Warning About Liquid Laundry Detergent Pods

The warning comes from Consumer Reports which now says that there is such a large risk to children that they really cannot recommend these pods at all.

Sure, these liquid laundry pods may be convenient -- but can also put your child on an respirator in the intensive care unit. The number of calls to poison centers so far this year? More than 6,000. That's on pace to be the highest ever. The pods have been available for several years.

Consumer Reports only takes issue with liquid detergent laundry pods--not those with powder, or for that matter dishwasher products, as fewer problems have been reported with them.

When you look at these liquid pods you can see how much they look a lot like candy or a toy, but they actually contain a very highly concentrated laundry detergent. Bite one, somehow get one open and it can squirt into eyes, the nose and throat. A small, or large, amount of the product can then can get swallowed or inhaled into the lungs. It only takes a little bit to cause big problems.

Those problems include:

- Burns to the cornea
- Burns of the nose and throat
- Skin irritation
- Problems breathing and pneumonia
- Coma
- Seizures

My advice: you don't need these in the house. Not even in a supposed safe place.

But if your child gets into one of these packets, you call 911 if they are, say, having problems breathing. Otherwise call the poison center, whose number should always be next to your phone.

One final thought: it's not only your household you need to think about. If your child goes to spend time with grandparents, sitters, playmates, day care -- well, you don't want them to have these products either.

Your alternative to cleaner clothes number well into hundreds of products, including tabs, powders, and liquids. But even with these, common sense safety measures are needed, especially with children in the household.

But until manufacturers produce liquid pods that are more secure, more difficult to open, have a less palatable plastic covering, and perhaps less enticing in appearance-- it's best to avoid the liquid pods altogether.

Dr. Dave Hnida is CBS4's Medical Editor. He blogs about the latest studies and trends in the health world. Read his latest blog entries, check out his bio or follow him on Twitter @drdavehnida