Liquitabs - why buy them?

jellyhead

coolcait wrote: »

Just read this article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-24052303

From a moneysaving point of view, I don't find liquitabs the most economical choice for laundry.

From a family point of view, there appears to be a risk if you have small children. Though it's not quite clear how much you could manage that risk by choosing appropriate storage options.

I guess I just don't 'get' why a family with small children would buy a detergent option which looks like sweeties. Especially when it's not the most economical detergent option on the market.

No doubt I'm missing something. Would you buy liquitabs (especially if you have small children)? Why/why not?

They don't look like sweeties in my opinion, but children have been known to eat soap powder, drink bleach etc. so of course I have a cupboard lock.

When my son was 6 I changed my kitchen cupboard and didn't put a lock on the new one. My nephew ate a bit of my soap powder :eek: (only a tiny bit before I got to him, but liquitabs are very concentrated and would be more dangerous).

So, I think relatives and friend's houses can be just as dangerous for children. When blind cords were in the news after a baby died we all said that our blinds had safety thingumyjigs ... but my inlaws house didn't.

While it's the parents job to keep such things away from small children, I also think that changing the lid would be a good idea because liquitabs are very easy to open. We have childproof lids on bleach, paracetamol bottles etc. for a reason, because even though they should be kept away from small hands, they often aren't.

Vicky123

My son had Pica when he was young and still does to a degree, he is disabled, have got used to locking everything away, the tabs are not the only problem, any bubbly foamy stuff would be poured down the sink or worse drunk!
I buy the tabs when they are on offer, but then I always go for whatever's on offer and wouldn't miss the bargain because I don't want to bother with precautions.

mazza111

Agree it's definitely a parenting issue. When mine were kiddies I had locks on cupboards that stored anything that was hazardous, but then I supervised my kiddies too. I understand you can't watch them every second of every day, but that's why they should be locked.

If/when I become a grandparent (not too soon I hope) I'll buy the locks again for my own house or store them up high. Probably up high as I probably couldn't operate a child lock now :rotfl:

KxMx

Tablets (compressed powder) and being replaced by liquitabs in more and more places, especially own brand. Wilko for example only do own brand liquitabs (smaller quantity higher price compared to the previous tablets) and not tablets any more.
So it's either premium brands for tablets like Airel or powder as alternatives to liquitabs. Choice is much narrower than it used to be.

Dimey

I have a washer/dryer and used to buy liquitabs. Till the day I took my clothes out and found the plastic from the liquitab stuck to my clothes.

On this occasion I guess the plastic didn't dissolve properly and then got fused to my clothes in the final hot drying process.

I just use liquid soap now.

Counting_Pennies_2

I use them, and have done since they came on the market.

Fantastic, no measuring no mess in the washing machine or dishwasher drawer.

My children know not to go in the cupboard, likewise not to stick your head in a cooker or grab a pan of scalding water.

Whenever they went near the cupboard as a tot I would say no, and they have not had the slightest interest in the cupboard since. Equally they would not be daft enough to put them in their mouth, and that goes right from toddler hood.

Every child will learn right from wrong if it is taught to them. If they are of a type that they can't be trusted with any dangerous item then surely the parent would put it in a locked cupboard or up high.

A non issue as far as I am concerned in terms of the management of children and dangerous items

Alikay

Dimey wrote: »

I have a washer/dryer and used to buy liquitabs. Till the day I took my clothes out and found the plastic from the liquitab stuck to my clothes.

This happened when I tried them too and it was blamed on my machine being a low-water model. I had put the liquitab into the machine first as they suggested, and didn't overload it ether but it still happened a couple more times. I used up the rest of the pack by dissolving them in a jug first and won't bother buying them again.

bluenoseam

Do we REALLY need to make the world a more sterile environment to support people who lack common sense? Ultimately I'm of the brigade that thinks if you're not smart enough to put them out of reach then you're not intelligent enough to be breeding!

Tiddlywinks

Again... lets blame everyone else and not accept the responsibility we have of keeping our own homes as safe as possible for our children.

LEJC

coolcait wrote: »

I guess I just don't 'get' why a family with small children would buy a detergent option which looks like sweeties.

Ive just got some rather fetching purple and blue and white ones...they dont remind me in the slightest of sweets...more a bloodshot eyeball!