Closer Look: Purex Insider Review- Purex Complete Crystals Softener AND A GIVEAWAY

  A month back I was notified that I'd been accepted into the ranks of the Purex Insiders Program.  I've been using Purex Laundry products since last year when we moved and I needed to find a lower cost high-efficiency laundry detergent that wouldn't trigger the numerous allergies in my household.  In my search, I found the Purex brand of laundry products (their detergent generally runs between $3 and $8 a bottle depending on bottle size- I've picked it up often for .50 cents using coupons combined with great sales.)

  Sheepishly, I was going through a stack of mail that had been deposited on my desk, and at the bottom of it all, I found a sample package of Purex Complete Crystals Softener.

     Let me start by saying, the plain brown paper box held one of the most beautifully packaged samples I've ever opened.  It was almost too pretty to use!  I did end up testing the product pretty thoroughly as they'd sent enough sample for me to wash four loads of laundry.

     I was sent a sample in the Fresh Spring Waters scent.  It was intriguing in it's own way, a bottle filled with delicate crystals in a pale blue shade.  The smell was a clean scent, just lightly soapy and floral without being overwhelmingly strong.

This is a full sized product, my sample was significantly smaller.

     Information that was sent with the sample let me know that these crystals are a non-oil based fabric softening medium made from 92% natural ingredients.  I know from past research that oil-based fabric softeners tend to coat clothing to provide that "soft" feeling.  This coating makes fabrics less likely to wick water away (in the case of sports wear or towels) and can lessen the flame retardant quality of childrens' sleepwear.

     Usage was very simple:  Just pour the correct amount of crystals directly onto your laundry- not into the fabric softener dispenser.  The premise is that they'll dissolve away in the wash and leave your clothing soft even through the dryer.

---My first load went well.  The crystals did indeed melt away, there was no grainy residue left on my laundry.  My towels and other clothing items were soft and gently fragrant.  I tossed them into the dryer and let them run.  End result: soft clothing.
---The second load went similarly.  The difference with this load, that I want to point out, is that I had a few items in it that couldn't be placed in the dryer- some lingerie and a couple of sweaters.  I hung those to dry and waited for them to get that stiffness that seems to come from line drying clothing.  They did get stiff.  However, it was by no means as stiff or rough textured as they would get from not using fabric softeners.    A quick shake and these items were also soft and pliable again.

My Opinion: I like the product.  So far it hasn't triggered any allergies in anyone.  It was as easy to use as a liquid fabric softener.  It drastically reduced the amount of static electricity in my laundry- something I tend to notice a lot in dry, cold wintry weather.  I'm enjoying the towels being soft without oily.  (I'm a HUGE dry towel fan.)  In short, Purex Complete Crystals Softener does exactly what it claims to do: give you soft clothing using more natural, non-oil based ingredients.  Will I purchase the product in the future?  Seriously, it will depend on how great of a sale I can find on it.  It's definitely on my list of preferred products- those products I look for first when I go shopping.  If the price is right, I'll be stocking up.

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Disclaimer: While product samples have been provided by the sponsor, I am not paid or reimbursed for my review.  The opinions above (be they good or bad) are 100% my own and are not swayed by anything other than my own experiences with the product.

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BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

How would you like to test Purex Complete Crystals for yourself?

I will be giving away vouchers for a FREE full size bottle of Purex Complete Crystals Softener to a few lucky readers on April 7th.  Check out the ways to enter below:

Mandatory Entry: YOU MUST DO THIS FIRST OR NO OTHER ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED!  Go to the Purex site and take a look around then come back and leave me a comment with which scent of Purex Complete Crystals you'd buy with your voucher, should you win.

Other Entries (Please leave a separate comment telling me each time you do one of the following) :

For ONE extra entry, follow my site using blogger's follow feature.

For ONE extra entry, follow my site using Google's follow feature.

For TWO extra entries, get a friend to visit my site and leave a comment with your name.  (Both of you will get entry credit!)

For TWO extra entries, blog about my giveaway.

For TWO extra entries, write a public Facebook post about my giveaway.