Wednesday, March 9, 2011

It Smells Like Spring In Here! AND.. A GIVEAWAY!

I am going to break with my regular-type of posts and give a review of something that I think everyone who does laundry will want to try. Boring? Maybe. But, in my house of 8 people, doing laundry is a daily evil chore necessity and anything that makes it more pleasant is a winner in my book!  Today's post also comes with a give-away (yay!)! And, if we all play our cards correctly, I may just be able to do a bigger give-away in a few weeks which would be stinkin' AWESOME!

I definitely recommend products that I use and love. I also warn people about products that are awful. Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that I will not steer you wrong on anything that has to do with baby/child items, books, food, or cleaning products. I'm also a big proponent of anything natural. So, when the wonderful people at Purex sent me a free sample of their latest fabric softener, Purex Complete Crystals Softener, I was intrigued. Skeptical, but intrigued.


There are a lot of products out on the market that claim to be "natural" and "work just like magic!", but very few pass my personal test. They either end up being not-even-close to natural, or they are 100% natural and can't perform the task they were "so perfectly designed for". So, I read the ingredients and the fact sheet that Purex sent along with the product. Here's what I learned:

  • Purex Complete Crystals are 92% natural. I respect their honesty. They are not 100% natural, and they are upfront about it. 
  • Purex Crystals are not oil-based, like most traditional fabric-softeners.
  • Oil-based softeners can reduce your towels' absorbency, as well as effect other fabrics adversely.
Being a dryer-sheet-kind-of-girl, I really didn't want to like this product, but I thought, "What the heck? It's free. Give it a whirl!". Yeah, I really like to live on the edge.

So, the next day, my 10-year-old daughter and I decided to try out these crystals (she, also, has a bit of the wild-child in her). The directions were simple enough: pour the crystals with the clothes and the soap into the washing machine drum. *Side note: We performed a "sniff test" to check out the aroma and were underwhelmed.*
When the load was finished, we went downstairs to switch it to the dryer. What we first experienced when we opened the door of the washer was quite pleasant. It smelled very fresh and clean, and not at all like the crystals in the bottle had smelled. "Interesting,", I thought, "but will it make my clothes soft and deal with that garsh-awful static cling?" (Really, I thought that. Well, maybe "garsh-awful" was a bit milder than the original version)

Fast forward to the dryer signal buzzing. I marched downstairs and opened the dryer door with a flourish that said, "OK, dazzle me. Prove me wrong!". I was immediately greeted by a slightly more powerful (but not over-powering) aroma that was similar to what the laundry had smelled like in the washer, but now reminded me of what laundry hung outside to dry smells like. Dare I say, fresh sunshine and warm summer breezes??? And, I wore a dress with tights the other night, and had ZERO issues with static cling.

Anyway, it's been about a week since I've started using the crystals and my bottle is empty. I feel the need to purchase more. My kids are burying their noses in the laundry basket when they are doing their folding chores and my husband and I have caught each other smelling our own clothes.

Overall:
  • I appreciate not having those little leftover, worn-out dryer sheets lying around.
  • My towels are really soft, although I can't say I've noticed a difference in absorbency.
  • I like the fact that we are using less chemicals on our clothes, therefore less chemical on our bodies.
  • I like that the crystals don't stain my clothes like liquid fabric softener does.
  • Laundry is more exciting to do when you add "crystals"; like a medieval witch's brew or a mad scientist's experiment! (Trying to appeal to the under-13 crowd, folks)
  • I am still having a tiny issue with measuring and pouring the crystals into the washer and trying not to spill everywhere, but that might just get better with time.
So.... Who would like to give these Purex Crystals a whirl? The kind folks at Purex also sent me a coupon for a free bottle of crystals, and I'd like to spread the joy! Kindly leave a comment below about laundry or fabric softener or summer breezes or mad scientists (you get the point!), and next Tuesday, I will randomly draw one name as the recipient of the coupon for a free bottle of crystals! Also, I'd like to hear back from that person after he/she tries the crystals and compare notes.

Maybe, if we get enough people to post comments AND start following the blog, the lovely people at Purex will send more free coupons and we'll have a real humdinger of a giveaway!! Pass this blog link on, share it on Facebook and Twitter, tell your grandma!

4 comments:

  1. I posted a little link on FB....but you won't know that until sometime at the end of April. =)

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  2. Thanks!!! Let's generate some traffic and comments!! Of course, if no one else comments, you win by default!! lol

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  3. I was hesitant to try the crystals, but your review may have changed my mind. I also dislike the occasional stain the liquid will leave behind, I am NOT a fan of sheets, and the new "scent pearls" in a certain liquid softener that I am usually faithful to are overpowering to the extent that they are causing asthma symptoms in my more sensitive offspring.

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  4. Hi Christine! Honestly, the perfume on the crystals, while quite pleasant, is strong & long-lasting. That said, 3 of my kids have asthma & have not been adversely affected so far. Hopefully, we've found a nice alternative for fabric softeners! And, if for those of you who don't win the free bottle, this week's Sunday newspapers had a coupon for these crystals and many stores had them on sale, so it's a good time to buy! :-)

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