WASH CYCLE
We live in an age of beautiful stories, but often don't know what lies behind them. The Laundry makes that visible. Our aim is not to call out or cancel, but to encourage deeper understanding, more conscious choices, and more honest practices. Social design means designing for clarity. It means not just drinking, but also beginning to see what truly lies behind the product. In doing so, we create a new way of sharing information: Open, participatory and rooted in collective awareness.
STEP 1 - SORTING
We begin at the source: the Dutch
wine culture. We collect wines
produced in the Netherlands,
spanning a wide range of labels,
claims, and price points.
We’re not here to taste — we’re here
to read. We look at what the wine
appears to say — and especially what
it doesn’t.
What is suggested by the label?
What remains hidden? Based on that,
we select the bottles that enter the
wash.
STEP 4 - SOAKING & QUESTIONING
Here, we start engaging in
conversation. We speak to
winemakers, bottlers, distributors
and others involved in the supply
chain. The goal is to build a fuller
picture. We gather different
voices and perspectives to uncover
the broader context. Transparency
doesn't come from observation alone
— it requires dialogue and inquiry.
We also demonstrate when no answers
are given. Because silence is also
part of the story.
STEP 2 - PRE-WASH
We start with the surface. we
examine the labels, websites and
marketing language. What
information is communicated to the
consumer? What can we infer from the
words, imagery and certifications?
We look closely at terms such as
'pure' and 'sustainable'
. We then
start to strip away the outer layer:
What washes away and what remains?
STEP 5 - SPINNING
At this stage, we bring everything
together and make it measurable.
Each wine receives a transparency
score between 0 and 100 based on
eight examined themes. The original
label is removed and replaced with a
neutral outer layer in the form of a
white laundry bag. The core
remains visible: the score, a QR
code and the information uncovered
beneath the surface. This reveals
what is usually hidden from view.
STEP 3 - MAIN WASH
Next, we take a closer look at the
investigation. We examine not just
the packaging, but the production
process itself. Using an eight-part
transparency checklist, we analyse
various elements: From land use and
ownership to labour conditions and
distribution practices. We break the
product down to reveal its inner
workings. Our aim is not to judge,
but to showcase how the wine is
truly produced.
What is really in the bottle?
STEP 6 - DRYING & DISCLOSURE
The findings are now shared. Each
bottle has its own digital profile
on our website, which is open,
verifiable and accessible to all.
The QR code on the bottle leads
directly to this page. This creates
a new kind of label — one driven by
understanding, not marketing. For
consumers: clarity. For producers:
an opportunity to collaborate. For
the system, it provides an
opportunity to improve from within.
STEP 7 - FOLDING & OUTCOME
Finally, we take a step back.
What's left when the label is
gone?
What does a bottle say without its
packaging — without its carefully
crafted story? At this stage, the
wine is read, not tasted. This is
not an end point, but an invitation
to reframe your perspective and
question what you consume. Each
bottle links to a page on our
website via a QR code. An open
database where all examined wines
are collected, made accessible and.
open to collaboration. This
creates a new layer of transparency
that is trackable and testable for
everyone to explore.