How To Clean Clothes Naturally, From The Owners Of NYC's Trendiest Laundromat

The New Age laundromat's name, and much of its ethos, is borrowed from European washing culture. Corinna and Theresa were raised in an eco-conscious household in Germany and taught to do laundry on machines that dispensed water at temps like 30, 40, or 60 degrees Celsius. When the duo came to America a few years back—to pursue careers in fashion journalism and product design, respectively—they found the laundry machines stateside left something to be desired.

"When I moved to New York in 2012 and saw cold, warm, and hot at laundromats, I didn't know what that meant," Corinna told me over coffee at Celsious' on-site café one drizzly summer afternoon. "It felt vague and imprecise. We wanted to bring back the science of washing."

Looking over at the laundromat's main floor, it certainly seemed more high-tech than most. Walls full of smart washers dispensed water based on how heavy a load was, and the dryers sensed the remaining moisture on clothes so as to never over-dry.  

Traditional, chemical-laden cleaners have no place in green machines like these. Instead, Celsious offers all its customers complimentary three-ingredient detergent (a blend of washing soda, baking soda, and Castile soap) and sells a curated selection of other natural laundry care accessories for purchase. Think: Cora Balls to suck up microplastics and biodegradable stain remover spray.

Beyond just making laundry day safer, the sisters hope to make it more enjoyable. When I visited Celsious, its lofted café area was alive with people eating vegan treats and sipping organic kombucha while their wash was on. Like the detergent on the main floor, everything in the café came in reusable containers to avoid single-use plastics.

It was easy to see why regulars have been known to hop on the Wi-Fi and host work meetings in the space, or outside on the patio when it's warm out. "People bring their parents when they're in town," Theresa said. "We do get 'laundry tourists'—people just stopping in even if they don't have laundry," adds Corinna. 

In the year and a half that Celsious has been around, thousands of guests have visited from all walks of life, coming from neighborhoods near and far. "The issue isn't that people don't want to do laundry," Theresa said of the early success. "They just don't want to do it in a horrible place."

Guests are invited to come for the washing machines and good vibes and stay for weekly programming like yoga on the back patio, morning meditations, and tarot card readings on Sundays. These community events challenge the idea that laundry is something to always do in furrow-browed, strict silence and isolation. When I asked the sisters if this was always part of the plan, they answered with a resounding yes.

"Garment care and home care—" began Theresa.

"It's self-care!" Corinna piggybacked.