Tide Pod laundry detergent packaging gets makeover due to safety concerns

Tide Pods liquid laundry detergent made its star entrance during last February's Academy Awards, and Procter & Gamble's CEO touted the new cleaner as "one of the biggest innovations in many, many years."

Now, as poison centers around the country are reporting an increase in calls about children ingesting or otherwise being exposed to highly concentrated laundry detergent packaged in small, single-dose packets, Tide Pods will undergo a makeover.

The plastic tubs that hold the individual Tide Pods will get a double latch on the lid to make them tougher to open. The updated product should arrive on store shelves within the next couple of weeks, according to today's New York Times. Tide Pods detergent is also available in a resealable bag.

Some toddlers and young children who swallowed detergent pods became extremely ill and required hospitalization. Other youngsters who got laundry detergent in their eyes suffered significant irritation. To help prevent these injuries, the American Association of Poison Control Centers urges you to:

• Keep detergents locked up and out of the reach of children.
  
• Follow the specific disposal instructions on the label.
  
• Call your local poison-control center (800-222-1222) if you think a child has been exposed to a laundry detergent packet .

New Ratings of laundry detergents, which include Tide Pods will post on ConsumerReports.org next month.

Previously:
Tide Pods to get the red-carpet treatment at the Oscars

Source: Tide to Change Pods Lid Amid Child Safety Concerns

—Maggie Shader