Detergent Pods & Cleaning Products
Spot it
Single-load pods in an open tub on the washer or a low shelf; dishwasher packs and spray bottles under the sink; anything in a cabinet a toddler can open.
Fix it
Keep detergent containers closed, sealed and stored up high, out of sight and reach — that is America's Poison Centers' own advice, and a child-lock on the under-sink cabinet backs it up. A pod looks like candy to a toddler, so liquid or powder detergent takes away the candy-like look (it is still a poison, so it still gets stored up and closed). If a child may have swallowed or gotten any in the eyes or on the skin, call Poison Help right away at 1-800-222-1222.
Safer swaps
What actually fixes this — the category to look for, not a brand we were paid to name.
Move pods and cleaners to a closed container, up highHabit
Free, and it is the advice poison centers give
Cabinet & drawer lock for the under-sink cabinet
Covers the dishwasher packs and sprays a high shelf doesn't
Switch to liquid or powder detergent while kids are under 5Habit
Removes the candy-looking form entirely
No shopping list for this hazard — the fix is a habit, not a purchase.
Related product category: Cleaning & laundry
Sources cited
Sources
- As of March 31, 2024, poison centers had managed 2,240 laundry-detergent-packet exposures in children 5 and younger — National Poison Data System, America's Poison Centers (Poison Help, "Laundry Pod Safety – Detergent Packets"), cases managed as of March 31, 2024. (how we check this source)
Every source we cite is checked against our criteria first — see how we check our sources.
Related checks
- Laundry Pods & Detergent in the Laundry Room — The laundry-room side: why pods should not sit on or under the washer, and the wet-hands rule.
- Medicines, Vitamins & Supplements — Medicines, vitamins and supplements are the other poisoning risk to lock up, with Poison Help on the card.