An Australian family is warning others after 4-year-old Luca de Groot was temporarily blinded in one eye when a Persil washing pod burst in her face. Luca bit into the pod while helping her mom with laundry, causing the liquid to spray into her eyes. Rubbing her face made it worse.
Despite immediate rinsing and hospital care, doctors couldn’t flush the chemicals, requiring emergency surgery—followed by two more operations, including an amniotic membrane transplant. Luca spent 16 days in the hospital, and her vision is still recovering.
Her mother, Jodi Lowe, is now calling for stronger warnings on packaging, saying current labels don’t stress the severity of possible injuries.
Unilever, the company behind Persil (sold as Omo in Australia), said their products aren’t meant for children and that they’re reviewing safety advice.