January 20, 2021

A Boketto Moment with Celsious

We sat down *virtually* with Corinna Williams and Theresa Williams, sisters and co-founders of Celsious, Brooklyn's first concept laundromat. We talked sustainability and the laundromat experience.

Tell us a little bit about Celsious! What do you love to do? What inspires you?

Hi there! I’m Corinna Williams, co-founder of Celsious, a premium sustainable garment care provider and Brooklyn’s first concept laundromat. In 2017 we opened the doors to our beautiful, light-filled laundromat designed by my sister (and co-founder), Theresa. We offer eco-conscious laundry services using top-of-the-line equipment; we also had a buzzy self-service area and a mezzanine cafe overlooking the laundry space (now off limits due to the pandemic).

As owners and operators of a family business, we’re very hands-on in what we do, and we love that! We’re continually inspired by fellow small business owners and entrepreneurs in Brooklyn and beyond. We were all forced to pivot in 2020 in order to survive, but it has sparked some really creative solutions. We’re also inspired by our customers and online community. It has been great to see new energy surrounding the Shop Small and Shop Black movements, and we hope this momentum continues.

I read that you were inspired to create Celsious to bring back the science of washing. I love that you spoke about being raised in an eco-conscious household in Germany and what it was like to move to NYC, where the system of washing clothing was completely different from your past experience. Can you speak a little bit more about what moved you to begin Celsious and what the mission of Celsious is?

My background is actually in fashion journalism, which is how I ended up in NYC. This being one of the greatest cities in the world, I couldn’t believe that New Yorkers put up with such dingy and unpleasant laundromats. After a handful of bad laundromat experiences, I decided that New Yorkers deserved better! I convinced Theresa to move here from London, and together we brought our vision of the ideal laundromat to life.

We were indeed raised in an eco-conscious household. Our father is from Atlanta and our mother is from Germany, which is where Theresa and I spent our childhood. Our mom was our first example of someone who lived mindfully–she was “eco” in so many aspects of her life, long before that was a thing. From a young age, we were taught how to pre-treat stains with household pantry items and take good care of our clothing. Of course, this mindset followed when it came time to open our business.

Our mission is to transform the laundry industry into a caring, customer-focused and environmentally educated industry. People shouldn’t be subjected to harmful ingredients, especially when it comes to the products they use on a regular basis. Much like the awareness surrounding how food is grown (clean eating) and what goes into our cosmetics (clean beauty), we want to increase awareness around what goes into laundry products. It is so important to dispel the myth that you need to own a multitude of highly synthetic and perfumy products to do laundry. It’s so unnecessary! It is absolutely possible to achieve a good clean with simple ingredients–we do it every day at our laundromat.

We use hypoallergenic laundry powder Corewash (complimentary with each wash) and add a small scoop of Supersalt or rub in some Wunderbar vegetable soap stick to treat tough stains. We also use things like household white vinegar, natural essential oils and other simple hacks to deal with odor, static, pilling, etc. Remember, less is more!

If you could pass along one piece of knowledge about washing clothing, what would that wisdom be?

A fuller machine makes for a better wash. Everyone seems to be afraid of overloading a machine, but with everyday clothing items, loosely filling the drum all the way to the top creates friction between the individual items – which causes dirt and stains to be “rubbed” off. It’s what I call the “washboard effect.”

If you could have a tea or take a Boketto moment (a moment of daydreaming and of rest) with any person dead or alive who would it be? What kind of tea would you have?

Corinna: Oprah, Chai tea

Theresa: I’m an introvert, yet – on the job – surrounded by people constantly. That’s why the most Boketto moment for me would actually be a cup of black tea with milk just with myself.

What does a moment of rest, recharging, or nourishment look like for you?

Corinna: It can be any combination of the following: hot yoga, sunshine, a good book, a yummy meal, wine

Theresa: Yoga or a moment in nature

What's something you want people to know about you that I wouldn't think to ask?

We can’t think of anything! ;)

Sun/Rising/Moon sign?

Corinna: Taurus, Gemini Rising, Leo Moon

Theresa: Aries, Libra Rising, Sagittarius Moon

Discover Celsious and their line of eco-friendly laundry products here.