2 fabulous new natural laundry products that actually work

With a houseful of kids with sensitive skin, I stick to my free and clear laundry detergents and skip the boosters, fabric softeners, and stain sticks just to be safe. But after discovering these two new natural laundry products, I've enjoyed clothes and towels that are softer, smell much nicer, and have fewer, if any, stains. Hooray! So I couldn't wait to share them, should you also want some cool natural laundry detergents. From the folks at B&N Laundry, I'm loving the felted goat milk stain stick (above). Yes, I know that sounds totally bizarre, but wow, it really works well! This family-run company discovered that goat milk soap is a fantastic cleaning agent that's still super gentle on skin, however after trying their detergent, I think the stain stick is actually the star product. The felted wool end acts as a scrub brush, while the soap end pretty much erases stains. Like magic, really. Granted, it's a little messy to use (and store), but you're only getting soap on your hands, not some strong concentrate. And you do want to keep it in a soap dish or small bowl. But the best thing of all: because it's made with natural ingredients, I've been passing off some of the household stain-erasing duties to my kids. Seeing as how they're responsible for most of the stains in the first place.

Now I have to admit that even after years of using scent-free detergents, including the excellent Dropps, I still miss that fresh laundry "smell." So recently I fell in love with the new Dropps In-Wash boosters that add a bit of fabric softener and scent to your laundry load without harsh chemicals that aren't great for your skin -- or even your clothes and towels, for that matter. While they don't have strong scents, I do like the mild fragrance of the lavender, wild orchid, and orange blossom. Any of them are step up from "generic detergent scent." Meh. They're so thoughtfully processed that that will make them a little bit more of a luxury, price-wise. So you can do what I do, and just reserve them for our towels and my own clothes since my kids don't really care what their clothes smell like. You can purchase the Dropps In-Wash boosters on their website. And head over to B&N Laundry to grab a felted goat milk stain stick which you will love!