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Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean is a powerhouse of stain-fighting gel that has conquered some of the worst laundry stains I’ve ever faced, this summer. As I pre-treated them, ARM & HAMMER Power Gel Plus OxiClean HE Laundry Detergent clung to the fibers of my son’s detasseling clothes, instead of running off like [...]
Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean is a powerhouse of stain-fighting gel that has conquered some of the worst laundry stains I’ve ever faced, this summer. As I pre-treated them, ARM & HAMMER Power Gel Plus OxiClean HE Laundry Detergent clung to the fibers of my son’s detasseling clothes, instead of running off like a liquid will do. It hung on to the stain, breaking it down, even before I had tossed the clothes into the washer. It has been a great choice for our regular laundry, too. It delivered clean, fresh towels and clothing in every load. I love that it works in high efficiency machines and rinses clean without leaving any residue in my machine or on our clothes. The stain-fighting power of OxiClean with the freshness booster of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda is a winning combination!
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or over and a US resident to enter. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST), Sunday, August 28, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
What is you favorite time-saver or tip for doing laundry? Leave your answer in a comment below.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Arm and Hammer on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect by clicking the Join Button in the right-hand side bar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). Win a $25 VISA Gift Card from ARM & HAMMER Power Gel Plus OxiClean HE Laundry Detergent @busyathome @bhg http://ow.ly/5XYm1 Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Win a $25 VISA Gift Card from ARM & HAMMER Power Gel Plus OxiClean HE Laundry Detergent @busyathome @bhg http://ow.ly/5XYm1 Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
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This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is compensating me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Laundry Detergents. And be sure and head over to The Switch & Save Challenge for the chance to win $25,000.
I wish we were one of those AVERAGE families that only do about 400 loads of laundry per year. I’m guessing we are closer to the 600 range, since that’s closer to a dozen loads per week. I know, it’s sick and wrong, but, to be fair, and in the interest of full disclosure, I [...]
I wish we were one of those AVERAGE families that only do about 400 loads of laundry per year. I’m guessing we are closer to the 600 range, since that’s closer to a dozen loads per week. I know, it’s sick and wrong, but, to be fair, and in the interest of full disclosure, I actually HAVE previously mentioned that I do not live with neat and tidy people. That being said, I want to be as careful as possible to take all the frugal measures I can, in the laundry room. There are several ways to help keep costs down as I attempt to keep my family presentable and sanitary. 
- Always wash full loads. You will waste a lot of electricity, water (and gas if you have a gas water heater, like we do) by doing several small loads, as opposed to one or two full ones.
- Use cold water, whenever it is possible. We all want the cleaning and germ-fighting power of hot water for our towels, tough stains and whites, but for everyday washing without a lot of stain challenges, you’ll be amazed at what a good job cold water does with a good detergent, like Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean.
- Use a good detergent! Saving money is a big deal, especially in our present economy, but buying the cheapest product isn’t always the best value. If I have to wash something twice or more to get it clean, not only has a cheaper detergent not saved me money, it may have cost me even more, in electricity, gas and water costs. Finding a reliable detergent that can meet all your laundry needs in the first wash without buying additional products, like pre-treaters or stain removers, saves money in the long run and saves you time re-doing a job, that in my case, is not my favorite, anyway. Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean is a good example of a single product that can do multiple jobs in the laundry room.
- Use an energy efficient washing machine. When it comes time to replace your washer (Mine gasped it’s last and then belched a flood into my laundry room, last October.), look for a machine that has a good Energy Star rating to save on your energy costs to run it, but also look for a high efficiency machine that saves on water use, as well. Now, these efficient machines can be found in the same price range as conventional water guzzlers and it makes no sense not to make the switch. I’m loving my new LG high efficiency machine.
- Use the correct amount of detergent when you wash your clothes. Not enough and you run the risk of having to rewash a load, but too much is a problem, too, especially in high efficiency machines. HE machines have water pumps that can be adversely affected by high-suds detergents, so using the correct soap in the appropriate amount is critical to helping your machine function properly for a long time.
- If you are fortunate enough to have a clothesline, use it. This is actually an item you would never think of someone wishing for, but I do. The dollars you can save by simply hanging clothes on the line, rather than using a gas or electric dryer can be significant to your family’s budget. So, yes, in moments of weakness, I covet your clothesline. I’m working on that.
- Watch your local ads and online coupon sites for savings on the detergent that you know is the best value for your family’s cleaning dollar. Right now, you can print a coupon to save $1 on 2 of any Arm and Hammer Laundry Detergent. (You’ll actually find $14 in coupon savings there.) I LOVE saving money!
So with a little pre-planning and thinking it through, you can save some money in the laundry room and put a few dollars back into your family’s budget. Remember, putting only $19.24 into savings, each week, nets you $1,000 by the end of the year! What fabulous, fun thing could your family do or give with $1,000? See, it’s definitely worth the effort and it won’t be hard to get your family on board when they recognize the excellent pay-off, from their frugal efforts.
This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is compensating me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Laundry Detergents. And be sure and head over to The Switch & Save Challenge for the chance to win $25,000.
Our son is 15 this summer and has ventured into the workforce for the first time. Detasseling is a common job for teenagers in the Midwest and so, like many of his peers, he signed on with an exceptional crew and has been working about two weeks, now. Detasseling only lasts about 3-4 weeks. The [...]
Our son is 15 this summer and has ventured into the workforce for the first time. Detasseling is a common job for teenagers in the Midwest and so, like many of his peers, he signed on with an exceptional crew and has been working about two weeks, now. Detasseling only lasts about 3-4 weeks. The work is hot, very physical and exhausting. The young men and women working in the fields are tasked with removing the tassels from every female corn plant and leaving the tassels on the male plants, so that the male plants pollinate the entire field and create a brand new hybrid variety of corn. Hearing it defined, makes it seem not too tough. The reality is, quite frankly, exactly the opposite.
Before the past week of high, high temperatures (heat indexes over 110 degrees), we had experienced unusually heavy amounts of rainfall. With detasseling, like with all farming, you can’t really decide what your schedule will be. The crops and the weather decide that for you. Once the corn begins to tassel, there is a narrow window of time (3-4 weeks) that the tassels can be removed before pollination occurs. So, even though the fields were completely saturated, detasselers still got into the field. Fields aren’t always flat, so at the top of a hill, a row may be dry, yet, down at the bottom of the hill, there may be standing water. One day, in particular, our son worked through an area where water was up to his chest. Another day, the mud was so thick and deep it sucked the shoes right off his feet. Even on days when it is dry and hot, the corn is still covered in dew when they first start working in the mornings. (That explains the garbage bag over his shirt in the pictures. He just peels it off when the dew has evaporated.
- This is how I send our son off each morning at 5:30 a.m. The white sticking out from under his sleeves is our makeshift tube-sock wrist guards. You can’t see the Wal-Mart bags on his feet because they’re inside his shoes. The garbage bag is, of course, obvious. .
Dressing for detasseling is a sort of comical, and yet, necessary task that must be handled with great care. Corn leaves are sharp and even as tall as my son is, the plants are often well over his and his coworker’s heads. Dressing to protect themselves from cuts and corn rash is a critical part of their early morning routine (We’re up at 4:30 to get ready and drive to meet the bus.). Every inch of skin has to be covered, even when he pulls off the waterproof gear once the dew is gone. His first layer is a t-shirt and long shorts with tube socks as high up on his leg as they will go. Then we cut the tops off tube socks to make “knee protectors”, since his socks just won’t reach that far. We cut the tops off a second pair of tube socks that he wears around his wrists. Then he puts on a pair of waterproof wind pants, a cotton, button-down shirt and a garbage bag with head and arm-holes cut out. Finally he ties a wild-west “robber style” bandana around his neck to protect his neck from the sharp corn leaves. The detasseling company provides him with gloves and a cap that has strong mosquito netting to protect his face. He also wraps duct tape around his feet, over his socks, to help prevent blisters, and then ties Wal-Mart bags over his socks to help keep his feet dry. Then he is ready to put on his shoes. Phew! What a process! I’m not gonna lie. He’s a sight! But, fortunately the entire crew looks just like him, so there is no issue with anyone “standing out” in the crowd.
At lunchtime, our son peels off the wind pants and then continues to work in the long shorts and “tall” socks, underneath. You can imagine what his shoes and socks look like at the end of the day of trekking through, mud, muck and mire, not to mention an occasional “wash-off” from a livestock feedlot. As soon as he gets on the bus, he peels off the button-down shirt, muddy shoes and socks and stuffs them all in a bag. When I pick him up in the afternoon, he is a muddy, smelly, exhausted mess. He slides on some sandals and rides to the pick-up spot, so I can pick him up and drive him home to bed. lol If I would let him, he would collapse into his bed, mud and all. But, while he is cleaning up, I’m left to empty the bag of mud-caked clothing and get it ready for the next morning.
Remember that wonderful, deep wash basin sink I shared with you in my previous post? It is perfect for this task! I empty the muddy mess into the bottom and start rinsing the clumps of mud away. I snapped a few pictures of what that experience is like. Yikes!
- That is mud caked on the sides and bottoms (and insides) of his tennis shoes after the first rinsing. See that black blob in the corner? That is his white tube socks and all the protective arm and knee guards we cut from white tube socks, wadded into one muddy mass. Yuck!
- Makeshift wristbands, cut from white tube socks, and rinsed as “clean” as I can get them before throwing them in the washing machine.
- Dirty socks and gloves, rinsed and ready for the machine.
I really didn’t hold out any hope that the socks would ever be white, again, but I’ve been testing Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean for the Switch and Save Challenge, so I decided to invest a little extra effort and see how it handled detasseling dirt. I rubbed the blue gel directly into the dirty cloth on our son’s gloves. I could see it breaking down the dirt, already, and the dark discoloration was already lightening before I put them in my washer.
- See the gloves are already somewhat lighter after massaging some Arm and Hammer Power Gel with Oxi Clean into the fabric.
I used the regular amount of detergent for my washer, but I also put a small amount of Arm and Hammer Power Gel with Oxi Clean into the prewash dispenser, too. Then I set my washer to wash in hot water and for heavy soil.
- I filled the detergent dispenser to the max fill line and added a little detergent to the prewash dispenser.
- This mess definitely needs hot water and heavy soil treatment.
I was so pleased with the results when the load was complete. Arm and Hammer Power Gel with Oxi Clean certainly didn’t get those grubby things “out of the bag” white again, but they were so much cleaner than I had expected. My only disappointment, initially, was in the gloves. I was lamenting to my son that I didn’t expect to ever be able to get them anywhere close to white, again, and he started laughing at me. “Mom, the gloves are gray. They were gray when they gave them to me.” lol
As I said, I had no illusions that these socks would ever be “white as new”, again, but I was pleasantly surprised at the results. That is much, much whiter than I had ever expected to see them. Arm and Hammer Power Gel with Oxi Clean definitely did its job! What a great surprise!
I have one more. Arm and Hammer is sponsoring another $25 VISA Gift Card Giveaway! I can’t believe how incredibly generous they have been. One of you will benefit from that amazing generosity.
Giveaway Rules:
You must be 18 or over and a US resident to enter. Winner will be selected in a random drawing using random.org. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST), Sunday, August 14, 2011.
Mandatory Entry:
What is the most challenging laundry mess your family has ever created? Leave your answer in a comment below.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Like Arm and Hammer on Facebook and leave a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect by clicking the Join Button in the right-hand side bar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link or in the right-hand sidebar. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- Tweet this giveaway (maximum of 1x per day, please). The world’s yuckiest laundry – cleaned with Arm & Hammer Power Gel PLUS win a $25 VISA Gift Card @busyathome @bhg http://ow.ly/5M9W2 Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. The world’s yuckiest laundry – cleaned with Arm & Hammer Power Gel PLUS win a $25 VISA Gift Card @busyathome @bhg http://ow.ly/5M9W2 Leave a comment below with a link to your post.
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This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is compensating me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Laundry Detergents. And be sure and head over to The Switch & Save Challenge for the chance to win $25,000.
I’m not gonna lie. I am probably one of the most spoiled blessed women I know. I have lived in homes where the laundry room was too tiny to do more than turn around in there with a basket, to ones where there was no laundry room, at all. (Picture, a five-gallon diaper pail filled [...]
I’m not gonna lie. I am probably one of the most spoiled blessed women I know. I have lived in homes where the laundry room was too tiny to do more than turn around in there with a basket, to ones where there was no laundry room, at all. (Picture, a five-gallon diaper pail filled with bleach water and dirty cloth diapers, on the way to the laundromat. It was the best, most rational reason I know, for switching to disposables! ) So, I have certainly been at the other end of the spectrum and no one is more painfully aware of just how amazing my current laundry room is. It’s HUGE!
It's a lovely and extravagently large laundry room. I couldn't get the camera angles wide enough to do justice to how spacious it is, so....
I took three pictures to try and round out your view of how great it really is. This is, of course, the bath area and the built-in cubby for the washer and dryer with 4 cupboards above.
There’s not only room for my washer and dryer, but a five-foot folding table and a shelf with hang bar, for hanging clothes above it. There’s a beautiful, large and extraordinarily deep wash basin sink, as well as a shower and toilet. It gets natural light and fresh air from the window and when it’s too hot for the window to be opened, this beautiful laundry room is air conditioned! I also have tons of beautiful cabinetry and storage space in there.
I love that deep sink and when hubby installed the shelf and hang bar, the room was complete. My wheeled hampers tuck in perfectly under the folding table. Yup, I'm definitely a very lucky woman.
Ya know what? I still HATE laundry. – lol – Don’t get me wrong, I understand how blessed I am to have people in my life who happen to get lots and lots of clothes dirty and how blessed we are to have the clothes we need. I get it, and appreciate that, but on a scale of 1 to 10, laundry is still probably at about a negative 11 on my list of favorite household chores. They can’t all be #1, right? I think part of the reason I dislike it so much is I am someone who likes to do a job or project all the way through without stopping. If I start it, I want to get it done and see the results. Laundry has stages — the sorting, the washing, the drying, the folding and hanging, and then finally the putting away. And frankly, by the time the final stage is reached, my many “blessings” can produce a whole new pile of laundry I need to get started on. As you can imagine, then, I’m no shrinking violet when it comes to asserting which products and procedures work for me, in this job. I’m picky and I tell it like it is. I’m not going to use anything that takes longer, costs more or is inefficient, causing me to have to re-do any part of the process. So, I’m excited that my Switch and Save Challenge for the next four weeks is Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean.
Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean is more than just a detergent, it can also be used as a pre-treater. A product that can do more than one job is always a plus and a money saver! It has the added power of Arm and Hammer Baking Soda for freshening laundry and the most amazing gel texture. I’ve never seen any other laundry detergent made in such a thick, gel formula. It’s a glossy, brilliant blue liquid/gel that is designed to work even in my high efficiency machine. The gel clings to and saturates fabrics, working hard to remove tough stains with its OxiClean boost and then rinses away cleanly.
The timing for this Switch and Save Challenge couldn’t be better, as I have a brand new laundry challenge in my home, this summer.
This is actually a very good day. Hardly any visible mud and muck on his legs and arms. He is often covered, head to toe and on Saturday, the slime was more of a cow dung nature. Yuck! I send him off each morning in waterproof windpants and long sleeves. As the dew on the fields dries and his mud-caked, sweat-drenched and grass-stained clothes become heavy and unnecessary in the heat of the day, he peels them off to reveal this outfit underneath. Those "crusty" clothes, along with mud-caked tennis shoes, are what comes home, stuffed in a bag, for mom each afternoon. That's when I need to work my magic, so he can take off and do it all over, again, the next day.
Stay tuned as I put Arm and Hammer Power Gel with OxiClean through its paces, decrusting and removing stains from the horrifying laundry our resident detasseler brings home, every afternoon, now. It’s going to be a valiant battle and from what I can tell, so far, Arm and Hammer Power Gel should be an excellent weapon tool!
This is a sponsored post for Church & Dwight Co., Inc, the maker of ARM & HAMMER branded products, who is compensating me to try different products. Save $1.00 on any 2 ARM & HAMMER Laundry Detergents. And be sure and head over to The Switch & Save Challenge for the chance to win $25,000.
Purex Complete with Zout Giveaway Winners: #10 Wanda M #198 Mandala Boves Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce Winner: #14 Lisa W Emails have been sent with info on claiming your prize. Please reply within 48 hours, with the requested shipping information. Congratulations to each one of you and thanks for participating in our giveaways. We have [...]
Purex Complete with Zout Giveaway Winners:
- #10 Wanda M
- #198 Mandala
Boves Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce Winner:
- #14 Lisa W
Emails have been sent with info on claiming your prize. Please reply within 48 hours, with the requested shipping information.
Congratulations to each one of you and thanks for participating in our giveaways. We have four giveaway promotions currently in progress. Be sure to enter for your chance to win each one!
As a Purex Insider, I have the great good fortune to let you know about the latest products Purex is releasing to help make your work at home easier to complete and easier on your budget. It’s no secret that I love Purex for the money they can save in our budget over other name [...]
As a Purex Insider, I have the great good fortune to let you know about the latest products Purex is releasing to help make your work at home easier to complete and easier on your budget. It’s no secret that I love Purex for the money they can save in our budget over other name brand laundry products. They do a fantastic job of cleaning and caring for the clothes my family uses every day and at a fraction of the cost.
I was able to test new Purex Complete with Zout Stain Remover, over the last several weeks, doing our regular laundry and using it to pre-treat two of our family’s most stubborn previously washed and dried stains. While this isn’t exactly a “fair” test, since these were definitely pre-set stains, I was curious how the Zout would do on them. My husband is a machine operator for an automotive parts manufacturer. Hands coated in machine-grease and oil are regular parts of his workday. Then those hands reach into his pockets for a key, a part or a pair of pliers, etc. The stains this creates around the pockets of his jeans are grimy, greasy and tough, and even using expensive detergents and pre-treaters, I have not been successful in removing it completely. I was anxious to give the Zout a chance to tackle this problem.
Pre-treating our grimy grease stains on work jeans.
I pre-treated the stained areas, applying Purex Complete with Zout Stain Remover and then allowing it to set for one hour. I then threw the jeans in with a regular load and found that they still had a faint gray haze of the stain. I wasn’t really upset or surprised, as the original stain had been washed and dried many times and then re-stained at work that day. After a second wash, the gray haze was still visible, but lighter than when I started. My conclusion was that tough stains that have been through your washer and dryer multiple times, already, may not be able to be removed with this new product.
I only pre-treated one side of the jeans, so I would be sure to be able to see the effects, if any, that the Zout Stain remover had on our set-in stain. In keeping with my menopausal absentmindedness, I spaced taking an "after" picture of the greatly faded stain. I will definitely get one if I conduct this test, again, with my brand-spanking-new washing machine.
My second test of long-term stains was tomato sauce on a t-shirt. Like the jeans, this shirt had been washed and dried previously. By the time I caught it, the stains were set. I used the Purex Complete with Zout Stain Remover to pre-treat the orangey stain and after an hour, washed it in a regular load. The stain was not removed completely, but is much fainter, so my results were pretty much the same.
Regular laundry and stained items that had not been through my dryer, first, washed up beautifully, without even needing to be pre-treated. I will also say that my washing machine was languishing, near death, (It exploded and created a small flood on my laundry room floor, on Friday. Oy!) when I conducted these tests. David installed a new high-efficiency washing machine for me over this past weekend, so my results may very well be different with this better machine and I may try again to remove some set-in stains. I’ll update this post if I do.
So, overall, Purex Complete with Zout Stain Remover did everything I expected it to do and almost succeeded in doing what I hoped for, but didn’t expect. It smelled wonderful doing it ( I tested the Fresh Morning Burst scent.) and as always, it’s a budget-conscious product that can easily be found at your local Wal-Mart or Target. For those with sensitive skin, or allergies to fragrance, this economical and effective product is also available in a Free & Clear variety. It works in conventional OR high efficiency machines, too. The great news is you can receive a FREE SAMPLE for yourself or win one of two full-size bottles that Purex is giving away, here at Busy-at-Home. The winners will receive a coupon, by mail, for a full-sized bottle!
Giveaway Rules:
Entrants must be 18 or older and residents of the U.S. to participate. Mandatory Entry must be completed for any additional entries to be counted. Deadline to enter is midnight (CST) Sunday, May 8, 2011. Winners will be selected at random, using random.org.
Mandatory Entry:
In a comment, below, share your most challenging stain story.
Optional Additional Entries:
- Follow Purex on Twitter and leave a comment, below, letting me know you did, as well as your Twitter handle.
- Like Purex on Facebook and leave a comment, below, letting me know you did, as well as your Facebook Name.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Like Busy-at-Home on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Google Friends Connect. Use the “Join” button in the right-hand sidebar. Leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it.
- Subscribe to the Busy-at-Home Newsletter with this link (or in the right-hand sidebar). You will receive an email confirmation with a link that must be clicked to confirm your subscription. Once you click the email link to confirm your subscription, leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
- TweetTweet this giveaway (1x daily) : Leave a comment below with a link to your tweet.
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I received a full-sized bottle of Purex Complete with Zout Stain Remover in order to conduct this review. No monetary compensation was received and a positive review was not required. As with all Busy-at-Home reviews, the views and opinions expressed are wholly my own. Purex has supplied two coupons for FREE full-sized bottles of Purex Complete with Zout for the giveaway winners.
If you already like Gain, you’re about to become one of their number one fans! They have partnered with HGTV’s Sabrina Soto to spread the news about their new Fresh and Clean Collection products. Normally, when I think of Gain, I think of laundry detergent, but now, these fabulous new scents can fill your home [...]
The Gain products I recceived to conduct this review.
If you already like Gain, you’re about to become one of their number one fans! They have partnered with HGTV’s Sabrina Soto to spread the news about their new Fresh and Clean Collection products. Normally, when I think of Gain, I think of laundry detergent, but now, these fabulous new scents can fill your home from the laundry room to the kitchen. The new Fresh and Clean Collection, featured at www.ilovegain.com, has something for everyone and three scents with an H.E. option for your high efficiency washing machines.
Original Fresh Liquid Laundry Detergent
In order to conduct this review, I received a package with four products from the Fresh and Clean Collection, the new Original Fresh Laundry Detergent, Original Fresh Liquid Fabric Softener, Original Fresh Dryer Sheets and the Original Fresh Dishwashing Liquid. Opening that box was a scent sensation! The fragrances surrounded me as soon as I had opened it. I knew I was going to enjoy having those fragrances fill my home. They smelled wonderful! So, now I just needed to determine if they cleaned as well as they created an aromatherapy experience.
Original Fresh Liquid Fabric Softener
The first products I tried, from the quartet, were the detergent and liquid fabric softener. We all know that laundry rooms can be one of the funkiest rooms in the house when it comes to smell. Obviously, these Gain products solved that issue. As the washer dashed and scrubbed and rinsed and spun, the whole room was filled with freshness. I couldn’t nail down one specific scent to describe it to you, so I checked the www.ilovegain.com site and discovered why. It’s created with a combination of scents that they describe as “Orange, lemon and blossoms with a modern fruity, green twist” and undertones of “White floral jasmine with a hint of woody amber”. So, while I didn’t pick up on any of the individual scents, the combination was a knock-out! I loved it!
Original Fresh Dryer Sheets
The laundry detergent did exactly what I had anticipated — cleaned our clothes. It did a fine job ,which I had never doubted, from the beginning. The liquid fabric softener was easy to use, just pouring it into the dispenser in my washing machine. It did leave some residue in the dispenser cup of my machine and even after several loads of laundry, not using the liquid fabric softener, the residue remained and had to be scrubbed out. The clothes rinsed in the liquid fabric softener were soft and static free. It left the damp clothes smelling fresh and amazing. Once the clothes had been through the dryer, however, the fragrance was essentially gone. I really did not notice even the slightest hint of that great fragrance in my dried clothes.
For the next laundry load, I used the detergent, again, without the liquid fabric softener and switched to the Original Fresh Dryer sheets. I got the same excellent results — squeaky clean clothes and soft, static-free fabrics. The scent from the dryer sheets was powerful as I put it in and I got to enjoy the fragrance as the warm dryer heated it and let it “freshen” my laundry room, however there was no lingering fragrance in the dried clothes as I pulled them from the dryer.
So, my final determination about the laundry products was that I was not going to have fragrance-infused clothing, however these products met every expectation we have of detergent and fabric softener. I had clean clothes, that dried up soft and static-free, and as an added bonus, my laundry room smelled amazing during the process! That’s a huge appeal and the aromatherapy during cleaning, made me feel a lot more motivated and enthusiastic about doing it.
Original Fresh Dishwashing Soap
I wasn’t aware, before this review, that Gain made dishwashing soap. It arrived in the same Original Fresh fragrance as the laundry products, so you can imagine the delightful smell as we cleaned up the kitchen and dishes. It made lots and lots of suds and I believe they lasted as long as any other dishwashing soap I have tried. I had no problem cleaning anything from glassware to a cast iron skillet used to fry hamburgers. Casserole dishes with baked on food, required only a brief soak and then came beautifully clean. I really enjoyed using Gain’s dishwashing soap. Again, I think the great scent that lingers in the kitchen as you are cleaning, really does something to inspire you to keep at the job.
Another fun feature of this campaign is the chance to ask questions for Sabrina Soto to answer on Gain’s Facebook page. Do you have a difficult “aroma” problem in your home that you’d like some help with? Post your question and you may get an answer from Sabrina, herself. Also, you will be able to pick up lots of great tips for freshening your home, like tucking those amazing-scented dryer sheets into dresser drawers, sofa and chair cushions and under pet beds.
Check your local stores for the new Gain Fresh and Clean collection. I think you’ll like them, too! In the meantime, Gain is offering one lucky Busy-at-Home reader an opportunity to experience the same package I received. If you would like to win a box containing Gain Liquid Laundry Detergent, Gain Liquid Fabric Softener and Gain Dryer Sheets, as well as a sample of the new Gain Dishwashing Liquid, you can enter below. The process is super-simple!
REQUIRED ENTRIES
- Follow Busy-at-Home on Twitter. Leave a comment letting me know you follow and your Twitter ID
(For those of you non-tweeters, you may Follow on Google Friend Connect, instead. Just leave a comment letting me know that’s what you did.)- Visit www.ilovegain.com and pick the new Fresh and Clean Fragrance you would love to try. Come back here and leave a comment letting me know which fragrance you picked.
That’s it! You’ll be entered twice for a chance to win the drawing that will be held on Sunday, October 3 at midnight (CST). You must be 18 years or older and a U.S. resident to enter.
Optional Bonus Entries:
For you die-hard contest enterers, I have some bonus entry options if you want to increase your chances. These are purely optional.
- “Like” Gain on Facebook and leave a comment letting me know you’ve done it along with your Facebook username.
- Once a day, between now and the contest deadline, midnight (CST) October 3, 2010, you may tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the link to your tweet. I’m entered to win @Gain Fresh & Clean Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener and Dishwashing Liquid @busyathome. http://ow.ly/2GYWH #giveaway
- Leave a message on Gain’s Facebook wall and then leave a message letting me know you’ve done it. I’m visiting from Busy-at-Home. I can’t wait to try the new Gain Fresh & Clean Collection!
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I received the four products mentioned, in order to conduct this review. No payment was received and a positive review was not required. The vies and opinions expressed are wholly my own. Gain will also provide a package of Gain Fresh and Clean Products to the drawing winner.
