Friday, August 22, 2008

My Dry Cleaning: An Update

Since one of our commenters asked for an update on my dry cleaning (and I always do what you people tell me to in the comments section), here it is!

I got my clothes back today from Georgetown Valet. All done, on time, and I must say - they look fantastic. I should probably do my dry cleaning more often because my skirts have never looked so good. Not even when they were new!

As for the prices... women always get hosed at the dry cleaners. I just don't know why, and I don't know why we don't stage a major protest on the issue... but seriously, if you're a dude reading this, I'd like to compare prices.

Here's what I had done:

2 suits
1 pair of pants
2 skirts
1 shirt

If you count the suits as two pieces each, the total was 8 items. I paid $43, or just over $5 per single item (including tax).

That certainly seems like a lot to me, especially if dudes pay like... $2 per shirt. And do I get charged more if it's a suit versus a jacket and a skirt? I think I might...

But, for this area - it might be decent. Does anyone have an experience or prices to compare?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

That's pretty expensive. I dropped off a similar amount of men's clothes at the organic cleaners on U Street and it was less than that. Don't know if you're getting hosed because you're female or because Georgetown Valet sucks, though.

Alissa said...

Ok, so i know its a haul, but Zips on Conn ave does ever item at $1.69, next day service, and a really good job (if sometimes a bit starchy). Its amazing, really, 10 items (skirt, suits,dresses...) for about $20. Im a total convert.

Longley said...

There is definitely a disparity in pricing, but apparently it's justified. They press men's shirts on this giant machines that can do about 2 a minute, while women's shirts have to be hand pressed because they are generally smaller and have more complicated cuts (womens size 16 can be done on the same machine as men's shirts).

(I read this once on a poster at a dry cleaners; I'm not a dry cleaner I just have a random memory)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the post! I don't dry clean much only my suits and I can tell you OXXO charges $7 for each piece, i.e. $7 for the suit pants and $7 for a jacket. Pricey, burt on the other hand since I often work late the 24 hour pickup kind of makes it worth it. I have been happy with the quality I just avoid getting things dry cleaned due to the price. I may have to check out Georgetown Valet after your review though. Thanks for the post!

Anonymous said...

FYI, the mens' shirts are not a fair comparison. The $1-2 shirts are not dry cleaned, they are laundered.

What you paid is similar to what I have paid for dry cleaning almost anywhere in this city other than places like zips. I typically pay $10-12 for a two piece men's suite.

Anonymous said...

I gave OXXO 3 shots to earn by business, each time they screwed up my cleaning. As others mentioned, men get shirts laundered and pressed, not dry cleaned. Dry cleaning a men's shirt does run $4-$5 per item. I took 2, two-piece suits to be drycleaned = $20 total. 1 tie to be dry cleaned= $5.

Anonymous said...

...and why is it that womens' dress shoes can be purchased so much more inexpensively than mens'? Maybe it's to compensate for the drycleaning...

Anonymous said...

Please guys (and girls), don't go to Oxxo.

They lost my stuff and did zero. They act like it's normal to lose a bunch of things and then cite their policy of no reimbursement. They must not know that most companies, while they say that to protect themselves, will help a wronged customer out to keep good client relations. It doesn't seem like they want to stay in the neighborhood, alienating residents right and left.

Plus....I paid $66 for seven items....three of which were lost. Eeks....