Detergent Pod Warning

They might be convenient, but they're also proving to be a problem for kids.

We're talking about these little detergent packs that have been showing up on store shelves. Doctors across the country are seeing more and more children that have eaten them. And some of these children have ended up getting very sick because of it.

These small detergent packs are very convenient. And they work because they pack a lot of detergent in a little package. But that little package, for some reason, is also attractive to kids, probably because they are so brightly colored. And since these packages are made to dissolve very quickly, once a child puts them in their mouth they end up getting a big load of detergent.

But doctors are also noticing that kids putting these packets in their mouths get more sick than those eating regular detergent and aren't sure why. It might be because they get a bigger load or because it dissolves so quickly. Either way, more children are getting sick and some even hospitalized after putting one in their mouth.

Manufacturers are responding by putting locks on the container lids. In the meantime, and even after the lid locks are in place, treat these detergent packs like any other dangerous product in your house. Keep them in a cabinet out of reach of your children or with childproof locks. That way the little ones in your house won't be tempted by the brightly colored packages.