Fabric Care University with Tim Gunn

Last week Proctor and Gamble flew me out to attend the Fabric Care University and edu-macated moi on the process of cleaning laundry.

I was stoked! Finally I will get the ins and outs on how to get my whites white and stains out of my boys clothing.  Better late than never!  {{wink}}



Friday night we all met up at a gallery for a little get-to-know-you party and our host was Tim Gunn from Project Runway! {{squeal in delight}}
He was completely delightful and exactly how he is on the show; engaging, kind, and fabulous.  He did a quick introduction of Proctor and Gamble and Tide then surprised us with a challenge.



That's right, we were divided into groups according to the colors on our name badges and then had 30 minutes to turn a plain white t shirt into something completely different and unexpected only using a few items and a glue gun from a bag on the counter.
The pressure was on people!  I've watched every episode of Project Runway and I wasn't going down with out fight.  Luckily, I had a group who felt exactly the same way and we went to town.


 Our goal was to use the items in unexpected ways and to eliminate all the white from the shirt.  The blue at the bottom was actually the inside of the bag that all of our supplies were in!  No one else use the bag, and no one else covered the entire t shirt.
As we were preparing to present to Tim Gunn, Daniel suggested that we say that we were inspired by "Tide yellow".  That dude is brilliant!


The back was crisscross black lace.  It's not practical by any means but it won us FIRST PLACE, baby!  Yep, that's right.  Out of all 5 of the contenders Tim Gunn thought our was the best.  {{shoot yeah}

Each member of our team won a $50 gift certificate.



It was such a crazy fun night.  I was able to recconnect with some amazing women I've been in the blog conference circuit as well as meet some new fabulous women.
Yes, I had a blast but I also learned SO much! 

 
Q.  How to get Whites the Whitest:
Did you know that people in different parts of the world have different opinions on what is white?  For instance, we in the US want our whites to have a blue hugh while someone in another country wants a yellow hugh.  Who knew?!?
Well, Proctor and Gamble does.  They can recreate any water condition anywhere on the planet and that's how they test their products.  They use microscopes to compare their cleaning enzymes with their competitors to make sure that Tide is the best.
A.  Tide power with Bleach If you want your whites to be white with a blue hugh use poweredered Tide with Bleach.  Fill your water and when it's 1/2 way full, drop in your Tide.  Once it's full then put in all of your clothing.
{{I don't have time for that so I'll have to stick with my method of dump in Tide, let fill a little and then put in my clothes.  Sorry P&G}}

Q.  When & Why do you Use Fabric Softener?
I had no idea the importance of fabric softener.  I actually thought it was a gimmick used to make more money.  HA!
A.  Fabric Softener is used to keep the fibers in your clothing from splitting
which causes fade and wear.  You put it in the fabric softener compartment of your washer and it will distribute during the spin cycle.  OR if you don't have a dispenser because you threw it away {{like I did}} you can use the Downy Ball.
Why is it important?  Because the nicer your clothes look and feel, the longer you'll keep them.  It saves you money, honey.

Q.  Why is there so many Tide options these days?
Again, I thought this was a total gimmick to try and make more money with a marketing effort.  {{yes I'm a bit jaded}}But Dude!  You would not believe the science that goes into Tide.  It's seriously impressive. 
A.  Due to the changes in fabric each season and for different fabrics, the folks over at Tide are constantly evolving as we evolve.  For instance, the coolest thing I learned was about Tide Sport.  You know the Under Armor that takes away your sweat when you work out?  Well that fabric is specifically designed to trap the sweat inside it.
The problem:  Your washing machine doesn't get the trapped sweat out of the Under Armor!  No ma'am.  That is why certain types of clothing stink even after they are washed.  It's because all of that grodie mess didn't get out.   {{yuck!}}  Tide Sport has a special enzyme that opens up the fabric particles that trapped the sweat - then another enzyme that grabs the sweat and traps it so that it is drained into the water in your machine.
Dude.
Yes, it's that cool.  I learned even more but I'm waiting on some cool materials that they'll be sending me so I can give it to you straight and not give you my lay-mans rendition.  {{wink}}
Q.  What Did You Walk Away Learning The Most?
A.  You can use just one Tide product and you'll get by just fine.  It's designed for that.  Tide is forumated with some cool enzymes that no other product on the market has.  However, if you want really awesome clothes that look great longer, well, then you need to have a couple differnent Tides.
Laurie's Laundry Suggestions:
Use Tide with Bleach Power for your Whites and White Sheets - wash on hot.Use regular Tide for colored sheets and towels - was on hot.Use Tide Sport for Under Armor, Sport Clothes, Mowing the Lawn Clothes, etc.Use Tide Coldwater for everything else - wash on cold to save money honey!Must buy a Downy ball.  I'm not going to go out and buy them all at once, just over time I'll start my collection.  I have all boys and doing laundry right is a big deal.  I spend way too much money on new clothes because I don't wash them correctly and take care of them like I should.
Stay Tuned - More to Come...