Tide Pods laundry soaps or detergents

10 reports to CPSC, the latest made May 20, 2024. A report isn’t a recall.

Watch it to hear when CPSC publishes new reports about it. CPSC’s own search

Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.

At a glance

From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.

10reports to CPSC
May 20, 2024the latest report was made
Jun 27, 2012the earliest
10with the company’s comments

Brand: Tide Pods
Maker: The Procter & Gamble CompanyMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
Product: Laundry soaps or detergentsCPSC’s product type: Laundry Soaps or Detergents (code 949), in Home Maintenance and Structures: Household Chemicals, Paint, & Cleaning Products

Other ways the reports write the brand (2)

“Tide 81 pods” and “Tide pods with downy fresh breeze”

By month

3 reports from June 2023 to May 2024; the most in April 2024, 2. 7 earlier reports, since June 2012, are in the table.

The numbers, as a table

Reports to CPSC by the month each was made, newest first
Month	Reports
May 2024	1
April 2024	2
December 2022	1
July 2019	1
July 2018	1
May 2017	1
September 2013	1
October 2012	1
June 2012	1

How badly anyone was hurt

Hospital admission 1 CPSC: Injury, Hospital Admission
Seen by a doctor or nurse 5 CPSC: Injury, Seen by Medical Professional
Hurt, care not known 2 CPSC: Injury, Level of care not known
No one hurt 2 CPSC: Incident, No Injury

As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.

The reports, as CPSC published them

Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.

Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.

CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.

Seen by a doctor or nurse
Made May 20, 2024, sent to the company May 23, 2024, published by CPSC Jun 7, 2024

The product, in the report: Tide pods they are blue and white may have green 1and half inch cube shaped gel with liquid inside

I’ve been using Tide pods to hand wash my clothes since I started online ordering for delivery from Walmart. I have a skin infection on right leg it’s more of irritation than infection hospitalized in Dec of2023 and doctors couldn’t figure out what was causing my leg to swell and discoler also painful.i was diagnosed with uncontrollable diabetes necrosis.

Model
Tide pods recall number 24-189
Bought from
Walmart.com with my email address zunigamartha174@
Bought
Sep 30, 2023, about then
Where
Lakewood, Colorado: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 62, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
No Relationship
As this report names them
Brand Tide pods with downy fresh breeze, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

The company’s comments, in its own words

(6/3/2024) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for reaching out to the Consumer Product Safety Commission regarding Tide Pods. We’re so sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your ensuring this was brought to our attention. As a Company, we’re dedicated to making products that improve the lives of our consumers who use them, so it is important that we know. Please be assured your experience has been shared appropriately within our company.
We also want to share that we thoroughly evaluate our products for safety when used as directed. As part of standard practice, we regularly monitor our products, as well as our consumer comments about them and we maintain an ongoing monitoring program for quality and safety. As such, we take your report very seriously and recommend you discontinue use of the product. We also know and respect that some consumers may have unique sensitivities to some of the ingredients used in everyday products and would recommend discussing concerns further with your medical professional.
Finally, because we take experiences like this very seriously, we would encourage you to reach out to us so we can learn more about your experience. We can be reached toll-free at (800) 879-8433 between the hours of 9 AM and 6 PM Eastern Monday through Friday or, 9 AM to 5:30 PM Eastern on Saturday. You can also reach out via https://tide.com/en-us/contact-us. We truly wish you the best.

CPSC report 20240520-4E023-2147339125. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
No one hurt
Made Apr 8, 2024, sent to the company Apr 10, 2024, published by CPSC May 1, 2024

The product, in the report: A box of tide pods

I brought some tide pods from Sams club I noticed the zip top on the bags were messed up so I put them in my own [REDACTED] bags can I get a refund I paid $29 and some change I dont have the receipt or the bag the pods were in I see its a recall because the packaging wasnt right I told my son look at this

Bought from
Sam’s Club
Bought
Mar 3, 2024
Where
Charlotte, United States: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Unspecified
The reporter’s relation to them
Unspecified
As this report names them
Brand Tide pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

The company’s comments, in its own words

(4/19/2024) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for contacting the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regarding Tide PODS. Please know, the safety of our consumers is important to us. When creating products and packaging, we take great care and attention to safety by carefully evaluating the ingredients and packaging before they go to market, using well-established safety assessment methods. These evaluations are a mandatory part of our product development process and begin in the early stages of a product’s design. Further, we maintain an ongoing monitoring of products in the market for quality and safety because the safe use of our products is a priority.
Please know that we notified CPSC and Health Canada and acted to voluntarily stop production of some packages that did not meet our high-quality standards. We cannot confirm if your package is included in this recall without lot codes from the bottom of the packaging but did follow-up with you separate via email. However, know that there is no issue with the product inside of the package; the Tide PODS are still safe to use. As always, we recommend you store the product up and out of reach, in a closed cabinet.
Truly, the people who use our products are at the foundation of all we do. We appreciate the CPSC reaching out to us on your behalf, and we hope all is now well. If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact us directly at (800) 879-8433 or via email.

CPSC report 20240408-F1C3D-2147339888. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
No one hurt
Made Apr 7, 2024, sent to the company Apr 9, 2024, published by CPSC Apr 23, 2024

The product, in the report: January 19th 2024 Walmart Tide PODS Liquid Laundry Detergent, Spring Meadow Scent, HE Compatible, 16 Count January 25th 2024 Walmart Tide PODS Liquid Laundry Detergent, Spring Meadow Scent, HE Compatible, 16 Count I purchased an original tide pods at Menards 16 count in Feb 2024 I purchased a size up from the 16 count at dollar general January 2024

I decided to pick up a bag of original spring meadow tide pods when a store did not carry my choice of liquid tide with downy. After using them I decided I like how easy and convenient they are for about 2 months. Not realizing that within the first 2 weeks of using them my husband developed a rash. As we continued using them the rash got extremely bad which ended up being Atopic dermatitis. It started on the back of his calves and by the time we discovered it was caused by the tide pods and immediately stopped using them, he had it covering his body including his back of neck and face. It took about 2 weeks to clear up after getting correct treatment. We are a household of 5 so I had bought a few packs and used them by time we realized this was something we recently changed in our household. Not realizing these must have other ingredients then our normal liquid tide with downy. I would not wish this rash on anyone for the matter of wearing and using clean laundry. I do however love tide with downy liquid and we changed right back to it once we realized the effect of the tide pods.

Bought from
Wal-Mart
Bought
Jan 18, 2024, about then
Where
Lyons, Michigan: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 41, Male
The reporter’s relation to them
My Spouse
As this report names them
Brand Tide pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Incident, No Injury

The company’s comments, in its own words

(4/18/2024) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for reaching out to the Consumer Products Safety Commission regarding Tide Pods Spring Meadow Scent. We’re very sorry to hear about your husband’s experience using a different version of the product. Please know, the safety of our consumers is important to us, and we take reports of this nature seriously. When creating products, we formulate them with great care and attention to safety by carefully evaluating the ingredients and products before they go to market, using well-established safety assessment methods. These evaluations are a mandatory part of our product development process and begin in the early stages of a product’s design.
Further, we maintain an ongoing monitoring of products in the market for quality and safety because the safe use of our products is a priority. Be assured, your experience has been shared with the rest of our team. We understand some consumers may have unique personal sensitives to ingredients used in everyday products, so we do offer a variety of fragrance and dye free products with the hope of meeting the needs of more consumers.
Finally, because we take experiences like this, very seriously, we would encourage you to reach out to us here at Tide, so we can learn more about his experience. We can be reached toll-free at 1-800-879-8433 between the hours of 9 AM and 6 PM Eastern Monday through Friday or, 9 AM to 5:30 PM Eastern on Saturday. You can also reach out via tide.com<http://tide.com> We truly appreciate your loyalty and hope to hear from you soon.

CPSC report 20240407-C5867-2147339897. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Hurt, care not known
Made Dec 12, 2022, sent to the company Jan 13, 2023, published by CPSC Jan 30, 2023

The product, in the report: washing detergent/pods

Caller stated that she feels that the tide pods should be recalled because she had an allergic reaction to it. Symptoms were itching & rash. She did not seek medical attention as yet, she was advised by the pharmacy to use [REDACTED]. Caller stated that she contacted the manufacturer and reported that the pods was causing the clothing to deteriorate and was advised not to place on top of clothes. She stated that the incident started when she began using 2 pods and then everyone in the family started developing allergic reactions.

Bought from
variety of stores, Illinois
Bought
Oct 29, 2022, about then
Where
Norridge, Illinois: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 65, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Tide pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Level of care not known

The company’s comments, in its own words

(1/23/2023) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for reaching out to the Consumer Products Safety Commission regarding Tide. We’re so sorry to hear about your experience and appreciate your ensuring this was brought to our attention. As a company, we’re dedicated to making products that improve the lives of our consumers who use them, so it is important that we know. Please be assured these comments have been shared with the appropriate people in our company.
We appreciate you reaching out to us directly to report the experience with your family. . Again, we’re sorry about this experience and want to assure you, this was reported to our Health & Safety Team. We also hope you received the reimbursement for the product. We also want to share that we thoroughly evaluate our products for safety when used as directed. As part of standard practice, we regularly monitor our products, as well as our consumer comments about them and we maintain an ongoing monitoring program for quality and safety. As such, we take your report very seriously and ask that you save any remaining unused product for 2 to 3 weeks in case we need more information. We also know and respect that some consumers may have unique sensitivities to some of the ingredients used in everyday products and would recommend discussing concerns further with your medical professional. We’d also like to suggest our Tide Free & Gentle detergents as an option for your family.
Again, we appreciate you reaching out to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and our team, and we wish you the best.

CPSC report 20221212-FDFD2-4013930. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Seen by a doctor or nurse
Made Jul 9, 2019, sent to the company Aug 7, 2019, published by CPSC Aug 21, 2019

The product, in the report: Laundry Detergent Pods Tide Pods Number on back of container 91527489?? # on front of container: 91527484 On the back of orange plastic container under bar code is printed: Dist. by Proctor & G. Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Imported for Proctor & G., Inc. Toronto, On M5W 1C5. (R) 2017 P&G

This consumer has contacted the hotline to file an incident report against new laundry detergent pods purchased at a grocery store in Maryland. After use of the pods, she developed a terrible case of hives everywhere that her clothing and bedding have touched. She contacted her physician by phone and received suggested treatment of [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] Cream. The treatment suggested by her physician has not worked for her, she will be scheduling an appointment to be seen and hopefully obtain treatment that will provide relief. She is asking that the manufacturer investigate what is in the pods that is not in the liquid which is what she normally uses and cease using the ingredient voluntarily or via a recall by CPSC. She has not contacted the manufacture but believes she may contact them - Read further on this - (Did contact them)
Injury information: Hives-Raised welts-Body red wherever clothes or bed clothes touched body. Excessive itching over body.
This has been ongoing now for two weeks-note & day. Worst when I try to sleep at night.
This is ongoing even tho I’ve tried to re-wash everything.

Model
Pods Tide Fresh Coral Blast 3 in 1 Pods 42 pac2 capsules
Serial number
unknown
Bought from
Giant Food Store, Maryland
Bought
Jun 15, 2019, about then
Where
Silver Spring, Maryland: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 87, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Tide Pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

The company’s comments, in its own words

(8/16/2019) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for bringing this report involving Tide Pods Fresh Coral Blast Scent to our attention. We’re sorry to hear about what this consumer experienced and can assure you that we take the report very seriously. We formulate our Tide products with great care and attention to safety, so it is important that we know of their experience. We carefully evaluate the safety of our products and ingredients before they go to market, using well-established safety assessment methods. These evaluations are a mandatory part of our product development process and begin during the early stages of a product’s design. In addition, we maintain an ongoing monitoring program for quality and safety because the safe use of our products is always our highest priority.
We understand some people may have unique sensitivities to some of the ingredients used in every day products and appreciated the opportunity to address the feedback provided by this consumer. Be assured that the report was shared internally, and we encourage this consumer to get back in touch with Tide again if they have additional questions or concerns about this matter. For consumers interested in learning more about the ingredients used in our Tide products, we provide ingredient lists -- that can be accessed on our website at https://tide.com/en-us/ingredients/all-about-tide-ingredients and/or by visiting http://www.smartlabel.org/.
Finally, we would appreciate the opportunity to engage further with the consumer through our Consumer Relations channels by phone toll-free at 1-800-879-8433, between 9am and 6pm EST. Communicating with the consumer directly via phone will allow us to better understand the experience with the use of our product.
Again, we appreciate the opportunity to address any concerns our consumers may have about our products. I hope this information provides reassurance and we thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

CPSC report 20190709-90FA2-1886230. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Hurt, care not known
Made Jul 6, 2018, sent to the company Aug 15, 2018, published by CPSC Aug 29, 2018

The product, in the report: Washing detergent Bar Code: 3700095683 Number on bottom of Tide Pod package supplied in the model # field

Caller is reporting that the tide pod she picked up to place in her wash exploded onto her clothes she was wearing and caused a chemical burn to her breast. No medical attention was received.
She stated that the incident left a red burn mark on her body. The manufacturer was not contacted as yet.
Caller feels that these tide pods are a safety hazard and should be reported.

Model
8092172701661902
Bought from
Price shop, Missouri
Bought
Jun 9, 2018, about then
Where
Kansas City, Missouri: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 54, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Tide Pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Level of care not known

The company’s comments, in its own words

(8/15/2018) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for bringing this report involving Tide PODS laundry detergent to our attention. We’re sorry to hear of your experience, and we take the report very seriously.
We carefully evaluate the safety of our products and ingredients before they go to market, using well-established assessment methods to understand both hazards and potential exposures. These risk evaluations are a mandatory part of the company’s product development process and begin during the early stages of a product’s design. In addition, we maintain an ongoing monitoring program for quality and safety of the ingredients and the finished product, as a whole, because the safe use of our products is always our highest priority.
We’d like to assure you that our Tide products are formulated with great care and attention to safety. Our formulations take into account our stringent internal safety standards for every ingredient and the finished product. Laundry detergent pacs are safely used by millions every day. However, it’s important to know that laundry detergent pacs can be twice as concentrated as other forms of liquid detergent.
The safety of the people who use our products is at the foundation of everything we do, and we regret any discomfort you may have experienced. We have appreciated the opportunity to engage with you via Tide’s toll-free number to address your concerns, and we shared your report internally. We encourage you to get in touch directly with Tide again with any further concerns about this matter. And for additional information about the ingredients used in our products, anyone with Internet access can find ingredient lists at www.smartlabel.org.
Thanks again for bringing this report to our attention.

CPSC report 20180706-8C8C8-1774345. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Seen by a doctor or nurse
Made May 19, 2017, sent to the company Jun 23, 2017, published by CPSC Jul 17, 2017

The product, in the report: laundry pods

(05/19/2017) The consumer stated that he was preparing to do the wash. He noticed that some of the pods in the container were leaking. He was separating the pods that were leaking when some of the liquid from the pods got on his hands causing chemical burns.
The consumer contacted 911. An ambulance crew was dispatched but the consumer did not receive any treatments on his hand.

UPC
0 37000 93045 7
Bought from
box.com
Bought
Dec 3, 2016, about then
Where
Chester Springs, Pennsylvania: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Male
The reporter’s relation to them
Self
As this report names them
Brand Tide 81 pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

The company’s comments, in its own words

(6/30/2017) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for reaching out regarding Tide Pods. We’re sorry to hear about your experience, and we take your report very seriously. Please know that our Tide products are formulated with great care and attention to safety. We carefully evaluate the safety of our products and ingredients before they go to market, using well-established risk assessment methods. These risk evaluations are a mandatory part of our product development process and begin during the early stages of a product’s design. In addition, we maintain an ongoing monitoring program for quality and safety because the safe use of our products is always our highest priority. While laundry detergent pacs are safely used by millions of people every day, it’s important to know that laundry detergent pacs can be twice as concentrated as other forms of liquid detergent. Given this, our Tide Pods packaging features the following warnings: “Do not cut or puncture pacs. If pacs stick together, do not try to separate them.” and “Contains nonionic and anionic surfactants, ethoxylated polyethylene polyamine (polymer) and enzymes. Call a Poison Control Center or doctor immediately if detergent gets in mouth or eye or on skin. Immediately and thoroughly rinse eye or skin with water for 15 minutes.”
The safety of the people who use our products is at the foundation of everything we do, and we regret any discomfort you experienced. We appreciate the opportunity to address any issues consumers may have with our products, so we shared your report internally, and we’re following up with you by postal mail. If you have not already done so, we suggest contact with your medical provider regarding any medical concerns you might have.
If you’re interested in additional information about the ingredients used in our products, we provide ingredient lists on our website: www.pgproductsafety.com
Thanks again for bringing this report to our attention.

CPSC report 20170519-3C4B2-1664692. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Seen by a doctor or nurse
Made Sep 4, 2013, sent to the company Sep 11, 2013, published by CPSC Oct 18, 2013

The product, in the report: Tide Laundry Pods 3 containers 77 pods each.

I purchased Tide Pods at Target after wearing the clothes I washed with the product I developed a severe rash on my thighs and under my breasts the itching was unbearable and was starting to blister after contacting my doctor I had an appt. on Friday the 30 then spent the entire afternoon being treated for a severe allergic reaction the only thing I had been using was the Tide Pods I was given a prescription for a cream that I have to apply twice a day for 10 days. I have not been able to any activities for over 2 weeks and the pain and itching are still very painful even with the cream.

UPC
0 3700050983 7
Bought from
Target
Bought
Aug 13, 2013
Where
n.highlands, United States: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 49, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
Unspecified
As this report names them
Brand Tide Pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

The company’s comments, in its own words

(9/24/2013) The Procter & Gamble Company: We’re sorry to hear of the problem you reported while using Tide Pods and hope you’re feeling better. Please know we’re deeply committed to the health and well being of our consumers and the safety of those who use our products is at the foundation of everything we do. Identifying the reasons for sensitivity to a consumer product can be difficult, so we hope you will continue to consult with your physician if your symptoms do not go away in a few days or if they worsen. However, we would like to assure you that our laundry products are formulated with great care and are evaluated using our well-established safety assessment methods. For people with sensitive skin, we offer Tide Free & Gentle which is made without dyes or perfumes. Again, we are sorry to hear of your experience. It’s important for us to be aware of any concerns consumers have about our products, so we appreciate your efforts to contact us directly about this incident. If we can be of additional assistance, please let us know.

CPSC report 20130904-571DF-2147452389. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Seen by a doctor or nurse
Made Oct 25, 2012, sent to the company Nov 2, 2012, published by CPSC Nov 26, 2012

The product, in the report: Tide Pods (detergent)

I use Tide Pods to do my laundry. My 3 year old got a hold of one of the Pods, squeezed it, and it went directly into her eye. After calling Poison Control and reading the back of the container, I was told to wash out her eye for 15 minutes. After doing that I took her to the doctor, had her eye flushed and was told to come back for a recheck. The next day her eye was flushed out again and she seemed better. Several hours later she was in pain again and I took her to a pediatric opthamologist. Her eye suffered a severe corneal abrasion. She basically burned off the top layer of her cornea and the Doctor said it was similar to a chemical burn. With some treatment and a weeks worth of pain, she will be fine. However, people should be aware, and the labeling which states “May cause some eye irritation” should be changed to seek medical attention immediately. These pods are fairly new, and even Doctors are not aware of the damage they can cause.

Model
Tide Pods
Bought from
Target, Massachusetts
Bought
Oct 2, 2012
Where
S. Easton, Massachusetts: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Who was involved
Age 3, Female
The reporter’s relation to them
My Child
As this report names them
Brand Tide Pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Seen by Medical Professional

The company’s comments, in its own words

(11/16/2012) The Procter & Gamble Company: We’re very sorry about your daughter’s experience and glad to hear she is feeling better. As a company, we’re deeply committed to the health and well being of our consumers. We understand you want safe products to use in your home; we want the same for our families, too. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of those who use our products and we take reports of accidental contacts with household cleaners seriously.
Please know that as with all P&G products, Tide Pods have been evaluated to ensure they’re safe for consumers when used as directed. As part of our ongoing efforts to prevent accidental exposure to the product, all Tide Pod labels include instructional icons and caution statements to keep out of reach of children, to prevent accidental ingestion, and to avoid contact with the eyes.
It’s important for us to be aware of any concerns consumers have about the safety of our products and we’re glad you outlined the importance of placing first aid instructions on the label. In addition to the front and back label cautions on our Tide Pods packages, the back label provides instructions for first aid treatment. This information includes the following statement: “If in eyes, rinse immediately with plenty of water for 15 minutes and seek medical advice.”
We want to assure you we are committed to the continuous improvement of our products. We continue to explore Tide Pods packaging options and have already implemented a change to our tubs. In an effort to reduce unintended access to the product, in July 2012 we changed from a single latch to a double latch lid which requires more manual dexterity to open. We’re also adding an over-the-lid re-sealable sticker on the tub lids which will be available in stores within the next few months. For those interested in obtaining a Tide Pods tub over-the-lid re-sealable sticker earlier, we’re currently offering a set free of charge on tide.com. Additionally, we’ve enhanced the household safety information on our Home Made Simple website to provide further assistance to parents.
Again, we’re really sorry to hear of your daughter’s experience and we’re appreciative of your efforts to help us gain a better understanding. If we can be of additional assistance, please let us know.

CPSC report 20121025-6F65C-2147462532. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov
Hospital admission
Made Jun 27, 2012, sent to the company Aug 17, 2012, published by CPSC Aug 31, 2012

The product, in the report: Laundry Detergent

The caller is a Medical Director at the California Poison Control System.
He says the product is brightly packaged and they look like candy. It is wrapped in a plastic film. Children pick this product up, which is the size of a golf ball and bite into it. He says they are very attractively colored, inviting, and are getting children really sick.
The caller says this has been happening mostly since March 7th. He has seen incidents of 139 children get into these products since that time. Almost all of them are 3 years of age and under. Five have been admitted to hospitals. Three to critical care units.
9 of these kids have had moderate affects and one major affect according to the Poison Control Centers codes.
The children have experienced significant vomiting and nausea. Secondly, is respiratory distress.
Thirdly is Lactic Acidosis and eye injuries. When children open the pods with their teeth, the substance sometimes gets in there eyes.
The caller feels that 139 exposures in 3 1/2 months is troubling. Lactic Acidosis is a risk that they don’t understand why it is occurring but it doesn’t usually stem from getting into laundry detergent.
The caller feels CPSC should step in and require more labeling and also the way that it is packaged differently to not be so inviting for children.

Bought from
N/A
Where
California: Unspecified
Who was involved
Unknown
The reporter’s relation to them
Unspecified
As this report names them
Brand Tide Pods, made or sold by The Procter & Gamble Company
How badly, in CPSC’s words
Injury, Hospital Admission

The company’s comments, in its own words

(8/31/2012) The Procter & Gamble Company: Thank you for taking the time to inform us of recent reports about children’s exposures to single dose laundry pacs. We are very concerned about any incident involving children getting hold of cleaning products. The safety of our consumers is always our top priority and we take these reports very seriously.
We share your concern and want to inform you of steps we have taken and will continue to take to ensure the safe use of our products. Like any household detergent, Tide Pods should be kept out of the reach of children, during use and storage. All Tide Pod labels include caution statements to keep out of reach of children, to prevent ingestion, and to avoid contact with the eyes. To emphasize the need for safe handling and storage, our product labels also include instructional icons.
In addition to the cautions on our labels, we’ve intensified educational efforts to help prevent accidental exposure to the product. Tide Pods TV commercials, on-line advertising, print advertising, and the Tide website include messages that remind consumers to store the detergent away from children. We are working in partnership with various poison control centers across the country and the American Cleaning Institute (ACI). ACI is an industry group that coordinates the efforts of cleaning product manufacturers to build awareness and promote safe storage, use and disposal of laundry detergent pacs, and to educate the public that cleaning products must be kept out of the reach of young children. We continue to explore packaging options and have already implemented a change to the tub lid to move from a single latch to a double latch lid, which requires more manual dexterity to open.
Please know that as with all P&G products, Tide Pods have been evaluated to ensure they’re safe for consumers when used as intended. We are very sorry to hear of the experiences these children have had and we hope they’re feeling better. As always, we encourage consumers with questions or concerns about our products to contact us.

CPSC report 20120627-2F971-1255639. Submitter: Consumer Search for it on SaferProducts.gov

CPSC’s disclaimer

Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.

Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.

Sources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.

Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.

Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.

Tide Pods laundry soaps or detergents

At a glance

By month

How badly anyone was hurt

The reports, as CPSC published them

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources

How to read a record

Every fact names its source.

A number never stands alone.

What needs attention is marked.

The public record comes first.