Benefits and safety use of laundry liquid detergent capsule

Benefits and safety use of laundry liquid detergent capsule 

Liquid laundry detergent capsules (liquid laundry detergent capsules) are a relatively recent product innovation. This detergent form has been progressively introduced on the European market over the last decade. Today, liquid laundry detergent capsules are used daily by millions of people across Europe. Consumers experience the convenience of liquid laundry detergent capsules as their primary benefit.

First, thanks to the unit dose concept, dosing correctly is effortless (one unit dose per wash load, no wrap to remove) and free of any mess due to spilling. 

Second, thanks to the high degree of concentration, less weight has to be carried when shopping (over 50% less when compared to concentrated liquids or powders). Also the smaller size implies that less space is taken in the laundry room for storage of the product. An equally important benefit of liquid laundry detergent capsules is their environmental sustainability profile. The lower weight and smaller size of the products allow use of less packaging material per laundry job.

Further, the transportation emissions per unit can be substantially reduced compared to traditional product forms. Whilst liquid laundry detergent capsules are safe when used as instructed, they can cause concern when handled inappropriately. Especially, when small children get access to liquid laundry detergent capsules and put them into their mouth, the liquid laundry detergent capsule’s pouch dissolves upon contact with saliva. This is because these pouches are designed to readily dissolve once in contact with water in the washing machine. Consequently, the concentrated detergent chemistry can be ingested – which may lead to nausea and vomiting, or worse, respiratory effects. The number of accidental ingestion exposures reported for liquid laundry detergent capsules has been relatively higher than for other laundry product form when taking into account the market size of this product category. 

Further, a limited number of incidents with severe but reversible effects have occurred.  To address this situation, the Detergent Industry, under the umbrella of A.I.S.E., has established a voluntary Product Stewardship Programme for liquid laundry detergent capsules. This aims to better educate consumers on how liquid laundry detergent capsules should be safely used and stored, and to reduce the visibility of liquid laundry detergent capsules and accessibility of the product to small children. This will be achieved by communication activities, and by modifications to the product (labels, packaging).