Monday, November 29, 2010

The Sweater Service featured on The Zoe Report

"At Your Service"

If you are anything like me, then taking care of your wardrobe is of the utmost importance.

From the manner in which a garment is folded in a drawer to the cycle it is soaked in inside the washer, every attentive precaution preserves its glamour and extends the lifetime of your clothing. Luckily, with forces like the Laundress Sweater Service, even your most delicate knits are covered.

Spill something on your favorite chunky sweater during yesterday’s Thanksgiving feast? Disaster solved! Just send your knit to the Sweater Service where it will receive royal treatment—hand washing, de-staining, steaming—from expert launderers and be promptly shipped back to you for your wearing pleasure. Fashion magic! Try it out now and your cashmeres will thank you. After all, stains fall on the fashionable and the unfashionable.

xo,
RZ

Availability: The Laundress Sweater Service ($36 per item). For additional information, visit Thelaundress.com. Enter rzsweater at checkout and receive 15% off the Sweater Service, now through 12/2/10.

To see the original post, click here.

Holiday Food Stains Are So Not Worth The Drama

Holiday Food Stains Are So Not Worth The Drama
by Justin Fenner November 26th, 2010


Look, holiday mean-related stains are bound to happen. The longer you sit at a table full of food surrounded by your ravenous and inconsiderate family members, the more likely it becomes that you’ll end up spending countless hours worrying over the cranberry sauce in your favorite trousers when you should be knocking people out of the way at the mall.

We’re kidding about that last part — please don’t hurt anyone at the point of sale. But when you do suffer a holiday stain (because you will, or might already have done so during Thanksgiving), it might behoove you to follow a few tips from our friend Gwen Whiting, one of the co-founders of J.Crew’s favorite line of detergents The Laundress. For all the fancy unguents and lotions she sells to help clothes shine like new, Whiting has a refreshingly straightforward (and emotionally mature) approach to removing even the worst kinds of stains.

1. Calm down. The last thing you want to lose when Uncle Johnny spills gravy on your shirt is your cool. “Nothing irritates me more than someone who spills at the table and then starts soaking themselves in water,” Whiting says. “It makes me insane.”

2. Wait a minute. You don’t really have to fix the stain right then and there, contrary to what you might have heard. Whiting says, “sooner than later is better, but not at the moment. That night, the next day, whatever.”

3. Heat it up. “Fundamentally, hot water is the best way of getting out stains,” Whiting says. “People think that hot water sets in stains, and that’s just not correct.” So how do you use hot water to your advantage? “Just soak it. Hot water, get some chemicals [i.e. detergent] in there and go for it.” And then, wash the stain out in your next spin cycle.

4. Realize you don’t need professional help. You can clean most stains by yourself, and unless you’ve spilled Sancerre on something that’s marked dry-clean only, there’s absolutely no need to rush off to the dry cleaners. “Dry cleaners will set in the stain,” Whiting says. “I’m talking 100 percent: Linen, cotton, polyester, everything that should be washed should be treated in that manner. We have a lot of clients who run to the cleaners because they freak out and they end up in a worse situation.”

Of course, if you freak out and want really detailed and specific instructions on how to remove stains, The Laundress has those, too. At any rate, Happy holidays from our stain-riddled dining room table to yours!

To view the original post on styleite.com, click here.

Monday, November 22, 2010

We're featured in the J.Crew Holiday Catalog!

Click here to view.

Click here to view.

If you're interested in purchasing any of the products featured, please visit this link.

Happy holiday shopping!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Laundress: Wax Stain Removal Demo

With the holidays upon us, I’m sure most of you have broken out those wonderfully holiday scented candles—we know we have. The problem with candles is the messy wax; I’m sure you all can relate. People have asked us how to get wax off clothing before, so we thought we would blog about it for a step-by-step how-to...
We took a 100% Cashmere sweater with wax stains and made it look like brand new...

  We first used the J. Crew Sweater Comb to scrape off the big wax blobs to leave only the bit of wax saturated in the yarns. You could also use a butter knife.

Then you’ll want to always use a flat surface when treating stains, especially for this wax stain. Gwen then used a heavy stock paper and placed it directly underneath the sweater where the wax deposit was located. We used a thick card stock; regular computer paper wouldn’t be thick enough.
Gwen then took a lightweight simple cotton fabric—you can see in this picture that the thread count is very low.
She then made a slight cut with scissors into the fabric, and ripped the fabric so that she had smaller pieces to work with. Not sure why it was important to work with smaller pieces? You want to have a clean cloth and cardstock for each wax spot so that you don’t redeposit any wax back on to the sweater.

You’ll then place the cloth on top of the wax stain. So it’s like a “sweater sandwich.” On top you will have the cloth, then the sweater with the stain touching the cloth, and the durable paper underneath the sweater—all on top of the flat surface. Don’t forget with each new stain you want a clean cloth and cardstock so that no wax is deposited back on to the sweater.

You will need a little bit of heat to remove the wax, but remember we are working with cashmere, so you’ll want to use a low heat setting on your iron. Here we used the “Wool-Silk” setting for best results.
Gwen then lightly placed the iron on top of the cloth and moved it around in a circular motion. After pulling the cloth away, the wax was gone. However, if you pull the cloth away and some wax is still there, you’ll need to use a clean space on the cloth, or a new cloth piece altogether, and repeat with the iron.
See! We told you, like brand new! We repeated the steps above with each wax stain. You'll be amazed how easy it can be. We then followed The Laundress Wool & Cashmere Recipe, and it was as if there was never wax on the sweater at all!

Stain-Fighting Solutions for the Holidays

-By Allison Beck

At your next holiday party, don’t worry about spilled red wine on your new white dress shirt, or spots of gravy falling on your white pants as you eat. The ladies at The Laundress are here to help.

As anyone who does the laundry can attest, stubborn stains are no fun to tackle. With the holiday entertaining season upon us, the number of stains battled in the laundry room rises. Whether its yellowing linens, or the spots from that Bolognese or hot fudge sauce, these stubborn stains fear some people into refraining from indulging in holiday treats all together.

This year, though, will be different. We asked Lindsey Wieber Boyd and Gwen Whiting of The Laundress to share some of their stain-fighting secrets (and a holiday gift for you—read on to find out more!), no matter the substance, so you don’t have to let fears of inconquerable stains hold you back from indulging this year…

What do do when your guest spills red wine on the table?
The Laundress: Once your table is cleared, take the tablecloth to your laundry room.
- Apply our Stain Solution directly to the affected area.
- Work the Solution into the fibers with our Stain Brush.
- Pour hot water directly on the spot, preferably from a height where it can penetrate the fibers.
- If the stain isn’t completely gone, repeat until satisfied.
- Launder as normal.

The kids are playing outside at the family holiday party, and Jane is bumped. She runs in with a bloody nose streaming down her new white party dress. How do I get the blood out?
The Laundress: Our Stain Solution again can come to the rescue! It’s specially formulated to target and break down stubborn stains, and not just red wine or blood. It also tackles grass, chocolate, coffee/tea, grease, pit stains, and more.

When treating Jane’s dress, follow the same steps as above, except that with blood stains, always use cold water, as hot water will “cook” blood or any substance that contains protein.
Also, it’s important to remember that if you get something like chocolate on your delicates—say a silk blouse or cashmere sweater—use tepid water for soaking these fabrics, and to never let them sit for more than 30 minutes.

I forgot to launder last year’s holiday clothing, and now they smell smoky and slightly mildewed. How do I get the odors out?
The Laundress: For an all-purpose stain and odor-remover, our Scented Vinegar is perfect. It effectively removes stubborn odors from your fabrics, no matter the source.
Pre-soak the affected piece with ¼ cup of the Scented Vinegar in a washing bucket or sink, then launder the piece as normal.

Over the summer, I found my grandmother’s lace tablecloth in the attic, and want to set the table with it this year—but it’s slightly yellowed over the years. Can I get the yellowing out, without using bleach?
The Laundress: Our All-Purpose Bleach Alternative is a gentle, yet effective, whitener and stain-fighter that will help remove any graying or yellowing from vintage or heirloom clothing or linens.
Pre-treat any stains on the fabrics with our Stain Solution, as above, then prepare a bucket or sink of hot water. Add 1/8 cup of our Bleach Alternative, and then the affected item, and let it soak for at least 30 minutes. Launder as usual, taking care with delicate fabrics.

As a holiday gift to you, The Daily Meal readers who shop online at The Laundress receive a 15% discount when you use the code dailymeal at checkout. But act quick--it's only good until November, 23rd!

Then, once your linens and clothes are clean, how about ironing that dress shirt… the right way?

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To view original article - click here.

We're featured in the Conran Shop's Christmas Catalog!




Click images for a larger view.

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Laundress on bellaMUMMA's blog

ONE OF MY FAVE SITES, HANKER has just introduced The Laundress - an eco-chic line of specialty detergent and fabric care to take the chore out of doing laundry, extend the life of clothes, and slash dry-cleaning bills. It's created by NYC girls, Lindsey Wieber Boyd and Gwen Whiting, who were sick of paying hundreds of dollars on dry-cleaning only to have their clothes fall apart. Having previously worked at Chanel and Ralph Lauren, and with a background in textiles, they have blended the most effective ingredients with their favourite scents to create a sophisticated, efficacious, green and easy to use collection.

In the range there's the Wool & Cashmere Shampoo, the divine Le Labo Rose Scented Signature Detergent, the Delicate Wash called Lady {love it} and the super handy Travel Pack.

CLICK HERE to find out more and to start shopping.

HANKER is offering bellaMUMMA's 10% off The Laundress range until Christmas Eve {thank you}, just enter the following coupon code: R0313033D3S1 at the shopping cart.

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Original post found here.

Monday, November 8, 2010

This Week's Ask the Experts

Question:

The Laundress,

I have purchased your Machine Cleaner in the past and use it monthly in my HE front-load washing machine. At the time of my purchase there were no other products out there to clean your machines, but now there are so many options I'm overwhelmed. The inquiry I have is what are all the differences of the products out there and how do you feel about where your product stands to how well it performs to the others on the market? I want what's best for my machine to keep it clean and performing like brand new! I greatly appreciate your time and response.

-Janelle

Answer:

Hi Janelle-

Yes, when we made our product there wasn’t really anything else in the market.

I did some investigating-

The Clorox machine cleaner has a few ingredients, but primarily the active ingredient is chlorine bleach.

The Tide product from the vague information it has, has the main ingredient as oxygenated bleach - which is what we use 100% in our All-purpose Bleach Alternative.

The reviews weren’t that great on the Tide site, but I don’t think using a “pouch” is at all helpful and effective.

We also recommend wiping down the machine and “catch areas” too - see more here:
http://www.thelaundress.com/LaundryTips/machineMaintenance.asp

Our product is a very strong, naturally-derived acid, which is really tough, but safe for the environment.

I hope this is helpful and I apologize for the untimely response.

Happy Laundering!

Best-Gwen

Follow-up Response:

Thank you so much Gwen! I'm sticking with what I know works the best and that's The Laundress! Thanks again for your investigation on the similar products on the market. I love The Laundress!! :)

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If you're interested in our Machine Cleaner - click here.

Friday, November 5, 2010

The Laundress for J.Crew

Did you know that we have brand new products over at J.Crew?

Fabric Spray, Sweater Combs and more - check out our new products here.

Also, one of our favorite mom and baby blogs is Stroller Traffic and Anne Chertoff wrote about our Crewcuts Stain Bar...

"The Laundress, a fancy-cool detergent company with a serious cult following, has just come out with a line of products for J.Crew—including the Crewcuts Stain Bar, a nontoxic, biodegradable, dye- and allergen-free way to keep kids’ clothes spotless. $7 at jcrew.com."

Thanks, Anne!

The Laundress in Japan Stores: Day Five

Laundress Shop in Shop at Entre Square

Entre Square
Aoyama
2f Ao 3-11-7 Kita-Aoyama Minato-ku Tokyo

There is another Entre Square in Yokohama and they are of course selling The Laundress.

Address:
3F Colette Mare 1-1-7 Sakuragi-cho Naka-ku Yokohama-shi
Kanagawa-ken
www.entresquare.com/onlineshop






A before and after with our Bleach Alternative:






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Beyes

Omotesando Hills Store
4-12-10 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo
www.beyes.jp

Beyes carries both women’s and menswear with a focus on menswear.






They have a chicest fitting rooms - not only because they have Laundress Fabric Freshes in all the fitting rooms, but when you lock the door the clear glass becomes frosted for privacy.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Laundress in Japan Stores: Day Four

Shinzone

Omotesando Store
3-12-16 Kita-Aoyama Minato-ku Tokyo
www.shinzone.com

Shinzone has the best staples - dress shirts, jeans, vintage, Manolo Blanhik and of course The Laundress. The also carry their original brands – “Mirror of Shinzone" and "My D'artagnan".








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Deuxieme Classe

Aoyama Store
5-3-25 Minami-Aoyama Minato-ku Tokyo
www.deuxieme-classe.jp

Gwen loves this very sophisticated, tailored women’s wear store which carries French and Japanese brands…and The Laundress. At Deuxieme Classe, you can enjoy quality items hand-selected from around the world.








Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Laundress in Japan Stores: Day Three

ESTNATION

Yurakucho bldg 1.2F
1-10-1 Yurakucho Chiyaoda-ku Tokyo
www.estnation.co.jp

ESTNATION started with a dream shared by a group of businesspersons who love fashion. ESTNATION opened in Tokyo's Yurakucho business district in the fall of 2001 and in the posh Roppongi Hills complex in the spring of 2003. Emphasis is placed upon materializing genuine quality merchandise, centering on original goods produced through our own eyes and hands until we are satisfied with the quality. The name of ESTNATION indicates an idea from "Nation of the East", and is based on the thought to spread from Tokyo. Tokyo continues to change without cessation, always emerging as a new town. We would like to express its unique energy as fashion and have Tokyoites dress showing their individuality.










--
John Smedley

Ginza location
6-7-1 Miyuki Streeet Ginza Chaou-Ku Tokyo
www.johnsmedley.jp

John Smedley is a British Cashmere Collection which is known for high quality knitwear and a rich 225-year heritage. We strive to make all our garments at our mill in Derbyshire, which keeps us true to our roots.








Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Laundress in Japan Stores: Day Two

Tomorrowland

Gwen and Lindsey love Tomorrowland. They were our first client in Japan and are our 2nd largest Japanese client behind The Conran Shop. They remind us of Barney’s and have the best brands like Hermes and The Laundress, but we love shopping their own store collections designed and made in Japan.

We had our training at their Shibuya shop - the address is below:

Shibuya Tomorrowland
1F & B1, 1-23-16 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5774-1711
www.tomorrowland.jp





Gwen doing a store training


Gwen with the Tomorrowland store training team

Gwen with the head of Tomorrowland, Yasuhiro Sasaki

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