Drinking Laundry Detergent: What will Happen?

Short Answer: If you accidentally drink laundry detergent, you may suffer from poisoning and severe irritation in your mouth, throat, stomach, and lungs.

Laundry detergent is a product that is used to clean clothes and fabrics.

It contains various chemical ingredients, such as surfactants, alkalies, bleaches, enzymes, fragrances, and optical brighteners, that help to remove dirt, stains, and odors from the fabrics.

If you accidentally drink laundry detergent, you may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, coughing, difficulty breathing, and irritation in the mouth, throat, and eyes.

This is because it contains substances that are harmful to the digestive and respiratory systems, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, formaldehyde, chlorine bleach, and phosphates.

Sodium lauryl sulfate can cause inflammation and damage to the mucous membranes and skin.

Formaldehyde can increase the risk of cancer and cause tissue necrosis and immune reactions.

Chlorine bleach can cause severe burns, blindness, pulmonary edema, and respiratory failure.

Phosphates can cause cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and death.

It is quite uncommon to drink laundry detergent due to its unpleasant taste and smell.

However, some people may accidentally ingest it if they mistake it for a beverage or if they have a mental disorder that causes them to crave non-food items.

You should seek medical attention immediately if you drink laundry detergent, as it can cause serious complications and even death.

Do not induce vomiting, as this may cause more damage to your throat and lungs.

Rinse your mouth with water and drink milk or water to dilute the detergent in your stomach.

To avoid accidental drinking of laundry detergent, you should store it in a safe place away from children and pets.

You should also label the container clearly and never transfer it to another bottle that may look like a drink.

You should also avoid using detergent pods, as they may look like candy or toys to children.

Finally, remember, laundry detergent is not a drink and should never be consumed.

It is a cleaning product that contains harmful chemicals that can damage your health and the environment.

Always use it with caution and follow the instructions on the label.

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About the Author

Abdur Rahman Choudhury

Abdur Rahman Choudhury is a nutritionist in West Bengal, India, with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biochemistry.

He has done his diploma in nutrition from Fabulous Body Inc (US), and completed various certification courses from several universities. He also has considerable research experience in PCOS.

Abdur currently lives in India and keeps fit by weight training and eating mainly home-cooked meals.

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