My youngest daughter has eczema. This summer was the worst it has ever been. She was digging and scratching to the point I was worried about staph infections. We tried modifying her diet to no avail, changed her bath soap and shampoo and it didn't help either. I switched to fragrance-free laundry detergent at that time as well and finally we have things under control. For probably nearly six months now we have had absolutely neutral laundry. It wasn't a bad smell, it was just no smell. I like my laundry to smell fabulous - there are few things better than opening the dryer and smelling all those warm clothes! But for Kady's sake we have all adjusted to our positively skin-friendly, very boring clothes.
I signed up for the Green Works blog tour with Mom Central not thinking that the addition of scents might flare up Kady's eczema again, but when I received my bottle of detergent (AND stain remover!) in the mail I was pleased to read that it's dermatologist tested. It's a step in the right direction knowing that Clorox cares enough to test its products, right? After visiting the website and reading "clothes washed in Green Works™ natural laundry detergent won't leave a harsh chemical residue and are gentle on skin. Yet it still cleans with the power you expect from Clorox." WAHOO!! And? AND? There is also a dye-free and fragrance-free variety, too. Oh, Clorox, you made me love you.
I decided I wasn't going to tell the family I was using a different detergent because I wanted to see if anyone noticed and I wanted to see if Kady would complain about her skin without knowing something was different. The first time I opened the bottle I thought the fragrance seemed kind of strong, but I told myself that I had been doing boring laundry for so long my nose was out of practice. From washer to dryer I was pleased with how things looked and smelled and ohhhhh my when I opened that dryer and there were all those wonderfully scented warm clothes just waiting for me to sniff....well, let me tell you without shame, folks, I SNIFFED.
I've done probably 20 loads of laundry with Green Works Original Scent natural detergent and so far there have been no skin issues and I've noticed that when the kids come get their folded laundry to take to their rooms they immediately bury their faces in and sniff like there's no tomorrow. The clothes are clean and I feel better knowing the detergent I'm using is fully biodegradable and never tested on animals.
I also received a bottle of the stain remover and have used it on muddy puppy prints on jeans legs, chocolate ice cream spilled down a pink t-shirt and a glop of makeup, but I really put it to the test the other night after Paul and I worked at the Park of Lights in the rain. Because I have embarrassingly short legs I step on the hems of my jeans all the time. They are always stained and always gross, especially in rainy weather. When we got home I sprayed the hems of my pants down with Green Works and let them soak for about 30 minutes then threw them in the wash. There is no trace whatsoever of mud on my pants legs! I've used the same laundry stain remover for my entire 17 years of being a homemaker, but I now have a new brand.
Check out the Green Works website for more information. I made the switch to Green Works household cleaners and dish soap earlier in the year and it's safe to say I haven't been disappointed with any of the products I've tried. And right now their website is offering a coupon for $3 off their laundry detergent!
"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox Green Works and received a bottle of Green Works Natural Detergent and Stain Remover to facilitate my review and a $20 thank-you gift certificate."
