With Thanksgiving and Christmas behind us and the lure of the New Year ahead of us, the grand and lengthy holiday season is almost over. But of course, who doesn't love the merriment and the glorious sights and sounds of such a festive time! Then comes the beginning of January, and it's time for Laundress Lucca to pick all those worn outfits off the floor and assess the clothing damage from a myriad of swanky yule-time soirees. Once identified and treated, the entire pile can be added to your weekly pick-up-and-delivery order at www.Pacifica-Laundry.com.
All the familiar offending stains are there - the red wine dribble, the dijon splat, the dance-till-you-drop deodorant smudge, and even a hot wax splooge or two. We've covered those culprits before, but the one thing that is particularly difficult and appears at almost every holiday event is gravy. Call it beurre blanc, sauce rouge, or bearnaise, the pesky offender - butter, oil, and greasy pan drippings.
It was a trip down memory lane as Laundress Lucca picked up the pieces. The jade-green Chloe she wore to the Hunger First Gala. The silver Escada that she debuted for the Bubbles and Chocolate opening. And her Christmas red velvet Valentino, all with similar stains. So, like an aged Christmas tree with no remaining needles, it's time to pick it up, have it cleaned, and store it neatly and out of the way for next year.
The San Diego social calendar stands still on the 5th of December as the standing day for the Widrigs annual Winterland extravaganza. No opening, premiere, or fundraiser dares to compete with the coveted date. One arrives at the valet in front of the Rancho Santa Fe spread and is immediately picked up on a sleigh led by actual reindeer. After a grand tour of the estate, guests stroll between 47 bedazzled Christmas trees towards the merry bash inside. The San Diego gay men's chorus hums Christmas carols during cocktails, followed by a cameo from Liza Minelli. Then the dance music of the Pelicans Quartet takes us into the wee hours. It's your usual $100,000 Christmas bash, from tray-passed lollipop lamb chops to a 4-foot Seafood tower laden with exotic oysters, urchins, and eel, flown in from Osaka. The Widrigs also fly in their favorite Tokyo Sushi Fish Monger, and he's the star of the show. Crystal chandeliers hung from trees and within the tent and ooze with dripping bling. White mink drapes the club seating, and ivory swans on gossamer wings glide gently by in the pool. And the tennis court quickly changes from Liza's stage to the Fred Astaire-inspired mirrored dance floor.
The A-list crowd is rather lengthy, but a few notables were in attendance. Never one to be out-styled, Laundress Lucca was flanked by Dempsey twins, Scott and Bruce. Both brothers are competitive and stunning aires to the Dempsey Auto Group. Neither has any interest in the ancestral business, but each of their paths has been influenced by the family trade, rather. Scott races Bentley SUVs on a treacherous portion of the Gobi desert between southern Mongolia and northwestern China. It's luxury glamping. It's a race course to hell and recently received global acclaim with a full spread in Conde Nast Traveler. The more demure twin, Bruce runs his father's auction house of hard-to-find-exotics where a 36 Jaguar Speedster just sold for $2.4M. One likes beautiful women and adrenaline, and one likes gorgeous men and classics. If truth be told, Bruce is the better date. He is elegantly understated, his manners are unparalleled, he's an expert conversationalist, and he's an extraordinary dancer. Scott's talents are limited to the race course and the bedroom. His contributions become more apparent and desirable as the evening wanes. The three wake up at Lucca's to pan au chocolate with Bailey's cappuccino, Veuve Mimosas, and a crustless quiche lorraine.
Somewhere between the Versace Christmas Carol Jubilee and the toys-for-tots climb up Mt. Soledad, the Laundress attended the christening of Sally Tyme's new mega-yacht at the San Diego boat parade. Crystal Extravagance was her name, and Chrystal Extravagance was her trade. While Sally boasts of global navigation and exotic shores her floating palace will visit, make no mistake, the primary purpose of the yacht is to safely harbor the family's prosperity. The naughty jaunts between Nicaragua and our sunny southern California port are frequent. Everyone knows the secret, but no one spills the beans. Behind her back, Sal the gal is known as Sally Snow, just a toot, bump, and rail away from her other name Sally Sniff.
About the middle of the month, the Laundress realized there was something missing from her December dance card; her annual invitation for Christmas tea. An extravaganza hosted by Jeanie Cartwright at The Lodge at Torrey Pines (see picture at the end of this post). No other venue in town captures the spirit and the opulence of the season better than the beautifully decorated lobby. But, while the engraved invitation says tea, it's the bottomless Dom that makes the event. Bedazzled in vintage Lauren plaid, the ladies nosh on divinity fudge, raspberry meringues, and prosciutto roll-ups. But as it turned out, Jeanie caught a nasty bout of covid and postponed the affair until the spring.
Back to the culprit at hand, gravy is essential in just about every meal. Whether it be Thanksgiving, Christmas, or simply your Sunday roast. While the sauce is divine for your taste buds, it is not something you want on your couture duds. Gravy spills leave destructive stains that can easily ruin your lovely clothing.
Worry not! In this post, the Laundress shares ways that you can remove gravy stains and restore your clothing back to its original condition, frequently asked questions, and more.
To remove gravy from clothes, first, scrape off the excess smudge from the stain with a blunt knife or a spoon. Next, make a solution of 1 tablespoon of dishwashing soap in two cups of warm water. Dip a piece of white cloth in this solution, wring off the excess solution, and continuously blot the gravy stain until it is removed.
Other than using dishwashing soap, there are actually several ways you can remove gravy stains from clothes. Take a look at a few of them below.
White vinegar is a common household substance that has a wide variety of uses. For that reason, it is readily available, and you can use it to remove gravy stains. Plus, it easily breaks down the grease found in its acidic composition.
Before using vinegar, you want to remove as much as possible, to avoid making the stain messier. To do this, you will need a butter knife or a spoon to scrape from the edges of the stain to the center while removing the excess matter. Next, pour some white vinegar on the spots and wait for 20 minutes before blotting until the stain is removed. If the stain is no longer visible, you can wash the clothing in a hot water cycle with a strong detergent, rinse and dry. Never dry if the stains persist, as it will set the stain permanently.
Commercial types of stain removers are a fantastic option too, and they're readily available in the detergent aisle of your favorite grocery store. Some of the well-known brands include Persil and Tide.
The thing with most commercial stain removers is they are formulated for certain types of stains. For example, some contain surfactants and enzymes that easily break down oil, colorants, and other proteinaceous components found in gravy.
To use this method, place the garment on a flat surface, and remove some of the loose parts of the stain. Next, spray some enzyme stain remover and wait 10 minutes for the stain to lift. Afterward, you can launder with any strong enzyme-based stain remover.
So, whether it's a dollop of creme fraiche on your ugly Christmas sweater or a lovely Bordelaise on your vintage Chanel, there is a solution for the seasonal stains of the holidays.
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