Laundry detergent pod

Last updated

Laundry detergent pods Laundry detergent pods.jpg
Laundry detergent pods

Laundry detergent pods (or "packs" or "liquitabs") are water-soluble pouches containing highly concentrated laundry detergent, softener and other laundry products. Notable brands of these packs include All, Arm & Hammer, Gain, Purex, Persil and Tide. [1] They first became popular in February 2012 when they were introduced by Procter & Gamble as Tide Pods (Ariel Pods in Europe). [1]

Contents

The chemistry of laundry detergent packs is the same as in liquid detergents (including alkylbenzenesulfonates). The dissolvable packets are typically made of polyvinylalcohol (PVA) or a derivative of PVA. Although the formulas are similar, a detergent pack's liquids may contain 10% water compared to 50% in liquid detergents. [2]

MonoSol is one of the companies that develops the water-soluble film used for laundry and dishwasher detergent packs, used by brands including Tide, with roughly $250 million in annual sales and controlling around 90-percent of the market. [3] The film is designed to be soluble in cold water. [4] While PVA is water-soluble and technically biodegradable under specific conditions, it is estimated that close to 15,000 metric tons of intact PVA either bypass or make it through treatment facilities every year. [5]

Laundry pods are estimated to make up about 15% of the $7 billion-a-year U.S. laundry detergent market sales according to market researcher Nielsen NV. Laundry pods were advertised as a way to reduce wasted use of powdered and liquid detergent by having precise measurements for a load. For large loads, most brands recommend two pods, with Tide suggesting up to three. Detergent pods cost significantly more than liquid detergent for equivalent laundry loads. [6] [7]

History

Laundry tabs were originally introduced in the 1960s in a compacted granular form (similar to an oral medical tablet), when Procter & Gamble launched Salvo tablets, later disappearing from the market in the 1970s. In the 1990s, Unilever and Henkel launched a similar laundry detergent pack product sold in Western Europe under the Persil brand. These products sometimes did not fully dissolve in United States washers. [8] [9] Powder Laundry Soluble Sachets were first marketed in the UK and Europe in 1998 as Soapy Sacks and shortly thereafter rebranded as Aquados and received a Millennium Award for the innovation. [10] The first powder dishwasher soft-tabs were then sold in Europe in the early 2000's under the Simply brand name. Liquitabs were launched in 2001 in Europe (spelt as 'liqui-tabs' or 'écodoses' in different countries). [11]

In 2005, Cot’n Wash, Inc., introduced liquid unit dose laundry pods under the Dropps brand. [12]

In 2012, Procter & Gamble launched a liquid tablet product as Tide Pods. [1]

In 2017, the Tide Pod challenge emerged causing more concern about laundry detergent pod poisoning. [13]

Standard Safety Specification for Liquid Laundry Packets

In November 2012, a Safety Alert was issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to inform parents and caregivers that liquid laundry detergent packets need to be kept away from children. The alert warned that children exposed to packet contents are “at risk of serious injury and even death due to the highly concentrated nature of the product.”

The "Standard Safety Specification for Liquid Laundry Packets" by the ASTM provides requirements for household liquid laundry detergent packet safety to reduce unintentional exposures to the contents of the packets, especially to children, and that apply exclusively to household liquid laundry detergent packets. [14]

Product innovations

In late 2015, ASTM International developed voluntary standards for product manufacturers to reduce unintentional exposures to liquid laundry detergent packets in children by enhancing overall product safety. These changes included specifications for safe manufacturing that suggested liquid laundry detergent packet packaging must be easy to close in one motion and meet one or more of the following safety requirements and features: [15]

In 2021, an evaluation of 2012-2020 data from the National Poison Data System (NPDS) was conducted to describe the characteristics of exposures to liquid laundry detergent packets in the context of the ASTM changes. The results found that while a total of 94,610 unintentional-general exposures involving liquid laundry detergent packets and children of six years and younger were reported NPDS from July 1, 2012 through December 31, 2020, unintentional exposures initially increased from 2012-2016. This correlates to the introduction of liquid laundry detergent packets in the U.S. at a time when the ASTM safety standards were still in initial development and implementation.

A succeeding decrease was correlated with the period at which full adoption of the ASTM safety standard had been achieved (2017 to 2020), suggesting that the ASTM safety standard was a contributor to decreasing unintentional pediatric exposures to liquid laundry detergent packets. A substantial decrease in the morbidity of unintentional pediatric exposures was also observed following adoption of the ASTM standard. In May 2021, an additional study was conducted using 2012-2018 data that looked at accidental exposures to liquid laundry packets in children <6 years old to determine the overall impact of product safety changes and how they affect children's safety. The results concluded a 90.9% decrease in exposures per every 1 million packets sold. [15]

This data demonstrated a temporal association between the exposure patterns and the full adoption of the ASTM safety standards to improve the safety of liquid laundry detergent packets.

Also in 2021, an evaluation of 2012-2017 data from Poison Control Centers was conducted to determine the impact of the voluntary safety standards for liquid laundry packets on children exposure rates reported to the Poison Control Centers in the United States. The results found that “the voluntary safety standard was associated with a 28.6% reduction in the rate of total reported exposures and a 36.8% reduction in the rate of medically treated exposures.” The analysis concluded that the implementation of the voluntary safety standards significantly reduced children’s rate of injury when it comes to accidental exposures involving liquid laundry packets. [16]

Poisonings

"Spring Meadow" Tide Pod, a brand of detergent criticized for its colorful candy-like appearance Spring Meadow Tide pod.jpg
"Spring Meadow" Tide Pod, a brand of detergent criticized for its colorful candy-like appearance
A safety symbol that alerts parents to keep laundry packs out of reach of children ISO 7010 M055.svg
A safety symbol that alerts parents to keep laundry packs out of reach of children

Concern has been raised over children accidentally being exposed to laundry packs, as its appearance and the packaging design can have the same appeal to a child as hard candy with patterned designs, and be confused as such. [17]

In 2012, in response to a child swallowing Tide Pods, Procter & Gamble said they would make this product more difficult to open by adding a double latch to the lid, and has also re-focused their advertising to make clear the product should be out of a child's reach at all times. The packaging was also changed to an opaque orange rather than the original clear plastic gumball machine-type presentation to make them look less enticing; other manufacturers followed suit with equivalent packaging changes. [18] In 2013, Consumer Reports stated that there had been nearly 7,700 reported incidents in which children age 5 or younger had been exposed to laundry pacs, [1] and that year, one child from Florida died after ingesting a pac. [19] In 2014, a study published in Pediatrics found that from 2012 to 2013, more than 17,000 calls were made to poison control centers about children who had been exposed to the packs. [20] Despite the industry's move toward safer packaging, a 2017 study published in JAMA Ophthalmology found that between 2012 and 2015, the number of chemical eye burns associated with laundry detergent pods among 3- to 4-year-old children skyrocketed from fewer than 20 to almost 500 per year; in 2015, these injuries were responsible for 26% of all chemical eye burns among this population. [21]

In late 2017 and early 2018, a viral Internet trend, called the "Tide Pod challenge" emerged, in which participants deliberately and intentionally ingested detergent pods, in some cases filming the consumption of the detergent and the aftermath. Several children and teens have been injured, some severely, from this intentional consumption. [22]

Since 2019 the International Mandatory action sign "Keep out of reach of children" is available to inform adults that these items must be kept out of the reach of children. [23] [24]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colgate-Palmolive</span> American multinational consumer products company

Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational consumer products company headquartered on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The company specializes in the production, distribution, and provision of household, health care, personal care, and veterinary products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rinso</span> Brand name of laundry soap

Rinso is a brand name of laundry soap and detergent marketed by Unilever. The brand was created by Robert Spear Hudson and originally branded Hudson's Soap, which was sold to Lever Brothers of Port Sunlight, England, in 1908. It was introduced in the United States by Lever Brothers Company in 1918.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tide (brand)</span> Brand-name of a laundry detergent manufactured by Procter & Gamble

Tide is an American brand of laundry detergent manufactured and marketed by Procter & Gamble. Introduced in 1946, it is the highest-selling detergent brand in the world, with an estimated 14.3 percent of the global market.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spic and Span</span> Household cleaner

Spic and Span is a brand of all-purpose household cleaner marketed by KIK Custom Products Inc. for home consumer use and by Procter & Gamble for professional (non-home-consumer) use.

Ivory is an American flagship personal care brand created by the Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), including varieties of white and mildly scented bar soap that became famous for its claim of purity and for floating on water. Over the years, the brand has been extended to other varieties and products.

Daz is the name of a laundry detergent on the market in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was introduced in February 1953. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble and is lower priced than P&G's main brand, Ariel. Aggressively marketed, it is associated in popular culture with the "Daz Doorstep Challenge" series of commercials, which saw various 'hosts' including Danny Baker, Shane Richie and Michael Barrymore surprising house occupiers by asking them to put Daz to the test against a rival detergent. The advert was spoofed by Dom Joly in the British sketch series Trigger Happy TV and in a John Smith's advertising campaign featuring Peter Kay. From 1999 to 2002 Julian Clary was the face of Daz laundry detergent, one of the first of his advert campaigns being a "Wash Your Dirty Linen in Public" roadshow with Daz Tablets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairy (brand)</span> Brand of dishwashing liquid

Fairy is an international brand, primarily used for washing up liquid and dishwasher detergent, owned by the American multinational consumer products company, Procter & Gamble. The brand originated in the United Kingdom in 1898 and is now used on a number of P&G products in various markets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henkel</span> German consumer goods company

Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, commonly known as Henkel, is a German multinational chemical and consumer goods company headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ajax (cleaning product)</span> Brand of cleaning products

Ajax is an American brand of household cleaning products and detergents made by Colgate-Palmolive and Awesome Products Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laundry detergent</span> Type of detergent used for cleaning laundry

Laundry detergent is a type of detergent used for cleaning dirty laundry (clothes). Laundry detergent is manufactured in powder and liquid form.

Biz Stain & Odor Eliminator is an enzyme-based, oxygenated and color-safe bleach, detergent booster and pre-treater for laundry stains, sold in both liquid and powder form. It is an enzyme-based bleach that can break down proteins.

Cheer is a laundry detergent sold in the United States and Canada. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Child-resistant packaging</span>

Child-resistant packaging or CR packaging is special packaging used to reduce the risk of children ingesting hazardous materials. This is often accomplished by the use of a special safety cap. It is required by regulation for prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, Nicotine Containing Electronic Cigarette devices or Refill containers that can contain Nicotine EUTPD 36.7 pesticides, and household chemicals. In some jurisdictions, unit packaging such as blister packs is also regulated for child safety.

A soap substitute is a natural or synthetic cleaning product used in place of soap or other detergents, typically to reduce environmental impact or health harms or provide other benefits.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lestoil</span> Registered trade name of Clorox

Lestoil is a registered trade name of Clorox for a heavy-duty multipurpose cleanser product, used to remove extremely difficult laundry stains, dissolve water-based and oil-based paints, and clean grease, oil, paint, and adhesives from floors and surfaces. It was introduced as a dry cleaning fluid for laundry in 1933. As a company, Lestoil, also known as the Adell Chemical Company, also made Bon Ami, from 1964 until 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bleach activator</span>

Bleach activators are compounds that allow a lower washing temperature than would be required otherwise to achieve the full activity of bleaching agents in the wash liquor. Bleaching agents, usually peroxides, are usually sufficiently active only at 60 °C and up. With bleach activators, this activity can be achieved at lower temperatures. Bleach activators are included in some laundry detergent powders, some laundry additive powders, and a few laundry additive pods. They are not included in any liquid laundry detergents. Bleach activators react with hydrogen peroxide in aqueous solution to form peroxy acids. Peroxy acids are more active bleaches than hydrogen peroxide at lower temperatures (<60 °C), but are too unstable to be stored in their active form, and hence must be generated in situ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consumption of Tide Pods</span> Hazardous practice and Internet meme

Like most detergent products, Tide Pods, a laundry detergent pod sold by Procter & Gamble (P&G) since 2012, can be deadly if ingested. Media reports have discussed how children and those with dementia could mistake laundry pods for candy and endanger their health or life by consuming them, and they were named an emerging health risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2012. Between 2012 and 2013, poison control centers reported over 7,000 cases of young children eating laundry pods, and ingestion of laundry pods produced by P&G had resulted in six deaths by 2017. In response to the dangers, P&G changed Tide Pod containers to an opaque design, introduced warning labels, and added a bitter-tasting chemical to the pod contents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tide Pods</span> Brand of laundry detergent pods under the Tide brand

Tide Pods are a line of laundry detergent pods from Procter & Gamble under the Tide brand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salvo (detergent)</span> American laundry detergent

Salvo was an American laundry detergent of the mid 20th century. It was made in the form of large beveled discs of compressed powdered laundry detergent that could be chucked directly into the washing machine. It was the first such product, and thus the precursor of the detergent pods of the later 20th century and 21st century.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Laundry detergent pods remain a health hazard". Consumer Reports. March 2013. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROPOSED GREEN SEAL™ STANDARD FOR LAUNDRY CARE PRODUCTS (2012)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "The so-secretive company behind Tide Pod detergent packs". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Tide PODS Factsheet" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  5. ↑ Rolsky and Kelkar (2021). "Degradation of Polyvinyl Alcohol in US Wastewater Treatment Plants and Subsequent Nationwide Emission Estimate". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 18 (11): 6027. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18116027 . PMC   8199957 . PMID   34205161.
  6. ↑ "Tide's Answer To Slumping Sales? Use More Detergent Pods!". Consumerist. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Ziobro, Paul; Terlep, Sharon (8 June 2016). "Three Tide Pods a Wash? Procter & Gamble Pushes More Doses". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  8. ↑ "P&G Reinvents Laundry With $150 Million Tide Pods Launch" . Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Unilever airs plans to introduce laundry detergent in tablet form". 27 July 2000.
  10. ↑ "Soap deal in the bag for Gerry". Manchester Evening News. 5 November 2004. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  11. ↑ Eleanor Bradford (2 June 2015). "EU acts to protect children from laundry tabs" . Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "Winning Consumers Dropps by Dropps". HAPPI. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  13. ↑ Ritschel, Chelsea (13 January 2018). "Tide pod challenge: Teenagers are risking death to film themselves eating Tide pods". The Independent . Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  14. ↑ "Standard Safety Specification for Liquid Laundry Packets". www.astm.org. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  15. 1 2 Reynolds, Kate M. (October 2021). "Evaluation of Liquid Laundry Detergent Packet Exposures Reported to the National Poison Data System (NPDS) Before and After the Implementation of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Safety Standard (2012-2020)". Rocky Mountain Poison & Drug Safety: 94.
  16. ↑ Gregory, Rodgers (2022). "Evaluation of the impact of the voluntary safety standard for liquid laundry packets on the rate of child exposures reported to Poison Control Centers in the US". Injury Prevention. 28 (1): 43–48. doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2020-044115. PMID   33833071. S2CID   233187312 . Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  17. ↑ Jaslow, Ryan (19 October 2012). "CDC warns laundry detergent pods pose health risk". CBS News. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  18. ↑ Wohl, Jessica (25 May 2012). "Tide to change Pods lid over child safety concerns". Reuters. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  19. ↑ Mendoza, Dorrine (16 August 2013). "Baby dies after ingesting laundry detergent pod". CNN. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  20. ↑ Valdez, A. L.; Casavant, M. J.; Spiller, H. A.; Chounthirath, T.; Xiang, H.; Smith, G. A. (10 November 2014). "Pediatric Exposure to Laundry Detergent Pods". Pediatrics. 134 (6): 1127–1135. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-0057 . PMID   25384489.
  21. ↑ Haring, R. S.; Sheffield, I. D.; Frattaroli, S (2 February 2017). "Detergent Pod–Related Eye Injuries Among Preschool-Aged Children". JAMA Ophthalmology. 135 (3): 283–284. doi:10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2016.5694. PMID   28152145. S2CID   41092172.
  22. ↑ Carroll, Linda. "Coma, deaths: More children harmed by eating laundry pods". TODAY.com. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "ISO 7010 — Graphical symbols — Safety colours and safety signs — Registered safety signs, Reference No: M055" . Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  24. ↑ Erin Earley (30 June 2020). "Keep Out of Reach of Children Symbol in Focus". In Compliance. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.