An Australian family has endured a harrowing experience after their 4-year-old daughter was temporarily blinded in one eye by a common household product—a laundry detergent pod.
The incident has prompted the child’s parents to issue an urgent warning to other families about the potential dangers of these seemingly harmless items.
The little girl, Luca de Groot, had been helping her mother, Jodi Lowe, with the laundry when the accident occurred. While Jodi was briefly distracted, Luca bit into a Persil laundry pod. The pod burst, spraying detergent directly into her face. In a panic, Luca tried to wipe the substance away, unknowingly rubbing it into her eyes and worsening the damage.
Hearing her daughter scream, Jodi rushed to her aid and immediately took her into the shower to rinse her face. The label on the detergent pod advised flushing the eyes with water and seeking medical advice, which Jodi followed without delay. However, the situation quickly escalated beyond what could be handled at home.
At the hospital, medical staff attempted to flush Luca’s eyes out multiple times, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
Doctors soon determined that the damage was severe enough to require emergency surgery.
Over the next few days, Luca underwent three operations, including a procedure involving an amniotic membrane transplant to aid the healing of her injured eye.
Luca spent a total of 16 days in the hospital. While her condition has gradually improved, she still hasn’t fully regained vision in her left eye.
“Her sight isn’t completely back yet, but it’s improving slowly,” said her mother. “She has a slight vision impairment now. It’s been incredibly traumatic. Watching your child in so much pain and being unable to help—it’s heartbreaking.”
Jodi is now calling for stronger warnings and clearer instructions on laundry pod packaging, particularly for brands like Persil, which is sold as Omo in Australia.
She criticized the current labeling as insufficient, pointing out that it does not mention the potential for serious injuries or the need for emergency hospital care.
“I know the packaging says to keep them out of reach of children, but it doesn’t go far enough,” she told the Daily Mail. “It just says ‘seek medical advice.’ That’s not enough when a child could be seriously injured.”
She added, “I didn’t realize the extent of the harm they could cause. You wouldn’t expect that a child biting into one could result in burns, multiple surgeries, and more than two weeks in the hospital. There needs to be much greater awareness and stronger warnings.”
In response, a spokesperson for Unilever, the company that owns Persil, expressed concern over the incident, calling it “one accident too many.”
They emphasized that their products are not intended for children and feature child-resistant packaging and warning labels. The company confirmed it has contacted the family and is considering revising the safety information and warnings on its products sold in Australia.