They are colorful and they are supposed to be convenient, but there are some new complaints about the laundry detergent Tide pods.
Consumer Reports says its noticed a number of complaints about the Tide Pods leaving purple and blue stains on clothes. In some cases, there are reports the pods are not dissolving.
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On its website, Consumer Reports notes the Pods have previously tested very well in its testing. Consumer Reports says it contacted the manufacturer Proctor and Gamble to see what's going on.
"The most common contributors to the development of a blue/purple stain on fabrics is not placing the pack into the washing machine drum BEFORE adding the clothes and/or overstuffing machine with laundry," wrote Tracey L. Long of Proctor and Gamble in an email. "This is important to ensure machine has enough space to provide the agitation needed for the best clean and to maximize contact with 'free water' in the machine."
Proctor & Gamble also offered these suggestions:
Do not place the pod in the dispenser drawer.
Do not open the pod/pac or use for pretreating.
Do not use Tide Pods in prewash cycles.
The company also offered guidance for customers who may have clothes that have already been stained. It says the stains should come out after
being washed again. If not, here's another approach:
Rinse the stain under hot water to remove as much as possible.
Gently wring the excess water from the item and lay it out flat.
Apply household rubbing alcohol to the stain, making sure it covers the entire stain. (Test on similar fabric or inside fold first.)
Let the stain soak for at least 10 minutes-the longer the better.
Using warm or hot water, rinse the fabric. This should remove the stain.
If the stain has not been completely removed, repeat the steps above.
To read more about the Tide Pod problems follow this link to the Consumer Reports website.