Who's this lovely? Perhaps a known laundry expert...
There is race day, and then there is Opening day! For the past several years, there has been a giant void in Laundress Lucca's heart. That chasm becomes especially deep around the middle of July. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, thoroughbred racing in Del Mar was kiboshed. I'm happy to report that the pomp and circumstance of opening day with the famous hat contest is back in full force. Never one to miss an extravaganza, Laundress Lucca was on full display in all her regalia, hob-nobbing and flitting about from table to table in the Turf Club like a tipsy gadfly. As with most events these days, the opening day crowd tends to be outrageously stylish, over-the-top, and a fashionista's utter fantasy. Without question, Del Mar is truly one of the best horse racing meets in the United States. Does anybody still wear a hat?
An afternoon of betting trifectas and pick-sixes and drinking copious amounts of opening day cocktails; this year consisting of a lavender-infused modern spin on the traditional mint-julip. Refreshing and potent, Laundress Lucca boozily skips from the track, directly headed to the "Hats, Heels and Hooves" party lavishly put on by the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe. It is difficult for Laundress Lucca to hit all the parties, but this is one she never misses.
Betty Gail McDowell sported a smart lapis sundress and an adorable fedora, both from Valentino. And the shoes were yellow-satin mules by Manolo Blahnik. Rumor has it Betty is heading up the committee for the annual Zoo Ball in Balboa Park. While things might be a little rocky at home for Betty and Bill, truth be told, Betty stands to receive a cool $50 million should the divorce go through. Bill is doing everything to prevent this. Neither of them had any shame in parading their younger and hotter conquests around the party - a fine young supermodel sporting Louis Vuitton metal spiked boots for him. And a handsome and chiseled Swedish water-polo player named Sven shadowed Betty.
On the other side of the lawn, Laundress Lucca ran into Gloria and Iris Steinman, who had just returned from a month-long trip in San Tropez. Let's just say all that fine rich French wine and food made its way back to San Diego, bolding riding shotgun on Gloria's hips and Ira's double chin. Gloria boasted about her upcoming indulgence at the Golden Door to recalibrate and concentrate on reducing those saddle bags. Despite the extra pounds, the Steinmans were in good spirits as their horse, Rusty Sunset, won the 8th race. Their stable has produced several winners this season, including Don't Tell On Me and Aint Life Fun, which won The Pacific Classic. Laundress Lucca avoided discussing their outfits as they not only weren't anything special, but they reeked of a Marshall's and Ross collision. Probably best to wait 'till Gloria returns from her Golden Door extravaganza.
James Stuart and his husband, Renny Peterson, were a force to be reckoned with. They both sported dusty-blue Tom Ford suits, Ferragamo loafers without socks, and matching Louis Vuitton leather beanies. Such a south-of-France look that so few people can actually pull off. James was boasting about their recent purchase of a pied-a-terre in New York's Greenwich Village. A positive snippet from Renny was that their design studio in La Jolla is doing well, and they plan to host an exclusive open house for their best clients in October. Of course, Laundress Lucca's already on that guest list. The three of them reminisced about their fun trip to Sydney last year for The White Party on New Year's Eve. Such an outrageous time!
Just as Laundress Lucca was headed to the after-hours party at Red Tracton's, she almost tripped over a harem of slutty-track-trash trying to weasel their way in without an invite. These were not Turf Club denizens; these were general admission sluts. Their outfits, so unmentionably short, revealed their unmentionables. Enough said!
And just like that, the evening was over, and it was time to head home. After an action-packed day at the track and the subsequent fabulous parties that followed, it was a day full of adventure.
When you are around horses, that pesky smell of horse manure lodges in and permeates the fabric of your clothes. And when your senses are assaulted like that, it calls for an immediate clothing intervention. And one that should occur even before scheduling a pick-up-and-delivery from Pacifica-Laundry.com.
How to get the reeking horse manure stench out of clothing:
One of the most frustrating parts of being around horses is having to contend with the manure odor that makes your clothing reek. The term "sweat like a horse" has meaning here, and those smells need to be eliminated ASAP. In this post, we'll cover a few effective ways to manage clothes that smell like horse manure and how to remove the stench permanently with one treatment before the offending smell infects the rest of your wardrobe.
Despite all the glamour at the Del Mar Racetrack, horses have a particular scent. Whether it's the body odor of horses themselves or the pungent aroma of ammonia from urine-soaked stall bedding, this combination of smells seems to have a supernatural ability to cling to fabrics.
Fill a basin with warm water and add one cup hydrogen peroxide and one cup baking soda, mixing well. Completely submerge the stinky item and soak for at least one hour, if not overnight. Use this solution right away because hydrogen peroxide loses its potency rather quickly.
Another Option is household ammonia. Fill the washer with warm water and add 1/2 cup non-sudsing household ammonia. Completely submerge the smelly clothes and work in the ammonia solution and warm water for at least 30 minutes. Then use a heavy-duty detergent (Tide is considered heavy-duty). Do not use or add any chlorine bleach, as ammonia and bleach mixed together will produce toxic fumes. If the odor remains, repeat the process again.
Hydrogen Peroxide can also be used to control the odor. However, you must be careful because it can cause bleaching and color removal if poured directly on fabrics. Instead, fill the washer with warm water, add one cup hydrogen peroxide and one cup baking soda, and mix well. Then, completely submerge the stinky items and soak them for at least one hour. This works well because the oxygen molecules in the hydrogen peroxide neutralize and bond to the molecules. This allows the offending reek to be flushed away. After soaking, wash the items as recommended on the care label with a heavy-duty detergent.
Distilled white vinegar is less effective than ammonia and hydrogen peroxide mixed with baking soda. However, it will work - it just takes longer. Fill the washer and add two cups of distilled white vinegar to warm water. Submerge the clothes and soak for at least three hours. Then, wash as usual with a heavy-duty detergent. Remember, no matter what you use as a soaking solution, follow it up with a complete wash cycle.
When drying washable clothes, they should be line dried, preferably outside. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight will help neutralize the odor. If the odor molecules have not been completely removed during the wash, using the high heat of a dryer may infuse the odor even deeper into the fibers. If you must dry clothes in a dryer, choose a lower temperature and remove the clothes while still damp to finish air-drying.
So, it doesn't matter if you are working at the track slinging manure or in the winners circle donning Jimmy Choo pumps; it's nice to know there are options for removing the pungent residual that our four-legged equines share with us.
Look forward to continued North County coverage as Pacifica-Laundry.com expands our service area. We now serve Rancho Santa Fe, La Jolla, and Del Mar.
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