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Tide, Downy and Bounce Sweet Dreams Collection

You don't have to talk with too many people to discover that lots of us have trouble getting a good night's sleep. And we all know that sleep is essential to our job performance, emotional stability and physical health. But as our society has evolved from hard labor jobs which left us ready for restorative sleep to less physical work that often leaves our minds racing, we may require more aids to help us fall asleep.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that we turn off all electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime and create a peaceful sleep environment to help us relax and fall asleep. One of the scents that has been scientifically proven to help induce relaxation is lavender. The P&G Sweet Dreams collection creates lavender scent layering for your bed linens.

The Sweet Dreams collection, which are official products of the National Sleep Foundation, includes: Tide Plus A Touch of Downy laundry detergent, Downy Unstopables Dreams in-wash scent booster, Downy Infusions Sweet Dreams liquid fabric softener and Bounce Sweet Dreams dryer sheets.

Tide Plus A Touch of Downy

Tide Plus A Touch of Downy is formulated with the cleaning benefits of original Tide plus silicone-based ingredients that make fibers glide across each other and feel soft to our skin.

Tide with a Touch of Downy uses different technology and ingredients than fabric softeners, so it is safe to use on flame-resistant items like children's sleepwear and bedding.

The product is available in formulas for both standard washers and high-efficiency washers. It is biodegradable and safe for use with septic tanks and systems.

Label ingredients are listed as biodegradable surfactants (anionic and nonionic) and enzymes. The full list of product ingredients can be found on the P&G website and are:

• water - process aid
• linear alkylbenzene sulfonates - surfactant
• alcoholethoxy sulfate - surfactant
• monoethanolamine citrate - process aid
• Ceteth-7 - surfactant
• ethanolamine - process aid
• sodium fatty acids - surfactant
• diethylene glycol - process aid
• propylene glycol - process aid
• polyethyleneimine ethoxylate - polymer
• perfume - fragrance
• polyethyleneimine propoxyethoxylate - polymer
• ethanol - process aid
• amylase - enzyme
• borax - captures soil
• calcium formate - process aid
• citric acid - captures soil
• diethylenetriamine pentaacetate, sodium salt - captures soil
• dimethicone - process aid
• diquaternium ethoxysulfate - polymer
• disodium diaminostilbene disulfonate - brightener
• Laureth-9 - surfactant
• Liquitint™ Blue - colorant
• mannanase - enzyme
• polyacrylamide quaternium chloride - polymer
• polystyrene - opacifier
• protease - enzyme
• sodium bisulfite - process aid
• sodium cumene sulfonate - process aid
• sodium formate - process aid

Tide Plus A Touch of Downy Sweet Dreams is offered in a variety of sizes in plastic bottles which contain 25 percent or more post-consumer recycled plastic with a suggested retail price of $13.99.

Downy Unstopables Dreams

For an enhanced lavender scent, Downy Unstopables are added directly to the wash cycle. You may use as little or as much as you like. It is safe to use in high-efficiency (he) or standard washers. They are also safe to use with any detergent (liquid or powder) and with any liquid fabric softener. Downy Unstopables dissolve in any water temperature (hot, warm or cold). The pellets should be added to the washer drum before the clothes are loaded and should never be added to the automatic dispensers. The pellets are safe for all washable fabrics.

Ingredients are:

• Poly Ethylene Glycol - perfume dispersant
• Fragrance
• Liquitint dye - colorant

Downy Unstopables come in several sizes and six scents.

Downy InfusionsSweet Dreams

Downy Infusions is a premium liquid fabric softener with lavender, vanilla and cedar undertones scent pearls that "burst" as you move across the sheets and bed linens. The product is safe to use in both standard and he washers. It is added during the final rinse cycle using the washer's fabric softener dispenser. The product should not be poured directly onto clothing since spotting can occur. To remove the spotting, wet the area and rub with a mild soap (bar soap) then rinse or rewash.

A warning states that liquid fabric softener can increase fabric flammability. Using more than the recommended amount can increase this effect. The product should not be used on children's sleepwear or garments labeled as flame resistant.

Ingredients are:

• Water - process aid
• diethyl ester dimethyl ammonium chloride - Softening agent
• Fragrance
• Starch - Structuring agent
• Ammonium chloride - Chlorine scavenger
• Calcium chloride - process aid
• Formic acid - pH modifier
• Polydimethylsiloxane - Anti-foam agent
• Liquitint Purple - colorant
• Benzisothiazolinone - preservative
• diethylenetriamine pentaacetate, sodium salt - chelate metals in product

 
Bounce Dryer Sheets Sweet Dreams

For a final opportunity to infuse more scent, there are Bounce Sweet Dreams dryer sheets. The dryer sheet should be added on top of a load of wet clothes before turning on the dryer. For best results, never overload the dryer. If the sheet becomes trapped in the load and spotting occurs on the clothes, rub the spot with a bar of soap and rewash in warm water.

Ingredients are:

• Dipalmethyl Hydroxyethylammoinum Methosulfate - Softening and Antistatic agent
• Fatty Acid - Softening Agent
• Polyester Substrate - Carrier
• Clay - Rheology Modifier
• Fragrance

Dryer sheets should not be used with children's sleepwear or other flame resistant fabrics. Bounce dryer sheets come in a variety of sizes and are packaged in 100 percent recycled cardboard boxes.

The P&G Story

Procter & Gamble began in 1837 when Cincinnati brother-in-laws, William Procter, a candlemaker, and James Gamble, a soapmaker, came together to form the company. In just twenty years, the company would reach one million dollars in sales. The company continued to grow during the Civil War when the Union Army awarded two contracts to Procter and Gamble to supply soldiers with soap and candles.

In the years to come, P&G would invent and produce some of the most common products - like Crisco, Tide and Pampers in American homes. Tide has been a part of American culture for more than seven decades. During those years, the formula, packaging and advertising have changed to meet the demands of the marketplace. To meet consumers' diverse laundry needs, Tide now offers a variety of products including Tide Original including HE formula, Tide Pods, Tide Total Care, as well as, Tide To Go and Tide Boost.

Downy was introduced to the Procter and Gamble laundry line in 1960 as fabric softener to be used during the final rinse cycle of laundry. The Downy line now includes liquid, dryer sheets, spray on wrinkle releaser and now Unstopables.

P&G serves 4.8 billion customers in 180 countries around the world with a huge portfolio of brands including Pampers, Ariel, Pantene, Bounce, Bounty, Dawn, Charmin, Downy, Gain, Iams, Crest, Oral-B, Duracell, Olay, Head & Shoulders, Gillette, Braun, Fusion and Febreze.

About Laundry Recommendation

This is Procter & Gamble's second foray into helping us relax. In 2013, they introduced the Febreze Sleep Serenity line that includes fabric refresher and air fresheners.

I gave each of these products a try and all performed quite well in their intended roles. Tide Plus a Touch of Downy offers the usual excellent stain-removing qualities of Tide and added a crisp, lavender scent. Our daily laundry came out clean and soft. I tested the product on ketchup, grass, mud and oil stains and by pretreating the stains with a bit of the detergent before washing, these all were removed.

Since Tide Plus A Touch of Downy already includes fabric softener, I wash pleased with the level of scent but if you want more, more, more just add the Downy Unstopables Dreams. The level of scent can be adjusted to your liking and lasts quite a long time.

Downy Infusions Sweet Dreams is best used if you are looking for additional softness or longer lasting fragrance.

Finally, Bounce dryer sheets help control static and add yet another layer of lavender scent. Again, these sheets can be used safely with any laundry detergent. As with any dryer sheets, keep them away from kids and pets.

While I can't promise you sweet dreams, if you like the scent of lavender and find it relaxing, then give the Sweet Dreams Collection a try.

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Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.