Most commercially-produced laundry detergents contain caustic chemicals that are used to dissolve and lift grease and dirt from fabrics without having to scrub them out. They are so dangerous that thousands of people have been injured or killed in chemical plants over the years following workplace accidents associated with exposure to these compounds. However, it’s difficult to appreciate these dangers when detergent companies go to great lengths to market and package their products as attractively as possible, and laundry pods are a perfect example.
Pods are Attractive
People love them. They’re convenient, cheap and effective, and they also look and feel kind of nice. In fact, they are so attractive that more than 30,000 children have ended up in hospitals after putting them into their mouths since these products have been on the market. This is why it defies logic that videos of reckless kids and teens eating these pods could create such a viral sensation that entices others to do the same. While it is unclear as to whether or not people are actually eating pods or just trolling, this craze has grabbed the attention of detergent companies, public health officials and even athletes as warnings and public service announcements are cropping up everywhere.
What Detergent Does to the Body
It’s important to remember that laundry pods contain highly-concentrated detergents that are usually much more potent than comparable amounts of powders and liquids. They are also activated when exposed to water after the plastic wrapping has dissolved. It takes less than a minute for digestive juices in the stomach, or saliva in the mouth and throat to do this. Once the detergent is released, it starts to burn away at the sensitive membranes that line our throat, esophagus and stomach.
If enough is ingested, the detergent can quickly produce severe, extremely-painful burns that are followed by vomiting, foaming at the mouth and convulsions. One of the biggest risks at this stage is that people will inhale chemical-laden vomit and fluids that can devastate the respiratory system. This sudden irritation can also cause the lungs to fill with fluid which may cause the victim to drown.
Detergent that remains in the digestive system will quickly enter the bloodstream and transport poisons in and out of every cell in the body. This will effect every major organ in addition to wreaking havoc on the nervous system. Victims can experience violent convulsions, seizures, the loss of control over basic bodily functions, coma and a quick and painful death. The effects of exposure to laundry pods can be just as hideous and grotesque as exposure to chemical weapons or the Ebola virus.
The Root of the Problem
Fortunately, it seems that this viral craze is largely a prank because there hasn’t been a huge influx of kids showing up in emergency rooms convulsing and foaming at the mouth. However, I’m not sure if people are really getting the message that laundry detergent is inherently-dangerous either. I mean, we all need it to wash clothes, right? Consequently, it seems as though people are disassociating eating pods with doing laundry despite the fact that the same chemicals get into our clothing and on our skin.
While detergents that don’t get rinsed away may be diluted to the point where they represent a minimal health risk, they’re still there nonetheless. This long-term exposure may be linked to all kinds of cancers and chronic health problems, and chances are that we will never know how serious exposure can be.
This is a good opportunity to remind ourselves that there are plenty of safer, more-natural alternatives to chemical detergents. You can buy them, or you can make your own with some basic ingredients that are easy to obtain. Take some time to seriously consider whether or not you want to be exposing yourself to harmful chemicals every time you do laundry or put on clean clothes. If the laundry pod stunt has taught us anything, it’s that there are inherent risks associated with these products, and maybe it’s just better to avoid them altogether.
