Safety is Ariel’s number one priority, with additional emphasis placed on the safety of laundry PODS®. Our approach to child safety is guided by scientific research and aligned with Detergents Europe’s Product Stewardship Programme and EU regulations such as the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. Our strategy focuses on three core pillars: 1) child-impeding packaging, like our certified SECURECLIC® box; 2) product innovations, including the addition of aversive bittering agents and stronger PODS® films; and 3) extensive consumer education on safe storage (e.g., the https://www.keepcapsfromkids.eu/ website).
Essential child safety practices for Ariel PODS®
While our packaging provides a crucial barrier, responsible storage and handling practices at home form the final, critical layer of protection. The following guidelines are essential for ensuring child safety with Ariel PODS®:
Store high up and out of sight: as with all laundry products, Ariel PODS® should be stored high up in a dry place where children cannot see or reach them. This simple yet critical step significantly reduces the risk of accidental exposure.
Always re-close packaging: properly and immediately after each use.
Keep in original packaging: other containers may not have the crucial safety features designed to protect children.
Handle with dry hands: as the soluble film surrounding PODS® is specifically formulated to dissolve quickly on contact with liquid.
Laundry room safety: never allow children to play unsupervised near the washing machine or laundry area.
For more information on the safe use of laundry detergents and childproofing your home, please visit the KeepCapsfromKids website.
Myth busting: what makes laundry capsules attractive to children?
The role of colour: Contrary to popular belief and media speculation that children were attracted to laundry capsules because they resembled sweets due to bright colours, research found that in realistic home-like settings, colour does not significantly influence children's decisions to handle the laundry capsules (Richmond et al., 2018, PLOS One). This finding was critical in focusing safety efforts on more effective measures rather than simply altering product aesthetics.
The effect of size: A follow-up study examined whether the physical size of the laundry capsules affected their attractiveness to children. This research compared two commercially available capsule designs, identical in appearance but differing in size. Across three experimental settings, the study found no appreciable difference in toddlers' grasping choice between smaller versus larger laundry capsules (Richmond et al., 2018, PLOS One).
These scientifically rigorous studies challenged common assumptions. They highlighted that making laundry capsules less visually appealing or changing their size would have limited impact if the products remained accessible to curious toddlers. Instead, the research strongly indicated that child-impeding packaging and comprehensive consumer education about proper storage are the most effective safety measures.
How have industry standards enhanced the safety of laundry capsules in Europe?
Detergents Europe has taken proactive and rigorous steps to ensure the convenience of detergent capsules does not compromise child safety. This is evidenced by its Product Stewardship Programme (PSP) for Liquid Detergent Capsules; a comprehensive and rigorous programme that has become a cornerstone for enhancing safety across industry. Ariel actively adheres to all aspects of the Detergents Europe PSP.
The PSP was developed in consultation with leading experts, including child behavioural psychologists, who advised on key safety principles such as making products "invisible to children" through opaque packaging. The programme has three main pillars:
Consumer education: Broad communication and education campaigns were launched to raise awareness among consumers about the vital need to keep all laundry products out of reach of children. This recognised that many consumers did not initially perceive the hazard of these products due to their appealing appearance.
Product enhancements: This pillar involved implementing additional safety features within the product itself, such as strengthening the soluble film of the capsules to improve resistance, adding aversive bittering agents (substances that deter ingestion), and ensuring the capsules resist dissolving too quickly on wet hands.
Child-impeding packaging: A significant focus was placed on developing and adopting packaging solutions designed to be difficult for children to open and access the product inside.
The rigor and effectiveness of this framework led to many aspects of the Detergents Europe PSP being integrated into the European legal framework. In 2014, an amendment to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation made many elements of the PSP mandatory ensuring manufacturers must adhere to strict compliance and testing protocols.
How does Ariel's SECURECLIC® box enhance child safety?
Ariel's SECURECLIC® box is a direct result of the extensive learnings listed above. Its revolutionary design exemplifies our unwavering commitment to child safety and reflects a deep understanding of both child behaviour and adult usage patterns.
Key benefits of Ariel's SECURECLIC® packaging for child safety include:
Child-impeding design: This clever design actively keeps little hands away from the product. This design has undergone rigorous testing, adhering to the strict Detergents Europe Test Protocol for child-impeding closures, a standard developed to ensure high efficacy in preventing child access.
Audible "click" confirmation: A reassuringly loud 'click' provides immediate and unmistakable feedback that the package is fully closed and secure. This encourages adults to consistently re-close the box after every use, a critical behavioural safeguard identified by research (Richmond et al., 2024, PLOS One).
Durable and robust: Our packaging is built to last, tested for robustness and resistance to tearing through countless openings and closings, while also protecting the PODS® from humidity.
