It’s not just kids: Laundry pod-related poisonings up among adults, study shows

A recent analysis of calls to U.S. poison centers shows that exposures to liquid laundry detergent packets has increased among older children, teens and adults.

Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital looked at 115,000 incidents involving liquid laundry detergent packets that were reported between 2014 and 2022. Although nearly 87% of the incidents involved children younger than 6, the exposure rate and the rate of serious medical outcome and hospitalizations among this group showed decreases. The researchers say packaging changes and awareness campaigns have helped improve safety for young children.

In contrast, the annual rate of exposures among adolescents and adults jumped 155% and 147%, respectively, from 2014 to 2022.

Nine deaths – all adults, seven of whom were older than 70 – were linked to the ingestion of laundry detergent packets. The researchers recommend that caregivers to children younger than 6 and adults with a history of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or developmental disability use traditional laundry detergents instead of packets.

“Many families don’t realize how toxic these highly concentrated laundry detergent packets can be,” said Dr. Christopher Gaw, senior author of the study. 

The study was published online in the journal Clinical Toxicology.