Tag Archives: dry cleaners

Dry Cleaning That Won’t Clean You Out

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ZIPS copy

This weekend, Zips changed my budgeting life. No. Joke.

I realize I wrote about my dry cleaner ripping me off quite a while ago, but due to various factors (primarily laziness), I didn’t try a different option. Until now.

I headed to Zips on a recommendation from a friend. MAN, what a difference! The aforementioned laziness had also contributed to a huge stockpile of dry cleaning, so by the time I managed to make it over there I had 16 items. Eek. In the old days, that would have meant that I would be bracing myself for a bill that was well over $100. But, not at Zips! My 16 items included 13 full service dry cleaning items and 4 shirts that needed a wash and iron. For all that, my grand total bill was $31.84 (paid in cash, up front). Ah-ma-zing.

To give you a frame of reference, I went and picked up the last of my dry cleaning from my old place right after I left Zips. I had three items –  1 dress, 1 sweater, and 1 pair of pants – that cost me a total of $24.31.

Say what??? For an extra, $7.53 at Zips, I got 13 more items done.

Consider me a changed woman.

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I Seriously Believe My Dry Cleaner is Ripping Me Off

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Suffering from a severe lack of clothes, last night, I headed to my usual dry cleaner to do a drop off/pick up. When I got the bill, it was over $100!. Granted I had included a table-cloth that had a severe beating at my holiday fete, so that was almost half of it, but STILL that’s a lot of money!

Clearly, this caused me to look more closely at what I was being charged. After checking out the bill, I realized that they had been charging me $5.55 each for several “blouses” that I had in my stash. But, I didn’t have any blouses! I had a bunch of cotton work shirts that I love to wear around on weekend. I usually take them to the dry cleaners because I hate to iron (and I mean HATE it), so when I wash them at home I never get to it and then never wear them. A waste of money, no?

Anyway, I’ve seen said dry cleaner do a wash and iron for men’s shirts for almost half the price, so I asked them why they charged me more. According to the lady at the counter, my ladies shirts are too small for their ironing machine, so they have to hand press it.

I was outraged. There are small men! They get their shirts done at the dry cleaner for half price! Do they think I’m stupid or something? You tell me. What do you think the difference is between this men’s version:

 

and this?

NOTHING! My dry cleaner ripping me off because I’m a lady (and a lady only wears blouses, obvi). Bunch of sexists. They think I’m too dumb to notice.

Still outraged, I googled discount dry cleaning options in the D.C. area. Of course, there is Zips Dry Cleaners in Van Ness, where every garment is $1.99, but no other dry cleaners list prices online. Zips is great, but it’s a bit far away for me. If I struggle to get to my own neighborhood dry cleaners on a regular basis, it’s going to be even harder for me to get to one that’s 15 minutes away. This means, I’m going to have to shop around.

Does anyone else have a recommendation for a dry cleaners in Georgetown or Dupont that won’t overcharge for my basic wash and iron shirts? One that won’t assume that the lack of a Y chromosome means a lack of intelligence. Please comment and let me know!