Procter & Gamble has issued a voluntary recall of 8.2 million bags of Tide, Gain, Ace, and Ariel brand laundry detergent packets due to a ‘risk of serious injury.’ The company announced that the bags can split open near the zipper track, posing a risk to children and others if the contents are ingested. Ingestion of a large quantity of any surfactant-containing household cleaning products can cause death among individuals with underlying health issues, according to the recall notice. Additionally, there’s a risk of skin or eye injuries.

While P&G stated that there were no confirmed cases of incidents or injuries directly related to the packaging defect, the company received four reports of children in the U.S. accessing the liquid laundry packets, with three reportedly ingesting the detergent. However, it is not known if these laundry packets came from recalled bags.

Consumers who have purchased the affected bags are advised to immediately secure them out of sight and reach of children and contact Procter & Gamble for a full refund and a free replacement child-resistant bag to store the product. The affected bags were sold from September 2023 through the present at major retailers nationwide and online at various retailer websites, with prices ranging from $5 for one 12-count bag to $30 for a box with four 39-count bags.

The recall includes select types of Gain Flings, Tide Pods, Ace Pods, and Ariel Pods. Consumers can check if their bags are affected by visiting the manufacturer’s special website, www.pg.com/bags, and submitting a photo of the recalled product that shows the lot code.

Procter & Gamble’s proactive approach to the recall aims to ensure the safety of consumers and prevent any potential harm caused by the defective bags of laundry detergent pods.