Laundry Pod Challenge: How Dangerous is it?

What started out as a silly joke has now gone viral; but this new social media challenge can have very dangerous consequences. Teens and adults are posting videos online of a laundry pod challenge that entails that the person challenged, eat laundry pods in various ways. Sadly, these videos show teens and adults following through with this challenge.

Why is this dangerous?

Laundry pods are full of chemicals used to clean your clothing- not anything you would ever want to eat. Ingredients in the laundry pods include ethanol, hydrogen peroxide and polymers, and its high concentration makes the tiny laundry pods toxic. While swallowing it can cause a mild stomach ache (including possible vomiting and diarrhea), if the liquid detergent were to find its way into the lungs, it can cause breathing problems and severe complications. The liquid from laundry pods can also cause burns to the eye and skin.

Please DO NOT ever attempt to ingest laundry pods- it is dangerous and could cause you serious harm.

If someone bites into a detergent pod, remove it immediately. Wash the face and hands with plenty of water and gently wipe out the mouth. DO NOT induce vomiting. Then call the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222.

If pod contents squirt into someone’s eye, rinse the eye with gently running water for 15-30 minutes. Then, call the Texas Poison Center Network at 1-800-222-1222 for advice.

 

News Clip (English): https://www.click2houston.com/video/warning-about-tide-pod-challenge

New Clip (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoB8gEIN6ko