composition of the detergent to make it less lethal.

Laundry Pods May Still be Appropriate for a Limited Subset of Consumers

Of course, individuals who live in adult-only households or even have older children may be at reduced risk of injuries from detergent pods. However, individuals who live in apartments or condos with shared laundry facilities or have occasional young visitors in their homes are probably not immune from danger.

Dangerous detergent pods serve as a good example of an unsafe item that may give rise to a product liability case.  The Rudman Law Firm represents victims of various types of dangerous product in cases against product manufacturers. To learn about available legal options call The Rudman Law Firm APC toll-free at (844) 478-3626 / (844) 4RUDMAN, at our Los Angeles office (213) 375-3777 or at our Studio City office (818) 769-6969. You can also use our convenient online contact form to reach us at any time.

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