Before having a child I never gave much thought to the laundry detergent I use to wash clothes. I would buy whatever was on sale or smelled good. It was only after my daughter was born and developed eczema that I started paying attention to my laundry detergent and the health risks associated with children.

# The detergent packets I use
![IMG_0252.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNcQo8BTWeMQ3JzFA6wfwZeFg14Bkv25QACgQ4EiHbEqa/IMG_0252.JPG)

# Eczema Means Special Laundry Detergent
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When my daughter started breaking out in red patches all over her skin her doctors said we need make sure all soaps we use for her are scent free. Eczema can sometimes be caused by the dyes and scents put in soaps. From now on any laundry detergent I buy is scent/dye free. Because of this I'm always looking for good deals on detergent because some of the ones safe for babies is expensive. 

For the first time I started buying detergent packets instead of the liquid kind you pour into your washing machine. Sometimes I find really good deals on the packets with scent/dye free detergent in them.

As a consumer I see why many people find them an attractive product for washing clothes. You don't have to pour a liquid. You get a lot of packets which can last a long time. All you do is open a jar and throw a packet in the washing machine.

It wasn't until a recent visit to my daughter's pediatrician that I realized how much of a hazard the detergent packets can be. The pediatrician took FOREVER to come see my daughter. She kept us waiting almost two hours for a brief checkup in a room with very little to look at except some educational fliers taped on the wall. 

# One discussed laundry packet dangers.
![IMG_1154.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaEY7oPgSJzH6qsGQ5PqFtxUY2EShBaD2EHqEw9iLv5JP/IMG_1154.JPG)

Laundry packets are a fairly modern invention and from what I've learned pose a huge danger to very young children. The packets are neat looking and some are pretty small. Young children, especially babies and toddlers, put things in their mouths and there have been problems with laundry packets being popped in the mouths of kids. 

### According to the above flier...
> "Serious clinical effects such as coma, respiratory arrest, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest, and death were observed among children exposed to laundry detergent packets and not for those exposed to other types of detergents."

As a parent this information is pretty scary. These detergent packets dissolve when wet. If a child puts one in their mouth, it will dissolve and they will get detergent in their mouth. If the packet is small enough, the entire packet of detergent could get swallowed. From above, being exposed to these packets can cause children to be put in comas, can cause respiratory arrest, and even death....That's just terrifying to think about.

### Looking at my container of laundry detergent packets, I know the thing is not childproof or even baby proof. 

# This looks like a big sturdy container but it's not. It's made of thin plastic.
![IMG_0248.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRj7Wn1zRHuVbBgrVJ4XPcH2gBNv1zoj8cEiCx6ZwbMsS/IMG_0248.JPG)

# The lid appears to have a safety feature that turns out to be useless.
![IMG_0249.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmR2rf1M8AfMqctqpFDBYir7z6BAnyiyfKfi3rDAPoPEHK/IMG_0249.JPG)

The lid tells you to align a few arrows to be able to open the container. To be honest I've never done that. I didn't even notice this direction until I took these pictures. I just turn the lid and it pops off with ease. This safety feature is pretty badly designed. A kid could easily get inside the container. The lid doesn't seem strongly made and I'd say it could break easily if the container fell of a shelf or the washing machine.

![IMG_0250 2.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmceLjfv4iZCjoNz8nwUq7KDQYVYgkXjUahAbs1rew6WAq/IMG_0250%202.JPG)

Inside the container are lots of packets. For kids they might seem like an attractive toy. Even as an adult, they remind me of water balloons and are neat to hold in your hand. If my adult mind thinks they are cool to hold, I'm sure a kid would think they were even more fun. My packets are pretty large and I doubt my one year old could fit a whole one in her mouth. I've seen smaller ones that are bright and colorful that could be mistaken as candy. 

# How Do They Work?
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### It's easy. You drop a packet in the washing machine water and it dissolves in less than a minute.

# First dropped in the washing machine.
![IMG_0254.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmNbr77mxpkfpWqFmGXfrZU569ZzBshAeZj2etJ3DV3rba/IMG_0254.JPG)

## Within 30 seconds the packaging has started dissolving and is releasing detergent. 
![IMG_0255.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmc7LDPVAFLLf8nd5KKH5QtYkN6Stbrdd5TX2rkopo9Pa8/IMG_0255.JPG)

# Less than a minute after dropping it in the wash, you have soap fully released.
![IMG_0257.JPG](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRhpb4SwDP8fwaooHnJn6d7aQi3J3BqidhpDnJoAz2F6K/IMG_0257.JPG)

*These packets dissolve when wet extremely fast. In a child's mouth, the packet could release toxic chemicals quickly which could be swallowed and could cause serious health problems.*

# How To Keep Kids Safe?
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If you are like me and you need to buy special detergents it is important to practice safe practices when dealing with packets. I could buy liquid detergent but laundry soap in general is so expensive. The packets I get good enough deals on that I will continue to buy them even though my daughter is so young.

* It seems like doctors recommend parents avoid detergent packets if they have children under the age of 6 in their home. According to statistics, children under the age of 6 are the most likely to be exposed to packets and are more likely to put them in their mouths. 

* I keep my packets on a very high shelf in the laundry room, pushed to the back where it can't fall. That way my daughter is too small to reach them. Packets could be stored in locked cabinets or cabinets placed high up where kids can't get to them. 

* I keep baby-gates up to prevent my daughter from going in rooms where she could get hurt. If you have a door to your laundry room you could keep it closed. 

* Since the container to my detergent packets is so easily opened I will consider moving them to a more secure container in the future. I have some very large mason jars that would be hard for little hands to open that might be an option. Moving the packets to a less kid friendly container is definitely a good idea if you can find a better one.

* If children are old enough to understand dangers, parents should show their children what the laundry packets are and what they do. My daughter is a year old so she can't understand but a 4 to 6 year old would be able to see they aren't candy or toys if parents explained and showed them what they do.

* Avoid buying the smaller packets that look like candy. Brands like All have larger packets that look less like a food item and would be harder for a kid to stuff an entire one in their mouth.

# Laundry Detergent Packet Safety Should Be Something All Parents Should Know About
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As a consumer I never thought about these packets before becoming a parent. I saw them as a convenient little package that makes laundry less messy and simple. The flier I saw in the pediatricians office was eye opening because I didn't realize laundry detergent packets could be so toxic and could cause a child to die. Most people know you shouldn't drink detergent but they might not think about what could happen if a kid accidentally puts a packet in their mouth. Practicing safe laundry washing habits is something all parents need to learn to make sure their kids are safe from being exposed to toxic chemicals.
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