How this laundry pro tackles stubborn stainsPlus, chewy, crackly Italian almond cookies that are chef-approved.
Big stuff: I’ve been working on something new that I’m really excited about—an app that transforms home cooking—and I’m looking for volunteers to test it out. If that’s you, enter your email here, and if you’re among the first 100 to sign up, we’ll be in touch soon! (Everyone else: you’ll hear from us as we let more people in.) Other stuff:
This is a packed ** free ** post, so don’t forget to click “view more” at the end, or else read it in the app to ensure that none of the good bits get cut off!
I gave a few ricciarelli (Italian almond cookies) from Susan Spungen’s Cookie Queen to a chef friend who had stopped by, and within minutes she texted, “I couldn’t wait till I got home! I love this cookie. The texture is truly a dream.” The cookies have a crisp shell and chewy interior and are scented with almond extract, vanilla bean paste, and a floral essence called fiori di Sicilia that will now be a staple in my spice drawer. It takes some chutzpah to title your book Cookie Queen, but Susan delivers the goods. She managed to create a collection that’s equally appealing to beginners and experienced bakers—both will feel inspired, neither will feel talked down to. The only intimidating part is deciding which recipe to make first! Ricciarelli won by a slim margin over Ginger-Date Hobnobs, both from the Classics For a Reason chapter. But I was also eyeing the Tiger Stripe Sablés (tinted with turmeric and cocoa powder) from the Showstoppers section, which proceeds a chapter called My Kid Could Do That! The next challenge will be deciding if I make the Ricciarelli again or try something new. Life is hard. It’s a big year in cookie cookbooks, and I will be featuring another great one soon. Weed out your bookshelf and stay tuned.
Ricciarelli Makes 18 cookies Ingredients:
Instructions: 1. In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, almond flour, and baking powder and whisk to combine. Set aside. 2. Pour the egg whites and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment and whip on high speed until foamy and just starting to hold a shape. 3. Add the lemon zest, almond extract, vanilla, fiori di Sicilia (if using), and honey to the egg whites and beat briefly to incorporate. 4. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg white mixture until thoroughly combined. Knead briefly in the bowl to bring together. Transfer to an airtight container and chill for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. 5. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift about 3/4 cup (92 g) confectioners’ sugar into a small bowl. Pinch off a 25- to 30-g piece of dough and shape it by first rolling it into a ball, and then rolling it between your palms to form an oval with slightly pointed ends, kind of like a football. Roll in the confectioners’ sugar to coat generously and place on the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour, uncovered. 6. Preheat the oven to 325°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. 7. Bake the cookies for 23 to 25 minutes, switching the sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking time, until just golden on the bottom and cracked all over. Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers at room temperature for 3 to 4 days or freeze for 2 to 3 months. Here’s how I made out: 
I’ve known Gwen Whiting since she was building her first laundry products company, The Laundress, more than 20 years ago. She was a leader in taking laundry seriously and creating ways to make the experience more pleasurable. We spend so much money on clothing, then treat it carelessly. Gwen’s products changed my outlook, and I’m thrilled that she’s started a new enterprise, The Fill—I’m a proud subscriber. Below, I’ve peppered Gwen with my many laundry questions, and I hope you’ll enjoy our conversation. I’m ordering a sweater stone today. Gwen has kindly offered a complimentary The Fill membership for all Homewardians. To access, redeem before Monday, November 2, at 11:59 p.m. PT, and follow these steps: 1. Visit “The Fill Member” sign-up page and add the membership to your cart. 2. Enter the code HOMEWARD at checkout. 3. Once completed, you’ll be able to shop the catalog and enjoy the rest of your member perks immediately! If you need any further assistance, reach out to member@thefillclub.com. Okay, onto our convo!
I find the older I get, the more I enjoy doing laundry. It feels very ritualistic and dependable. It’s like baking a cake, you know that you’ll end up with a finished product. My sense is that I’m not alone because I’m noticing more thoughtful—and more expensive—laundry products on the market. I agree that the ritual and satisfaction is similar—the joy of the end result. The only difference with laundry is that there is always more to do! However, you get to keep enjoying the fruits of your labor—sleeping in clean sheets that smell and feel amazing, or opening your drawer with a stack of well-laundered items. The best part is the long-term effects of proper care; your pieces hold up longer over time. As we grow and change seasons in life—whether that is a new home, new job, change in family or health, or another new chapter—one’s relationships with these things can often shift. For instance, being in a season to edit and buy less can also drive people to be more interested in clothing care, paying more attention to preserving what you have and love. Why do you love laundry? It was always about preservation. I wanted to keep my items in the best condition for the longest time. My interest was also highly economically driven. Aside from the investment into my items (lots of Ralph Lauren sample sales in my days), I wanted to avoid the exorbitant cost of the dry cleaners. This was my founding mission for creating The Laundress in 2002. I was always a creator and a maker—sewing, embroidery, knitting, etc. So laundry was also in line with that tactical creation process. It’s satisfying to launder special items using beautiful and highly effective products and tools. Laundry products used to be considered a tool; now they’re also focused on quality and pleasure (aroma, aesthetically pleasing packaging). When did this start happening? In the early 2000s, there was a premium product for so many of our everyday moments—whether it was discovering finer olive oil and European butter, or moving from drugstore makeup to the beauty counter. But when I started The Laundress, there was still just the grocery aisle or the dry cleaner. We deserved to have a premium laundry experience at home—nicer packaging, finer fragrances, “cleaner” and better performing ingredients. The progression of the consumer market into “better for you” was incredibly slow, starting with food then beauty. It really became much more understood around the pandemic. I was ahead of my time.
Also, we went from a nation of top-loading washers to slow-cycle, front-loading machines. Top-loaders can be great for cleaning more heavy-duty materials and things that need to soak, because you can turn them off and back on—it’s like the stick-shift of washing machines, right?! Ha, yes, I love that analogy. The shift to the front-loader was for two reasons—to be more gentle without the giant agitator in the middle and to use less water. I was incredibly resistant for a long time, and I still have my old Maytag in the basement as a backup, but I honestly never use it anymore. I do a lot of pre-treating and pre-soaking in the sink—which is better in a lot of ways because it’s more targeted. You can continue to work on really tough stains instead of doing repeat washes. You can also use really hot water in the sink, which is the best way to treat most stains (except blood) on durable materials like cotton and linen. I prefer to override my machine settings and adjust my water temperature to how I like it—hot for whites, warm for colors, and then lots of loads on the Delicate cycle. Who is making good washers and dryers now? What are some of your favorite machines, and what features do you look for? Do you have any thoughts on the ventless dehumidifier-style dryers from Europe vs hot air dryers? My criteria are: Having the most manual setting controls and no annoying noises. Let’s just say I have a solid relationship with my appliance guy (Patrick at Appliance World in Huntington, Long Island)! I have an Electrolux front-loading washer/dryer that is about 8 years old that I like. I haven’t been in the market for a while, but I shy away from gadgets—like, what is going on in the steam function? In my last Laundress office and in my NYC apartment I had the Miele ventless. The bonus is that they fit nicely under the counter, but the function is compromised. The dryer either partially dries or takes forever to dry, cooking whatever is in there. I find the washing settings a little harder to control, and the water temperature and spin a bit aggressive. The drums are also much smaller, so smaller loads. In London, I have a new Miele all-in-one combination washer/dryer—which is a huge improvement from the unit I had in the late 1990s while living there after college. Every time my roommate and I tried to dry our sheets more, the cycle would start all over again. I can’t tell you how many times I had to sleep with no sheets, or very damp sheets… of course we only had one set. However, I have been pleasantly surprised with the Miele 30 years later. You can split the washer and dryer sessions up, the drying is similar to my NYC ventless dryer, and we do a lot of line drying. It is just more annoying with sheets. I almost never put my good clothing in the dryer; it seems like dryers aren’t actually good for clothing. Is this a myth I’ve created in my head, or something that has merit? What do/don’t you put in the dryer? No, you are spot on. The most wear and tear is always done in the dryer, not the washer, which people often think. It is the heat and agitation in the dryer that wears on the fabric, cooks elastic or any synthetic blends, dulls colors, and causes shrinkage. I hang-dry all my underwear, bras, exercise clothes, bathing suits, dress shirts, most dresses, and pants. I give jeans about 30 minutes in the dryer, then hang to dry the rest.
What are some other laundry myths you find yourself debunking as an expert? I would say it is more about shifting people’s habits for the better, or just understanding the why or the when, such as:
I used to have one detergent and now I have sports detergent, regular detergent, and delicates detergent. Have I fallen prey to marketing, or do you really need different strength detergents for different jobs? Well, I would need to see what you are using to know if they are actually different formulas that are designed and effective to my standards. Fundamentally, there are different formulas and ingredients that are better for different use cases:
Let’s hear about a stain removal triumph! What are your tips? I love a stain triumph! One of my favorites is transforming yellowed fabric to bright white. I have done this over and over, often with found family pieces, but also with a white button-down shirt and patio chair cushions. I have conquered pretty much every stain over the past 20+ years. My key items: The Fill Bleach (non-chlorine and color-safe), The Fill Stains (pre-treating), and The Fill Laundry Bar (spot-treating, hand-washing on the go, and tackling stains like rings around the collar). Also, white vinegar is good for mildew and odor. And keep a soft toothbrush on-hand for gentle scrubbing.
I read somewhere that 2026 was the year that drying clothes outside would be trending. Is this the best way in your view? Line drying is the ultimate luxury! Our fellow substacker Victoria Wolff at Our Amagansett House went for it this summer, and when I wrote to her she said it was a big hit with her European readers. Hopefully she convinced more people to string up laundry lines over here, too. Drying in the sun can aid whitening and make items feel crisper. How do you organize your laundry room and what features do you think are important to have? My number one thing is a workspace. Often people stack their machines, but I think that is such a miss in leveraging a counterspace surface. I like to have everything handy and easy to use. A good selection of mesh bags, a basin for soaking, and a sizable drying rack are key! My must-have tools are a clothing brush, sweater stone, comb, and my steamer. Do you believe in laundry rooms that have lots of space or do you prefer smaller, ship-galley-like spaces? I think anyone can make a great laundry experience with the space they have! I started and built The Laundress without having a laundry room for many years. It is about maximizing the space you do have and making it a place you want to be in—something well-functioning and clean. Even if you just have a sink, you can set up a nice hand-washing and stain-treating shelf or kit to hold the essentials.
How do you manage the flow from dirty clothes to washer-ready to dried, folded, etc. What’s your system? And do you have a favorite hamper? I think systems are so specific to lifestyles. Our house is just my husband and I, sometimes some guests or my mom, and I don’t have children. In NYC, my husband and I have our own hampers in our closets that we fill and then merge and sort out weekly with our sheets and towels. We have old cotton-coated standup Laundress hampers that don’t exist anymore (RIP). On Long Island, we have a giant double steel hamper [similar ones here]. We also have a number of wicker laundry baskets that we constantly rotate loads around with, from sorting to cleaning to ironing. With guests, we will leave one in their rooms for end-of-stay towels and sheets. Is the ironing board and iron dead? Please say yes. Sorry, not in my house. It is out most weekends. But luckily my husband took over the ironing and I do the steaming. The good news is that I also have my renowned wrinkle release spray. What’s next in laundry? Are there appliances or methods that you think we’ll be employing 5 years from now that we don’t yet know about? I don’t think AI will be taking over our laundry rooms anytime soon. The funny thing is that 7 years ago, when I was finally finished with The Laundress, I thought my work was done. Everyone had all the products and solutions to carry on without me. But I realized there is another generation…and everyone has dirty laundry and problems to solve, so here I am again, back in the laundry room! Thanks Gwen!
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