They May Look Like Candy To Your Child, But ...

If you're a busy parent, every second counts -- especially when it comes to routine household chores. But if you're looking to shave a few seconds when washing clothes, here's a word of caution about laundry detergent pods.

They are little packets of concentrated cleanser, and tossing them in the wash can save you time from measuring out a powder or liquid cleanser. They first came out in 2010.

The problem is not their effectiveness, but instead it's the pod's appearance. They look tasty.

In other words, to a 6 year old, they can look like candy, which means the next stop for these pods is not the washer, but the mouth -- which is then followed by a trip to the ER.

A new study takes a look at more than 17,000 cases of kids ages 6 and younger, and finds in the U.S. one child an hour goes to the hospital or has a parent frantically calling Poison Control since their kid decided to gobble one of these packets down.

Many kids who chew or swallow these things get nauseous and vomit. Thosecan  be severe. Eyes and the nose become severely inflammed. Yet a  bigger problem seems to be in the respiratory tract. Coughing, choking, spasm of the airways, and inhalation into the lungs.

So what if you have these pods in your home?

Treat them as if they were bleach, ammonia, or some other poison. Treat them as if they were a medication. Treat them as if they could hurt your child, because they can.

Keep them up and away, out of sight ... or out of the house completely. Go back to the "old fashioned" way.