Why is dry cleaning so expensive in SA (Houston, San Antonio: coupons, home)

[smarkham]

Hello.

I just moved to SA a week ago. I'm delighted with the lower prices on just about everything compared to Wash DC. EXCEPT dry cleaning. Back in DC I would pay between $1.25-$1.50 per shirt and about $4.75 for pants. I took them to high-end organic cleaners that did a great job.

Most places here charge about $2.25 per shirt and $5.50 for pants. I'm wondering why?

Cheers!

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by smarkham

Hello.

I just moved to SA a week ago. I'm delighted with the lower prices on just about everything compared to Wash DC. EXCEPT dry cleaning. Back in DC I would pay between $1.25-$1.50 per shirt and about $4.75 for pants. I took them to high-end organic cleaners that did a great job.

Most places here charge about $2.25 per shirt and $5.50 for pants. I'm wondering why?

Cheers!

I was thinking the same thing when I came here. My theory is that there is no competition. The main player in my neighborhood is Five Star cleaners. They frequently have coupons on their website that you must print out EVERY month because they absolutely refuse to accept one that is out of date. I never had any such problem at my old neighbohood cleaners in west hollywood, calif. They would accept competitors' coupons and even gave me a discount without a coupon. they also knew exactly what I wanted everytime that I brought my clothes to them. God how I miss them!!!
when I called in too complain about this practice of not accepting a coupon outdated by one day, they had a "take it or leave it" attitude, like they really didn;t care. I haven't been back there since.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

Texas charges dry cleaners a solvent fee of $20 per gallon for perc, the most commonly used dry cleaning solvent. The fees go into a state Dry Cleaner Remediation Fund, to be used to deal with contamination caused by dry cleaning solvent, because of the possiblility of water supply contamination.

Dry-Cleaning Chemical Spurs Worries About Wells - Science News - redOrbit

[forest1492]

Agreed. Dry Cleaning is one of the few things worse than NOVA/DC. Simple things like getting a button sewn back on - "It will take three days" or "I will note it, but can't guarantee it will get done."

My neighborhood cleaners in VA - open on Sundays and until 8:00 on weeknights. No dry cleaners here open on Sunday or after 7:00 p.m.

If you don't mind paying cash up front, the $2.25 cleaners seem ok.

Prices are all over the place. Have paid about $9 for one sweater. Check the back of your HEB receipts or cleaners' websites. Dry Cleaning here is all about coupons.

[Mom2Feebs]

I don't know about how any Texas laws affect pricing, because in Houston, dry cleaning is CHEAP! Much cheaper than here. Prices are ridiculous here.

[verybadgnome]

The cheapest thing to do is avoid buying dry clean-only clothes in the first place. And it's not just the cost of dry cleaning, but the gas/vehicle costs to get to the place and the price of my time. Beside PERC is a carcinogen and the stuff I use at home to clean my clothes is not (AFAIK).

[skeet09]

Hmmm....good question. If you can't find anything, maybe look into the dry cleaning kits they sell in the laundry aisles of HEB, Wal-Mart. Never tried them though and I don't have any dry cleaning type of clothing in my wardrobe but worth a try.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

A lot of clothes labeled "dry clean only" are marked that way because they're poorly made and won't hold up to the spin cycle of a home washing machine...even expensive clothes. Some dry-clean only clothes, especially polyester or rayon, can be gently washed by hand, or possibly run through the hand-wash cycle of your washing machine and then hung to dry.


But...if you have to wear suits for work, those have to be dry cleaned and there's no way around it. Chances are, though, that if you've got a job where you've got to dress up that much, you can afford the dry cleaning.

Perc does cause cancer though, maybe not at the levels present in your clothes when you bring them home and rip off the plastic bags, but who knows?

[smarkham]

I found a place about a mile from where I work that launders shirts for .99. I don't want them dry cleaned...just laundered. I do need to have other stuff dry cleaned. I'm going to give them a try. But overall I'm loving it here. One thing I've noticed--the air smells very nice in San Antonio.

[skeet09]

Originally Posted by smarkham

I found a place about a mile from where I work that launders shirts for .99.

Let us know if you like the place...good to have recommendations.