An Australian family is speaking out after their 4-year-old daughter suffered severe eye damage from a common household item — a laundry pod.
Little Luca de Groot was helping her mother, Jodi Lowe, with the laundry when the child bit into a Persil (sold as Omo in Australia) washing pod. The pod burst in her face, leaving her in agony. In a panic, Luca tried to wipe the substance away, inadvertently spreading it into her eyes.
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| Kennedy News |
Jodi quickly rushed her daughter into the shower and tried to rinse her face, following the label’s instructions to flush the eyes with water and seek medical advice. But Luca's condition rapidly worsened, prompting an emergency trip to the hospital.
Despite four attempts by medical staff to flush her eyes, the damage persisted, and Luca was taken into emergency surgery. Over the following days, she required not one, but three operations—including an amniotic membrane transplant—to aid in the healing process.
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| Kennedy News |
Luca spent 16 days in the hospital. While her vision is gradually returning, she remains partially blind in one eye.
“Her sight in her left eye isn’t fully there yet but is coming back slowly,” Jodi told the Daily Mail. “She has a slight vision impairment. It’s been pretty traumatic. It’s not easy seeing your daughter in so much pain with nothing you can do.”
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| Kennedy News |
Now, Jodi is calling for stronger warnings on laundry pod packaging, insisting the current advice is insufficient.
“They say to keep them away from children, but the packet doesn’t mention that you might need to go to hospital. It just says ‘seek medical advice.’ That’s not enough,” she said. “I didn’t realise the extent of the injuries they could cause. You wouldn’t think contact could lead to chemical burns, multiple surgeries, and over two weeks in hospital.”
She’s urging parents to take extra precautions and is calling for manufacturers to increase awareness about the risks.
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| Kennedy News |
In response, a Unilever spokesperson, the parent company of Persil, expressed sympathy and acknowledged the severity of the incident.
“Accidents like this are one too many. Our products are not intended for use by children, and the packaging includes child-safety closures and visible warnings,” the spokesperson said. The company confirmed it had contacted the family and is reviewing its safety messaging in Australia.
This story is a powerful reminder: keep laundry products securely stored out of children’s reach.
Please consider sharing this article with others to raise awareness.
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