Not because one detergent pod is going to “cause cancer” — but because cancer risk is influenced by cumulative, long-term exposures, and laundry detergent is something most households use multiple times a week for decades on clothing that sits directly against the skin. Some laundry detergents, including pods, are made using ethoxylated surfactants. During this manufacturing process, a contaminant called 1,4-dioxane can be present at trace levels. Why this matters from an oncology perspective: •