Spruce Up Your Laundry - The Laundress

I’ve always enjoyed doing laundry. This may seem odd to some, but nothing quite compares to the marvelous feeling of snuggling up to clean bed linens or putting on a pair of socks straight out of the dryer when it's cold outside. I've been known to spend an embarrassing amount of time perusing the laundry aisle of my local grocery store...just discovering new products, smelling new scents and imagining new detergent-softener combinations. Given my fondness for anything laundry-related, you can imagine my utter delight when I stumbled upon The Laundress.

Lindsey Boyd and Gwen Whiting, both educated in Fiber Science, Textile and Apparel Management and Design at Cornell University, created The Laundress based on the principle that they wanted to “take the chore out of doing laundry.” According to Whiting, “Ninety percent of items that are labeled ‘dry clean only’ are really washable.” Boyd and Whiting, formerly employed by Chanel and Ralph Lauren respectively, have worked extensively to create effective, environmentally-friendly and lovely smelling products. They offer an overall basic Signature Detergent, as well as separate detergents for whites, darks, delicates, wool and cashmere, and denim. All of The Laundress products are non-toxic, biodegradable and allergen-free, so they are delicate enough for those who are most sensitive to detergents and softeners. It is recommended that all detergents be followed by the Fabric Conditioner, which provides softness and a nice, clean scent.

Have you ever wished that your clothes smelled as though they had just been washed? I have, especially when I’m traveling and not able to wash them as much as I’d like, so I’m really excited about a product called Fabric Fresh. This spray is available in all of the Laundress’ scents (click here for a list of scents and descriptions), and you can simply spray it on clothing, furniture, sneakers, or really anything needing a little extra freshness. You can also purchase Sport Spray, intended for your body (remember, they’re non-toxic!), work-out clothes, sneakers, gym bags, etc., and this product actually has anti-bacterial powers that can remove foul odor altogether.

The Laundress also offers sprays for static cling and wrinkles. These products are not only intended for your laundry room at home, but they also deserve a spot in your office drawer (because who hasn’t wished they had a magic spray to fix an embarrassing static cling situation at work?) and in your suitcase (because wasting time ironing doesn’t sound like much of a vacation to me).

The Laundress also offers Dryer Sheets, if you favor sheets over the Fabric Conditioner, a Stain Solution, which promises that you’ll never have to worry about ugly underarm stains on shirts ever again, an All-Purpose Bleach Alternative, Machine Cleaner, as well as special products for Swimwear Care and a really amazing Sweater Stone that removes pilling on knitted or wool fabrics, so your old sweaters can look brand new again.

I’m perhaps most thrilled about the completely adorable and chic Large Zip Laundry Bag that you can personalize by adding your name or initials. I wish I would have had this stylish bag when I lived in London a few years back. I could have really made quite the statement every Sunday morning while making my way down the posh South Kensington streets to the local Laundromat.

Please do yourself a favor and click here to browse The Laundress’ collection of products and helpful laundry tips. Also, for information on their premiere sweater service, click here.

Spruce Thought: Keep in mind that the holiday season is just around the corner and these products make the most wonderful gifts for just about anybody looking to spruce up his or her weekly laundry routine. Get a few items as stocking stuffers, or fill The Laundress’ elegant black or white buckets with products for a memorable gift that will keep on giving.

Watch here for a tutorial from Lindsey Boyd and Gwen Whiting on how to wash a cashmere sweater (yes, wash!!). Think of all the money you'll save on dry cleaning...

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UPDATE: Thanks so much to The Laundress New York for reading the above entry and giving Spruce a shout-out on November 4, 2009. Click here to read their blog. 

Written by Kaisa Talaga