Automatic Dishwashing Powder -
Warning! Strong eye & skin irritant. Can burn throat. Contains corrosive bleach that can burn mouth and throat.
Repeated or prolonged exposure to vapors or dust can cause irritation of the lungs, central nervous system disorders and even death.
Most common poisoning among children.
Many children have died from eating the little candy looking detergent pods or consuming the powder.
Scared yet? I would be.
The powder and liquids used in dishwashers account for some of the most common poisonings of children.
Picture this:
You’re a mom, tired from working all day. As you are cleaning up from dinner, you have one child asking you for help with homework, your husband is asking where his favorite shirt is, the dog is barking, the clothes washer sounds off balance and your toddler is tugging at your leg while you are loading the dishwasher.
Sound like a typical evening in the kitchen for you?
You have the dishwasher all loaded, have the detergent in and the rinse aid filled. Then at that moment your older child knocks over a glass of milk all over her homework. You don’t shut the dishwasher door as you rush over with a dish towel trying to clean it up and trying to keep from blowing your top – let’s face it life can be hectic!
As you settle your older child down, wipe up the milk and help her with that math problem, you hear a scream.
Your toddler is standing at the open dishwasher door, detergent powder and rinse aid all over his mouth and fingers. The chemicals are burning his lips, mouth, tongue and throat and he is wheezing for air.
You scream for your husband. By the time he gets down the stairs full panic has set in. He’s screaming, “What happened?!” You are frantically looking for your phone to call 911 with your toddler in your arms.
You are sobbing on the phone to the 911 operator and what may only take minutes seems like hours for the EMT’s to arrive. By this time your precious little one’s lips and mouth are blistering and he is barely breathing.
Then begins the long ride to the ER, the agonizing wait at the hospital to see if your baby is even going to survive.
IF, yes I said if, he does survive you could be looking at multiple surgeries, agonizing pain for him and possible permanent damage to his mouth and esophagus.
You are racked with guilt. You only turned away for a minute. It wasn’t your fault, but those words are little comfort as you run that scene over and over in your mind.
This may not be you personally, but it has been some mother at one time and sadly, many others.
I tell you this story, not to upset you, not to make you feel bad about the brands you buy, but to make you aware of the dangers these products can do.
The dangers are very real. And we all love our children and want to keep them safe. It’s just many families are unaware of the dangers is all.
I love my dishwasher. As a busy mom, I don’t want to stand and do dishes by hand, though there are times I do. I love to be able to throw the dishes in the dishwasher, slam the door, hit a button and they disappear for a while.
We decided a while back to make sure the product we used was safe. Safe first of all for our child, safe for the nosy dog who likes to come over and “help” with cleaning the plates once loaded in the dishwasher, and we wanted to not pollute the environment.
We also didn’t want it to cost more. Is there such a brand?
Yes there is and it’s called Shaklee. I know I am risking at sounding like a commercial here. I just want to share with you why I trust them in my home.
Shaklee’s commitment to safety and the environment goes back 100 years with the first multivitamin and they had the first biodegradable cleaning product produced in 1960.
Shaklee has a long heritage of safety first. Safety for all – people, pets & Earth.
I trust them and they work. Plus, they actually save us a ton of money compared to the store brands. I love their Automatic Dishwashing Powder as I actually use a fraction of the amount compared to “filling up” the cup with the store brands. A little goes a very long way with Shaklee. My Shaklee dishwashing powder lasts me about 4 months and that’s doing a full load every day!
They are so worth trying. Please consider trying Shaklee’s Automatic Dishwashing Powder.
See below for a list of features or just click the link.
So, the next time you do dishes, think about the product you are pouring into your dishwasher cup and think about the mom waiting in the ER for news of her precious little one who just accidentally ate some of that powder.
There are safer alternatives. Please consider using them.
Thank you.
Julie
For more information about the dishwashing powder we use or to purchase it:
Features:
- The deep, enzyme-activated cleaning power gently removes tough stains, leaving dishes and glasses sparkling clean.
- Super concentrated – cleans 48 loads – just 2 teaspoons in each dispenser cup.
- No pre-rinsing needed – Removes dried on food and tough stains, so they don’t get stuck on.
- Dissolves quickly and completely, getting to work straight away.
- Absolutely no chlorine and no fragrances, which can pollute the air that you breathe.
- Comes in a handy resealable pouch with measuring scoop
Clean Credentials
- Natural
- Concentrated
- Biodegradable Surfactants
- No phosphates
- No chlorine
We hope this article helps bring awareness to the dangers some household chemicals can cause and to educate others that there are safer alternatives available.
We believe home should be the safest place. 😊
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