The Laundress on Birchbox

HISTORY

Longtime friends Lindsey Boyd and Gwen Whiting both had an appreciation for beautiful fabric. Boyd was a U.S.-sales manager at Chanel ready-to-wear, and Whiting was a senior designer at Ralph Lauren Home. But, like most of us, they were frustrated by what happens after gorgeous clothes or linens come home from the store — the inevitable stains, pilling, and stretching that occur after regular wear and tear. Armed with their knowledge of textiles from their studies at Cornell, both Boyd and Whiting also knew that many ‘dry-clean only’ items can really be washed at home — without toxic chemicals or the extra expense — if the right cleansers are used.

Merging their backgrounds in luxury brands and their academic smarts, the pair set out to create their own solutions to simplify the fine art of laundry. The result is an eco-friendly collection of treatments formulated for different fabric care problems —far superior to the one-big-bottle-of-detergent approach — that are easy to use and smell as good as your best perfume.

PHILOSOPHY

As Gwen and Lindsey say: “We are an eco-chic line of specialty detergents and fabric care committed to being green for you, your clothing, and the environment.”

BIRCHBOX EXTRA

We can’t get enough of The Laundress’ perfumer-quality scents, which are made with essential oils, not artificial fragrances. We love No. 247, a mix of bergamot, thyme, lavender, musk, and ylang ylang, and Cedar, an earthy-clean blend of cedarwood oil, frankincense, spices, and citrus zest.

STAR PRODUCTS

You can skip the dry cleaner — and the chemicals, expense, and wait time — with The Laundress’ two standout cleansers. The Delicate Wash removes perspiration, body oils, and stains from silk, rayon, and other tricky fabrics, and the cedar-scented Wool & Cashmere Shampoo cleans, preserves, and softens woolens safely at home. Both concentrated formulas are non-toxic and biodegradable.