Lindsey Boyd Of The Laundress On Motherhood & Laundry!

Any new mom knows that laundry consumes your life as soon as you have a baby — ok maybe not that drastic but I’ve never been someone who does laundry efficiently (I wait until its overflowing) and as soon as Piper arrived and was going through 5+ outfits a day it was always on my mind. I have been using The Laundress detergents on and off for several years now… they are luxe and so worth every penny. I use them on bedding and towels because the scent is long lasting and so good. And the baby detergent is not to be beat – there’s nothing like snuggling Piper in cozy clean PJs. Today I’m sharing a Q&A with the brand’s co-founder, Lindsey a mom to two on how she runs a successful business and balances motherhood and she’s sharing a thing or two about laundry. 

Tell us about The Laundress and how you started your business
We started out of a void we saw in the market and a need we had personally. We were tired of our clothing being ruined at the dry cleaner and we new that 90% of clothing doesn’t have to be dry cleaned, it can be washed and should be washed. We were hand washing a lot of our things and wanted to find a better solution aside from Woolite, which 12 years ago was the only option.

What’s a typical day look like for you?
A typical work week day consist of my human alarm, William (aka Mister), my 2 ½ year old son who wakes me up around 6 am every morning.  Then I head out by 7 to workout either at Soul Cycle or Body By Simone. Quick shower (clothing picked out the night before). Then on to dropping of my 5 year old daughter Chloe at Preschool and on to my office from there-with coffee and smoothie in hand. Lots of meetings with my team-there is never a dull moment here at The Laundress. The meetings are basically all the cross-functions of the business — from working on new product collaborations (stay tuned!) with production to sales meetings  to store trainings and pr/marketing calls to our flagship store in Soho. 

My favorite part of the day is coming home to my children with a full sprint greeting into my arms!

How do you try to balance motherhood with your career?
My biggest advice is to try not to over-schedule yourself; take every moment in as it comes and be present. When I am with my kids I try to be 100% with them and when I am at work I am 100% dedicated to my staff and work. Of course, I have early morning email checking from my iPhone and late night emails occasionally because running your own business doesn’t stop when you leave the office. 

How did your career goals change once you became a mother? 
My career goals are the same! I suppose my kids keep me from late nights at the office but then again I was never that person anyway-I am very focused and tend to manage my time pretty well. I guess you can say I am still balanced but in a different way.

How do you stay organized?
I make a lot of lists on my priorities of the day from personal to work. This keeps me more organized and balanced-I love checking off my list throughout the day. Although I am very tech savy, I handwrite my daily task lists as I find my iphone lists get lost! I have a gorgeous personalized notebook from Graphic Image, which helps motivate me. 

What calendar and to-do list system(s) do you use to organize your business and household?
I use my notes a lot on my iPhone and I use a good old notebook and pen. I have a date book with a week at a glance for my nanny to follow with the kids activities, playdates and vacation dates, etc.

What’s the best piece of advice you can think of for a new mother who wants to keep her career but also be present for her children ?
Do it! Your children are best served by you being your best self. You can do both! You will reset the clock and rebalance (many people do it). If you want it bad enough you can make it all work.  I think of my mom working as a teacher and owning her own business and managing to be one of the most well rounded, grounded, loving and attentive mothers. She even had a very active social life too and still does…

What websites, blogs, books or apps do you like to read/use about motherhood or kid/baby?
I like Mommy Poppins for activities in NYC. They give you great guides of what to do and it is simply and consolidated.   My go-to blogs/website are  Mini Mode, Glitter Guide, Goop, Well Rounded, The Glow, Chic Child and Style Within Reach, of course!

Im currently reading “Teaching Kids to Think” by Darlene Sweetland. 

You have 10 minutes to yourself — how do you spend it?
I sit down, preferably outside.

How can a mom do her laundry more effectively?! 
Sort before laundry day, treat stains as you see them before putting them in the hamper. Do more smaller loads frequently-practicing CAYG in the laundry room. “Clean As You Go”

Favorite laundering products for kid & baby? 
We formulated our Baby collection specifically for mini wardrobes and with the many messes they encounter in mind. That said, we love The Laundress Baby Detergent for everyday laundering – it’s a plant-derived, triple concentrate solution that is tough on challenging stains and preserves the longevity of babies’ most frequently washed items. Another must-have when dealing with kids’ clothes is The Laundress Stain Solution. It can remove any stain from paint to pasta sauce and is safe for colors and all washable fabrics. No parent should be without it!

Do you have any tips, tricks or insight for laundering baby clothes? 
Playing “hide-and-seek” with stains is never fun. Formula, breast milk, and spit-up are not always visible until after you wash and dry. Pretreat your clothing and baby’s items with The Laundress Stain Solution to help hinder surprise stains! Play it safe – add 1 capful of The Laundress All-Purpose Bleach Alternative to every load.

How about cleaning baby toys? How frequently should we do it and what’s the easiest way for a busy mom? 
The best way to care for soft toys like a teddy is to first pretreat stains or odorous areas with The Laundress Stain Solution and follow by machine washing in a mesh bag. If the stain is quite old or particularly tough, presoak the toy in a bath of hot water and 1 capful All-Purpose Bleach Alternative. Hard toys should be cleaned with The Laundress Surface Cleaner before and after use – plastic toys can go in the dishwasher with The Laundress Dish Detergent and a mesh bag!

The Laundress is currently doing a campaign to support underserved children by donating $2 from every sale of their popular Make Messes Kit to Art Start — an awesome organization that brings art to thousands of children living in NYC in the form of creative workshops in homeless shelters, incarceration programs and partnering youth agencies.