Have you ever used a towel and it made you feel like it was scratching the water off instead of absorbing it? Or have you ever snuggled up in a blanket and felt the softness embrace you and keep your warm? What makes one fabric scratchy and the other snuggly (aside from the possibility of one being canvas)? The difference is fabric softener.
About Purex® Complete Crystals SoftenerTM
The Review
Upon opening my sample of Purex Complete Crystal Softener, I was immediately intrigued. This wasn’t a thick gloppy liquid. It was a bottle of tiny blue crystals that actually look kind of like the rocks you put in a fish tank or possibly blue and clear sprinkles. But that’s just a superficial viewpoint of things. Beyond the fact that Purex Complete Crystal Softener is different because it is in a solid crystal form instead of a liquid fabric softener, it is also 92% natural and isn’t oil-based.
What does oil-based mean to you? Well, oil-based fabric softeners work by coating your clothing in oil, leaving a residue which can build up over time. If your clothes have a thin layer of oil over them, washing them won’t be as effective (since oil repels water.) In addition, items such as towels and dry-weave athletic wear depend on being able to effectively absorb moisture. If those items have thin coating of oil on them, then towels won’t dry and dry-weave won’t keep you cool as effectively as they should.
So instead of using oil, Purex decided to take a more natural approach. The ingredients for their Fresh Spring Waters Purex Complete Crystal Softener include sucrose (sugar) and bentonite (clay). At least I know what those are instead of a list of chemicals. The next question that follows is of course, how do they work?
I’ll tell you up front, when you open up your bottle of crystals, the fragrance is strong. It isn’t bad – it just smells super concentrated. Since those crystals are so powerful, you really don’t need to use a lot. The picture above shows the actual amount for one load, and I’d say that’s less than 1/4 cup. If anything it seems closer to about 3 tablespoons.
Simply add the crystals to your washer (I’ve done it either before or after the clothes are put in) and then start your washer cycle. No struggling to fill balls with liquid, or trying to catch the washer cycle at just the right time. Just throw it in and as the clothes are washed, the crystals dissolve, allowing the softeners to “penetrate fabrics to reduce fiber entanglement and smooth frayed fibers.”
The finished product – aka the fully washed and dried clothes – has the fragrance from the softener, but it’s much more subtle than in the bottle (as expected.) It’s stronger than another brand that I’ve used and it actually lasts throughout the day. With the other brand of softener, the fragrance fades as the clothing sits on the shelf, but with the crystals, I can sniff a shirt I’ve been wearing all day and it still won’t smell funky. Not only that, but my clothes are definitely soft. No scratch t-shirts here!
Purex Complete Crystal Softener is available in three scents: Fresh Spring Waters, Lavendar Blossom, and Tropical Splash. While the Fresh Spring Water is good, and probably the most masculine of the three, I’m really looking forward to trying the Tropical Splash. If you’ve tried that scent, please let me know what you thought about it. You can pick up your own bottle of Purex at Walmart and other food, drug and mass retailers.
Purex® Complete CrystalsTM Softener Online
The WiC Project Purex Complete Crystal Softener Giveaway
The Prize:
Three winners will receive a coupon for a FREE bottle of Purex Complete Crystal Softener.
To Enter:
- Visit www.purex.com and leave a comment telling me which Purex Complete Crystals Softener scent you want to try the most.
- For ONE bonus entry, follow Purex on Twitter and leave a comment with your Twitter handle or “Like” Purex on Facebook and leave a comment with your FB name. Feel free to drop a note telling them The WiC Project sent you. 🙂
- For ONE more bonus entry, subscribe to The WiC Project via reader or via email and/or “Like” The WiC Project on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know that you have.
For up to TWO Bonus Entries
The Rules:
Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM EST, January 24, 2011.
Visit our Giveaway Rules page for general giveaway rules that also apply to this giveaway.
Disclaimer: This post consists of my (and/or fellow tester) opinions only. Your experiences may be different. No compensation was given for this review/giveaway. I did receive a free product from the manufacturer or their representing PR agency to use and test for the purposes of this review. This did not affect the outcome of this review.
love the tropical splash i liked on facebook claudiasmigel and follow on twitter twitter.com/s1sboo2
liked the wic Project on facebook
I am a wic project email subscriber s1sboo@yahoo.com
I’d love to try Fresh Spring Waters the most
goldengoddiss09(at)gmail(dot)com
Follow WiC Project @WildOrchids09 on twitter
goldengoddiss09(at)gmail(dot)com
WiC Project email subscriber
goldengoddiss09(at)gmail(dot)com
lavender blossom
already subscribed to FB/Twitter and email 🙂
i want to try the lavender blossom. i love when my sheets and towels smell like lavender!
like to try the lavender blossom
mverno@roadrunner.com
ii qwould like to try lavender
timmiedeluca@comcast.net
timmiedeluca@comcast.net
subscribe
timmiedeluca@comcast.net
follow purex on twitter-gabbylowe
I think I would like Fresh Spring Waters scent.
Love to try the Lavender Blossom! tracietrump@yahoo.com
Like Purex on Fb! tracietrump@yahoo.com
Like you on FB! tracietrump@yahoo.com
Love to try tropical splash! dlcwins55@yahoo.com
I would love try out their lavender blossom scent. Thanks for the chance 🙂
I am following Purex on Twitter @vhenline, thanks
vhenline(at)gmail(dot)com
E-mail Subscriber, thanks
vhenline(at)gmail(dot)com
tropical splash i
Like to try the Lavender blossom scent..
I would like the lavender blossom.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I am a email subscriber.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE TROPICAL SPLASH
E-MAIL SUBSCRIBER
fresh spring waters
I want to try the lavender blossom.
I “Like” Purex on Facebook (Denise Hughes Frank Blados).
sub via email!
I would like to try Tropical Splash
email subscriber
I would love to try the lavender blossom!
chlorinebrain at sbcglobal dot net
Lavender Blossom
tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
i’d like tropical splash
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
i’d like tropical splash
nannypanpan at sbcglobal.net
e-mail subscriber
e-mail subscriber
I would like to try the Tropical Splash
jjak2003 at gmail dot com
I subscribe to Wic Project via e-mail
jjak2003 at gmail dot com
I would love to try the lavender scent!
I liked Purex on Facebook
I would love to try the Tropical Splash.
I “Like” Purex on Facebook and posted on their wall you sent me
(Tamara Bennington)
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
Email subscriber and like you on Facebook
(Tamara Bennington)
tamben7996(at)aol(dot)com
Tropical Splash would be the scent to try!
clemensrhonda@hotmail.com
follow Purex on Twitter
@rhonjerm
clemensrhonda@hotmail.com
“Like” Purex on Facebook
Rhonda W-C
clemensrhonda@hotmail.com
I’d like the lavender blossom.
humanecats at gmail dot com
I follow purex on twitter as humanecats.
I follow on gfc on google reader.
GFC follower kycouple2000.
ky2here at msn dot com
Following purex on twitter as ky2here1.
ky2here at msn dot com
I would like to try the lavender blossom
I “Like” Purex on Facebook @SaraLee I follow on twitter @s8r8l33
I “Like” The WiC Project on Facebook @Saralee
I would love to try the Lavender Blossom
I would like to try the Tropical Splash.
jessycafoster@hotmail.com
I follow Purex on twitter @jessyca81
jessycafoster@hotmail.com
I subscribe via email.
jessycafoster@hotmail.com
I want to try the spring waters scent first.
I’d like to try the fresh spring waters
ashleygatewood@mail.com
Purex twitter follower @shuggysmommy
ashleygatewood@mail.com
I subscribe via google reader
ashleygatewood@mail.com
FB fan of Purex (Cheryl Snyder)
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
FB fan of The WiC Project (Cheryl Snyder)
megalon22 at yahoo dot com
Tropical Splash sounds awesome!
I like purex on F!B Trisha B
I like purex on F!B Trisha B
I subscribe by email!
I subscribe by email!
I’d like to try the lavender
mcirish02 at hotmail dot com
I follow purex on twitter (mcirish02)
mcirish02 at hotmail dot com
I like the wic prject on facebook
mcirish02 at hotmail dot com
I like to try the lavender blossom scent sounds nice!Great giveaway thank you.
tishajean@ charter.net
Follow purex on twitter/latishajean
tishajean@ charter.net
Follow you on Facebook/latisha D
tishajean@ charter.net
I’d love to try Tropical Splash
I follow Purex on Twitter @RazzMyBerry
I subscribe through Google Reader
tweeted
http://twitter.com/#!/s8r8l33/status/29498343327531008
lavender blossom
nobodysangel113(at)yahoo(dot)com
follow purex on facebook (christina andre)
nobodysangel113(at)yahoo(dot)com
follow purex on twitter @moe92582
email subscriber
nobodysangel113(at)yahoo(dot)com
like u on facebook
I would like to try the tropical splash
thanks
like u on fb-julie S Laws
like Purex on fb-Julie S Laws
I would love to try tropical splash suelee1998 @ gmail.com
I would like to try the Tropical Splash.
mattandjen[at]gmail.com
I follow Purex on Twitter. (redjen76)
i want to try the fresh spring water
susansmoaks at gmail dot com