Man Loses Lawsuit After Allegedly Being Burned by Tide Pod Residue in His Sock

Who knew doing laundry could be so dangerous?

In 2019, Indiana man Larry Anderson sued Procter & Gamble and several affiliated entities for allegedly failing to adequately explain risks associated with coming into contact with Tide Pods, the company's signature detergent packets. On June 2, the Indianapolis division of the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Indiana ruled in favor of the defendants.

The suit followed an injury Anderson said he suffered in 2017. On August 14, he told the court, he was completing a 10-hour shift at his workplace, Kramer Furniture and Cabinet Makers in Edinburgh, Indiana, when his right foot began itching. Initially, he said, he thought the sensation came from wearing a new pair of steel-toed boots that did not "breathe well."

Once he returned home, he said, he removed his sock and shoe and saw the skin had "started to become kind of, like, really irritated and red-looking," according to court documents. He also noticed that the top of his sock bore a blue, oval-shaped stain that smelled strongly of detergent, which, he said, indicated that Tide Pod residue had caused the injury, according to The Mercury News.

The following day, Anderson sought treatment at a doctor's office, where he was told that the injury, which eventually blistered and turned into an open sore, was a chemical burn. It required medical care.

In court, Anderson contended that Procter & Gamble did not provide a sufficient warning to consumers about the dangers of Tide Pods on the product's packaging. Specifically, he argued that the company should be required to tell consumers "to inspect clothing after washing, but before wearing clothes." Furthermore, he said, the company should be required to inform consumers "that failing to inspect clothing after washing, but before wearing the clothes, could cause burns upon the skin."

However, the court rejected Anderson's case because the instructions that accompany the product clearly advise consumers who come into contact with its contents to "call your local Poison Control Center (or in US: 1-800-222-1222) or doctor immediately," according to the court documents. The instructions also advise consumers to "immediately rinse...skin with water for 15 minutes," the documents say.

To require Procter & Gamble to incorporate Anderson's proposed additions into Tide Pods packaging copy, Judge James Sweeney concluded, would be "distracting surplusage."

Despite, or perhaps because of, their popularity, Tide Pods have been the subject of some controversy. In 2018, eating them became an internet trend, prompting media coverage.

Newsweek reached out to Procter & Gamble for comment on the court's decision but did not hear back before publication.