4 minute read

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There's a wash and fold business on 6th Avenue that I always pass when I'm walking over to SoHo and I mainly remember it for the sign they have in front that reads:

"When I said 'I do,' I didn't mean laundry."

It always makes me giggle. And nod my head a bit, as it sums up most of my adult-life relationship with doing laundry. If you're anything like me, that means you usually let it pile up to an embarrassing height where you're apologizing to your significant other every time they enter the bathroom where the hamper resides and you'll usually get around to it late Sunday night, cursing yourself for not doing it earlier in the weekend (or on a Thursday night when LESS of the machines are being used). Of course, that means I've had a few nights that kind of looked like this -- not totally complaining about it either!

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As of late though, my attitude has shifted a bit. I don't know if this is the onset of my 30s, the inability to stay up until 3am to do laundry while also getting caught up on work, but I have a hunch it's neither. It boils down to this: I like to invest in my clothes. And I was starting to realize that the investment goes past just buying them. I was tired of shirts fading, of pilling, of colors slowly becoming dingy and don't get me started on the second hamper dedicated to JUST dry cleaning. Suddenly, all this money I was pumping into my closet for things that I truly loved, weren't really getting the love they deserved.

Now, I'm by no means a domestic goddess and while I love Gwyneth as much as the next gal, I'll never tout myself as a Goop-level expert in this area. But I have no qualms with seeking out people or brands who make it approachable, affordable and easy to integrate into my daily lifestyle, which is exactly where The Laundress comes in.

I've been a fan of their detergent line for years actually, discovering it first while I was working on a photo shoot with Google for our same day delivery product, Google Express. I started with their Denim Wash, then quickly moved to their Signature Detergent, their Delicate Wash and Wool and Cashmere Shampoo. All of them are extremely gentle on my clothes and specific to the fabric they're treating -- meaning a little bit of sorting goes an extremely long way for the longevity of your items. And then I discovered their Le Labo collaboration line -- an ultimate game-changer for me -- as all my sheets and bedding now smell like Santal 33. In one word: heaven.

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Of course, without sounding like a brand junkie, I'm thrilled to be adding their full home cleaning line to my rotation as well. Many of the products are multi-purposed (wonderful for someone like me who doesn't want to spend time diagnosing a "mess") and it means my under sink area is much less cluttered. Yep. I think that's the most adult sentence I've written in a while.

Lastly, let's just state the obvious here. Their aesthetic and brand mission are totally on point for me. A well-defined and discerningly made brand started by two women? Sign. Me. Up.

If you're new to the brand, or already a fan like me, you'll be happy to know their products will be featured in a slew of upcoming events at all Container Stores nationwide as part of the retailer's Kiss Clutter Goodbye campaign. Starting this weekend, Saturday April 23rd and Sunday, the 24th and continuing the following weekend Saturday, April 30th and Sunday, May 1st, Goodwill donation centers will be on hand to receive all your gently used items as you start your spring cleaning efforts. There will be special guest appearances by the experts at The Laundress at select Container Store locations, performing live demonstrations and how-to's -- with a special treat for those in New York and the San Francisco area, as the founders themselves will be hosting. Check out the details below in case you want to mark your calendar now and make sure to hop over to the Container Stories blog now to see if The Laundress team is coming to The Container Store near you.

New Yorkers, join co-founder Lindsey Boyd

April 24, from 12-4pm: The Container Store, 6th Avenue

April 30, fron 12-4pm: The Container Store, 58th & Lexington

San Franciscans, join co-founder Gwen Whiting

April 23, from 11am-1pm: The Container Store, Palo Alto

April 23, from 3-5pm: The Container Store, San Jose

April 24, from 11am-1pm: The Container Store, Walnut Creek

April 24, from 3-5pm: The Container Store, Corte Madera

This post was in collaboration with The Laundress and The Container Store. As always, all opinions and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting all This Time Tomorrow collaborations!