Safety Alert Issued On Laundry Detergent Pods

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- There is now a safety alert out for those laundry detergent packets we warned you about Monday night.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission says 500 children and adults have been hurt after swallowing or handling the detergent pods this year. Poison Control has received nearly 130 calls in Minnesota alone.

Experts say the packets attract kids, because they're soft, colorful and can look like candy. So parents should keep the detergent locked up.

Adults also shouldn't touch them with wet hands. That's because the pods can dissolve and release highly-concentrated chemicals.