Nottingham parents are being warned about the dangers of bright laundry gel tablets that could potentially be life-threatening to children.
The Trading Standards team at Nottingham City Council has sounded the warning to parents and guardians in an attempt to raise awareness of the dangers that the tablets can pose to children.
“These liquid capsules are often in bright colours, pinks and greens, which instantly make them visually interesting to young children,” said Jane Bailey, the authority’s trading standards manager.
“If possible, they should always be kept in locked cupboards or out of reach, and always in their original container.”
Life-threatening
According to the council, increasing numbers of children are being treated at hospital after swallowing liquid from the capsules, or from exposure to the skin after the products have burst.
In the worse cases, these injuries can be life-threatening.
“The capsules must be handled with dry hands because they are designed to disintegrate when they come into contact with water, and children should never be encouraged to pick them up or play with them,” added Jane.
Also commenting on the issue, Councillor Dave Liversidge, portfolio holder for community safety, housing and voluntary sector at the council, said that people are not aware of just how harmful these tablets can be to young people.
He added: “These washing machine capsules are the sort of thing that will be found in family homes across the city.”
