Consumer Reports knocks detergent ‘pods’ due to poisoning risk

The product reviewers and consumers’ rights advocates at Consumer Reports magazine say the risks of detergent pods outweigh the convenience, the publication writes in a new article.

The pods — prepackaged washing machine detergent portions that often come in colorful and cute little squares — pose a serious risk to young children who might think they are candy, the magazine writes.

“In the first six months of 2015, poison-control centers nationwide received 6,046 reports of kids 5 and younger ingesting or inhaling pods, or getting pod contents on their skin or in their eyes, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). That’s a pace set to pass the 2014 total of 11,714,” the article said.

“We strongly urge households where children younger than 6 are ever present to skip them altogether,” the reviewers write.

In the past, Consumer Reports has recommended the pods for their effective cleaning and convenience — and some of the pod makers have updated their design to limit their appeal to children. But the changes aren’t enough for the magazine to deem them safe.

To read more on Consumer Reports’ concerns about the detergent, click here.