Think Twice Before Putting Your Laundry Pods In That Decorative Container

A social media trend involving organizing your home to achieve sleek, minimalistic results may look pretty, but it’s now being called out as dangerous. The Trade Association of the Cleaning Products Industry has issued an alert over people putting everything in glass or plastic canisters.

The trend has moved to the laundry room, which is dangerous territory.

On social media, there are many examples of people putting their detergent pods, scent crystals and laundry powders in glass containers or liquid laundry detergents in beverage dispensers as decorative storage.

In a new report, the American Cleaning Institute in Washington D.C. found nearly 800,000 of these posts promoting the unsafe storage of laundry packets in recent years. 

They say the practice puts Americans, and especially children, at risk for unintentional poisoning.

“Children, especially young children, are attracted to just about anything," Brian Sansoni from the American Cleaning Institute said. "No matter what color something is. And if they can reach it, they might try to grab it. That's why we certainly advise against taking any type of cleaning product, fabric care product out of the original containers because they have child-resistant packaging,” said Sansoni.

To avoid any accidents, consider these tips:

Cleaning products should be stored in their original packaging out of sight and out of reach of children. If not, you are greatly increasing the risk of accidental poisoning exposure.

You can also find instructions on what to do in the event of accidental ingestion on the product packing and often find the poison control center number as well. If you don’t have the original packing of the product in an emergency, it might be hard to explain to first responders what brand or specific product was ingested.

“There is so much important information on the product label, safety information, the proper way to use the products. If you take the product out of that container and put it in a clear, unmarked jar, you know, you've removed a lot of the safety considerations that come along with the original packaging. And again, you're just asking for trouble," Sansoni said.

Poison Control Number: 1-800-222-1222.