Knitting Zeal's two cents: Laundry day just became a bit softer...

I recently became a Purex Insider which will give me an opportunity to check out new products from Purex and share my findings. Being a stay at home mom means that I do laundry a lot! (Not that I didn't have to do laundry before being a mom, but now it seems to never end.) I try to get most of our laundry done on Mondays and Tuesdays so that I feel less overwhelmed. I have been a fan of fabric softener for years. I have super sensitive skin, which is often dry (especially my hands) so touching stiff or rough clothing annoys me. I especially hate scratchy towels! Unfortunately, using traditional liquid fabric softeners negatively affects the absorbency of towels, since it coats the fibers with oils.

Purex has introduced a great new product that will help my laundry days immensely: Purex® Complete Crystals Softener ^TM

UNIQUE CRYSTAL FORM, 92% NATURAL FABRIC SOFTENER Introducing Purex® Complete Crystals SoftenerTM*; a purer way to get laundry that smells clean and fresh for weeks. 92% natural, this product’s unique crystal form works differently than traditional oil-based softeners that coat fabrics with oily residue, because it infuses fibers with long-lasting fragrance. In addition, since you add it directly with your laundry, this means no more waiting for the rinse cycle, no messy residual gunk in your washing machine, and no more stains from spilling liquid fabric softener.

CRYSTALS DISSOLVE INFUSING FABRICS WITH FRESHNESS Laundry scent lovers will perk up as freshness is infused into clothes with this new fabric softener. Over time, traditional oil-based softeners coat fibers causing harmful oily residue to accumulate. Purex Complete Crystals Softeners penetrate fabrics to reduce fiber entanglement and smooth frayed fibers providing a naturally soft feel.

SAFE FOR ALL LAUNDRY AND BETTER FOR FABRICS Do ALL of your laundry—worry free! Purex Complete Crystals Softeners are safe for all laundry and will not harm, wear down or discolor your fabrics like oil-based softeners. Safe for all fabrics, including baby clothes, athletic wear, towels, and whites. Unlike other softeners, Crystals WILL:

• Preserve the flame retardant benefits of your children’s clothes
• Retain your athletic wear’s wicking ability which draws sweat away from your body
• Maintain your towels’ built-in ability to absorb water
• Keep your white clothing from yellowing and graying vs. using traditional softeners

The product won’t harm your clothes and is safe and convenient for the entire family!
* Safe for use in both Standard and High Efficiency (HE) washers

I know I overuse my liquid softener, especially when I find myself wasting precious time cleaning out the accumulated softener gunk that adheres to the inside of my softener dispenser. I received a sample sized container of Purex® Complete Crystals Softener ^TMin the Fresh Spring Waters ^TMfragrance. I decided to use it in this week's laundry loads. So far I've done four loads of laundry, all clothing. I've noticed several things:

the clothes come out of the dryer smelling great and very lightly scented.
there is no residue left in the washer, as the crystals dissolve completely.
there is no static cling.
the fabrics/clothing feels soft, but not as soft as with my liquid softener, which often leaves the fabrics feeling "coated" with something. The fabrics actually feel the way they should, very natural, not scratchy or irritating.

Overall I am very pleased with the quality of this product. I will next use it to run a few loads of towels and sheets to see how it works with them. I am also curious as to how long the scent lasts on the fabrics. While I tend to not care for much perfume or scents added to anything, the scent of crystals is not overwhelming. There are also a lavender and tropical scents available and I am looking forward to checking those out as well. (My ideal scent would be a lavender vanilla!) I really love that the crystals do not affect the absorbency of my towels or athletic clothing and that they are safe for my son's clothing.

Currently (as of yesterday) Purex® Complete Crystals Softener ^TMis available for purchase at Walmart and will be available at other retailers early in 2011.

Purex has generously offered to giveaway to three of my readers a coupon for a free bottle of Purex® Complete Crystals Softener ^TM.

(Mandatory entry!) To enter for a chance to win a coupon, please leave a comment below with a laundry tip or fun(ny) laundry fact.
For a second entry, "like" KnittingZeal on Facebook.
For a third entry follow me on Twitter @knittingzeal.
For a fourth entry "like" Purex on Facebook.
For a fifth entry follow @Purex on Twitter.

The first entry is mandatory...any others are optional!

Please leave a separate comment for each entry and be sure to include your email address so I can contact you! Purex will be responsible for mailing each winner the coupon. This giveaway will end on January 14, 2011 at 11:00pm, EST. At that time, three winners from the comments will be selected by Random.org, and those selected will be contacted via email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected! Good luck and thanks for reading!!

Disclosure: I am a Purex Insider. While I do receive complimentary sample products from the Purex® brand, my opinions are my own!