Review and #Contest - Purex Crystals Aromatherapy

As a Purex Insider, I am often given the opportunity to test out products for free. The products are provided to me by Purex but I am under no obligation to do anything, as far as I'm concerned - I don't have to say nice things and I don't have to write a review at all if I don't feel like it.

This time around, I jumped at the chance to try Purex Crystals Aromatherapy - because I misunderstood what the product was. Wait, stop. I'm not saying I didn't like the product (I did, you'll see), but I am saying I didn't realize that this was not Purex Crystals fabric softener. The fabric softener aspect of the Crystals seems to have been removed completely and all that remains is dryer sheets under the "Crystals" label. And I am very, very disappointed at this - I liked the fabric softener crystals because they smelled nice, had reasonable ingredients, and actually worked - even on my workout clothes. But now it's just a fragrance booster, which is...whoopdedoo?

Purex Crystals Aromatherapy - not to be confused with fabric softener

 I mean, I've noted this before here in reviews - I do like pleasantly scented things, but I don't necessarily want my everyday clothing to smell like anything. I gravitate toward free and clear detergents in part because of this. I like to wear BPAL fragrance oils, for example, and I don't want them competing with my clothing. To me, "scent" doesn't equal "clean."

HOWEVER, on the other hand, I do like my towels to have a light scent - and sometimes my sheets too. So when I get a scented product like this to try, I use it on my towels and I judge it just on how well it works on my towels.

Purex Crystals Aromatherapy works just fine. I was sent the "Energy" scent, which is citrusy (more orange than lemon, I'd say), and it made my towels smell nice. I can't really say much more than that - they weren't softer and they weren't cleaner. They just smelled nice. It wasn't overpowering and it has lasted a few days (which also makes my linen closet smell nice, a little bonus). It's not a product I'd necessarily seek out in the future, but I am curious about the other scents. (I think I'd prefer "Serenity," which supposedly is calming and smells like water lilies, to "Energy.")

I was also sent two coupons to give away to two readers of A Place to Write Things who might like to try Purex Crystals Aromatherapy. Judge for yourself. If you like to add scent to your clothes, this will do that. Also it's absolutely fun to try new things. So check out the Rafflecopter widget, do the tasks honestly (I'll disqualify you if you cheat), and enter. US residents only. Contest runs from October 15, 2014, to October 22, 2014.

Thanks for reading!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Purex No Sort for Colors Detergent: Stop Sorting Your Laundry! Review & Giveaway - Win a Free Bottle!

I'm a Purex Insider, and recently I was given the chance to try out new Purex No Sort for Colors detergent for free. I was not compensated beyond the free bottle (and the coupons I'm going to give away in a minute) and they can't make me say anything I don't want to say.

So.

The truth is that I rarely sort my laundry into lights and darks anymore. I just don't have the time. But because I don't do that, sometimes dyes do bleed into one another in my washing machine. I just sort of accept that fact as part of my life. And sometimes I leave one or two items of clothing out of my main laundry load because I am afraid that it/they will bleed. That's why I found Purex No Sort for Colors detergent so intriguing.

What I don't like about most specialty detergents is that they are often overly scented. I like to wear scented oils and perfume and I do not like those choices competing with my clothing's smell. But at the same time, I can't lie, I don't mind any of this on my towels and linens - I like those to have a light floral or soapy scent. While I use dye-and-perfume-free detergent for just about everything I wash - my clothes, my husband's clothes, my kid's clothes - if I get a scented detergent sample (or, in this case, if I get to try a whole bottle for free) I'll earmark it for towels and I'll enjoy it. I wish that Purex No Sort for Colors came in a free and clear/no perfume/no dye version - but when I used it on my towels, the scent wasn't too overpowering and I didn't mind it.

What I do like is that Purex No Sort for Colors detergent works to prevent color bleeding. It got my towels clean, and it seemed to work as promised. I won't be worried going forward when, as always, I don't have time for sorting my sheets and towels (and maybe, sometimes, my clothing) and I mix my colors and my whites - I feel comfortable knowing that the dyes won't bleed because the detergent will trap loose dyes to help avoid color bleeding accidents.

Look at all those towels! And none of the dyes bled onto one another AND everything was soft, clean, and nicely scented.

Do you want to win a coupon for a free bottle of Purex No Sort for Colors detergent so you can try it too? Go for it! Two winners. U.S. addresses only. Contest runs April 14, 2014 to April 20, 2014. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review and #Contest! Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi - Win a Free Package!

The Purex brand provided me with a sample of Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi in exchange for a product review. The brand also provided me with the coupons for the contest. All opinions are my own and that's always obvious but I have to say it.

Laundry detergent capsules in general are definitely appealing. I don't have to measure anything, there's no dripping, no waste, no fuss. I just shove it in the drum of my washing machine and go about my business. So those are the things I really liked about Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi. Plus, the UltraPacks worked in my HE washing machine, so that's good. Also, the scent was nice - sort of a soapy, rainy, pleasant scent. That's fine.

Bottom line: Purex UltraPacks plus Oxi (with Zout stain removers) definitely helped to remove stains as far as I can tell. My clothes looked and felt clean. So the packs did the job.

Now...well, here are the things I didn't like: The scent, while it wasn't unpleasant, was so strong that I wound up rinsing my clothes three times (twice with vinegar) to get everything under control. And it filled my entire (very small) laundry space. I've said it before, I'll say it again - why can't these capsules come in a free and clear version? Why do they have to be blue and stinky? Also, the warning on the package that I had to wash my hands immediately after using? That was a bit disconcerting (and let me assure you - I washed my hands!). I know it's likely just a common sense warning, and of course I'd wash my hands if I got liquid or powder detergent on them too, but still.

If these were on sale and I had a coupon, I'd consider buying them again to use in my towel laundry (strong scents don't bother me quite as much with towels as they do with clothing). And they really are easy to use, so that's a huge plus if you want to save time and just be able to throw everything around and go and not have to fuss with adding extra stain removers and so on.

Want to try these for yourself? Enter my contest and you can win one of three coupons for a free package of Purex UltraPacks with Oxi! (Open to U.S. residents only. Sorry!) You have until Friday October 4. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest: Win a bottle of Purex - and maybe win $1,000!

As a Purex Insider, I get to try a lot of fun things (and host contests!). Right now I'm trying out the new Purex plus Oxi, which the company claims is "the most powerful Purex detergent available." I'll share my review of it soon. Meanwhile, you can win one of three coupons for a free bottle of Purex plus Oxi laundry detergent so you can try it yourself!

To win one of the three coupons, use this handy dandy Rafflecopter thing!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Contest open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends October 26, 2012. Purex provided me with a sample of Purex plus Oxi so I could review it, but all opinions expressed on my blog are my own - obviously.

But wait, there's more! Purex is hosting a contest where the first prize is $1,000! ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS! Pretty sweet, huh? For that contest, you can enter right here or enter through the Rafflecopter widget! (Second prize is $25, which isn't $1,000, but it's not bad either, right?) You'd be doing me a huge favor if you'd click that link, whether you'd like to enter or not, as Purex is rewarding the Insider who drives the most traffic to the contest page with an extra prize. (Hooray, transparency!)

Good luck!!!

Quick Note - March 19, 2011

Thank you to everyone who clicked on the link I posted to learn more about Purex Complete Crystals (as part of my being a Purex Insider). I won $25!

Learn about Purex Complete Crystals Softener & Help Me Win! - March 3, 2011

Purex Complete Crystals - shiny!

I'm a Purex Insider, which means I get to try new laundry products, often before they hit the general market. Yesterday the FedEx man handed me a package with a generous sample of Purex Complete Crystals - their new fabric softener. I am really looking forward to trying this on my towels - the formulation of Purex Complete Crystals promises to not coat my towels with oils that will make them less absorbent and not to mess with my kid's flame-resistant sleepwear. Also it smells really good.

I'll post again when I've tried it - likely in the next few days - to let you know exactly what I think. But for now, if you could click and learn more about Purex Complete Crystals, you'd be doing me a huge favor - the blogger with the most clicks wins $500, and I could really use that right now. Please click! And then if you really want, share the following link on Twitter, Facebook, or wherever you want, and encourage others to both learn about Purex Complete Crystals AND help me win a great prize:

http://www.purex.com/MXTQEPZOXYOMU5360AXODMQMFIYLHZ

I believe in transparency in things like this, which is why I'm sharing the actual link with you and telling you exactly what's at stake. I also really think this product is interesting and that you might like it - I wouldn't bother talking about it otherwise. I also will tell you that my fabric softener of choice is plain, white vinegar - chemical free and super inexpensive. But there are times when I wish my clothes had a nice scent to them (I love scented candles, scented bodywash, scented oils...) and I do sometimes use a dryer sheet (scented or unscented) with my towels to make them softer and smell fresher. I hate that it can reduce their absorbency though, so I'm hoping I've found a new solution that works.

Thank you in advance for clicking, sharing my link, and learning about Purex Complete Crystals!