Drycleaning Costs

[CaptainYooh]

I've been having my shirts laundered at the same drycleaning business for over 20 years. They closed the business and moved out without notice this morning.

I need to find me a new drycleaning service in the SW.

Questions:
Where do you have your shirts laundered?
What do you pay/shirt?


Thanks guys.

[SportsJunky]

I haven't really been paying attention but I think I'm charged $5 per shirt and $10 for pants.

[CaptainYooh]

Wow. Seems like $4.25 to $6/shirt spread now. When I worked downtown in late 90's, we paid $0.99 per shirt for 1-hr cleaning AND they picked it up from the offices in the morning...

[Rando]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Wow. Seems like $4.25 to $6/shirt spread now. When I worked downtown in late 90's, we paid $0.99 per shirt for 1-hr cleaning AND they picked it up from the offices in the morning...

The 90s were a long time ago my mans!

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Rando

The 90s were a long time ago my mans!

Yep... life's getting much more expensive nowadays...

[Northendzone]

maybe this is a dumb question but for those that get their shirts professionally laundered - how many times do you wear the shirt before repeating the cycle?

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

maybe this is a dumb question but for those that get their shirts professionally laundered - how many times do you wear the shirt before repeating the cycle?

Fair question. I try not to wear the same shirt more then once. Just me. I work at the office, so physiologically it's not necessary, I don't sweat that much. But when I started working, one of the older and cooler engineers at my first job told me that a guy should wear fresh underwear, different clothes and different shoes each day of the week at the office. I've been following that advice ever since... So, I have 10 shirts to a drycleaner every two weeks.

[TheScorpion]

I generally dislike wearing a dress shirt more than twice at the very most before getting it cleaned.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

I don’t pay too much attention to the cost. But around $4-5 a shirt seems right. I get my shirts washed pressed about once a month, which translates to about 2 wears each.

Its worth it to me to save the time and effort since I’m the worlds worst ironer.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Fair question. I try not to wear the same shirt more then once. Just me. I work at the office, so physiologically it's not necessary, I don't sweat that much. But when I started working, one of the older and cooler engineers at my first job told me that a guy should wear fresh underwear, different clothes and different shoes each day of the week at the office. I've been following that advice ever since... So, I have 10 shirts to a drycleaner every two weeks.

I love my clothes as much as the next guy, but 5 pairs of shoes specifically for office wear seems a little excessive...

[TorqueDog]

Five pairs of shoes for office wear isn't excessive at all, actually.

The whole problem with shoes you wear on the daily is that you wear them out quickly. I used to power through a pair of work shoes every 6-8 months because they'd wear out from daily use, and spending $120/pop on shoes every time adds up quickly.

IMHO, the keys to shoe longevity are having a good set of cedar shoe trees that you put in after each wear to help them keep their shape and extract moisture from your foot sweat, and rotating your shoes day to day. It'll keep your wardrobe flexible and extend the life of your shoes considerably. Case in point, I have a pair of black cordovan bluchers (9 years old), oxblood cordovan cap-toe oxfords (9 years old), darker camel and canvas wingtips (9 years old), and light camel monk straps (3 years old). Still need something in a darker brown to complete the range. But I haven't had to spend money on replacing work shoes in... well, 9 years, and haven't had to get them resoled or anything either. Just buff with a cloth before I wear them, or I take them to Pat in 5th Avenue Place for a proper shine every few weeks.

But again, the key is that I don't wear them every day, I rotate them.

---


Does 1 hour / same-day / 24 hour dry cleaning even exist anymore?

Usually the turnaround for my stuff if I bring it in on Friday is Tuesday afternoon, and if I bring it in on Monday, sometimes Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Does 1 hour / same-day / 24 hour dry cleaning even exist anymore?

Usually the turnaround for my stuff if I bring it in on Friday is Tuesday afternoon, and if I bring it in on Monday, sometimes Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.

I don't think it does here in Calgary. Mine was the same turnaround time, 3-4 days, usually. I am really sorry to see them closed. Very honest people. A couple of times, they returned money to me, which I had forgotten in the pants or jacket pockets after a party; like $200, $120... I was really impressed by that. I mean, I would have never been able to remember where I'd lost it. That's true integrity.

[flamesgirl18]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Does 1 hour / same-day / 24 hour dry cleaning even exist anymore?

Usually the turnaround for my stuff if I bring it in on Friday is Tuesday afternoon, and if I bring it in on Monday, sometimes Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.

White Dove Cleaners in Bow Valley Square downtown does same day if you drop off in the morning!

[Traditional_Ale]

What is the going rate for dry cleaning a three-piece suit? I recently bought a new one for gigs but after a couple of shows its already ready for a cleaning.

[you&me]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Does 1 hour / same-day / 24 hour dry cleaning even exist anymore?

Usually the turnaround for my stuff if I bring it in on Friday is Tuesday afternoon, and if I bring it in on Monday, sometimes Wednesday or Thursday afternoon.

I've had <2hr turnaround at hotels all over the place... Surely it must be possible in Calgary - if not expensive - when necessary.

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by TorqueDog

Five pairs of shoes for office wear isn't excessive at all, actually.

The whole problem with shoes you wear on the daily is that you wear them out quickly. I used to power through a pair of work shoes every 6-8 months because they'd wear out from daily use, and spending $120/pop on shoes every time adds up quickly.

One area where I find it saves them is to just leave your good pairs of work shoes in your office, and wear a good pair of knockaround shoes for the commute, and for lunch if you're planning on going for a casual walk or something. Your average office worker is mostly just sitting at a desk / meeting room, if you're not really walking around outside in them on the regular, they should last a lot longer.

As for OP, yeah I used to have a good, very affordable dry cleaner when I was living by Signal Hill, now that I'm in Chaparral, the eco-friendly one by our place (which is very good) is much more expensive. I really try to stretch it out more than I used to for that reason...but sadly my pits get sweaty super fast it seems, so I'm lucky to ever get multiple wears with the same dress shirts. The rare times I manage to pull that off feels like quite the achievement.

[SportsJunky]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

maybe this is a dumb question but for those that get their shirts professionally laundered - how many times do you wear the shirt before repeating the cycle?

I can't wear a shirt more than once without having it laundered again. Can you? I'm not being a dick. Legit question.

edit - Hmmm. I see some posters here that wear their shirts a couple of times before laundering them again. It never occurred to me. The wrinkles from wearing it all day is enough alone for me to send it to the cleaners again.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Sainters7

One area where I find it saves them is to just leave your good pairs of work shoes in your office, and wear a good pair of knockaround shoes for the commute, and for lunch if you're planning on going for a casual walk or something. Your average office worker is mostly just sitting at a desk / meeting room, if you're not really walking around outside in them on the regular, they should last a lot longer.

As for OP, yeah I used to have a good, very affordable dry cleaner when I was living by Signal Hill, now that I'm in Chaparral, the eco-friendly one by our place (which is very good) is much more expensive. I really try to stretch it out more than I used to for that reason...but sadly my pits get sweaty super fast it seems, so I'm lucky to ever get multiple wears with the same dress shirts. The rare times I manage to pull that off feels like quite the achievement.

This. I leave my dress shoes in my office. Other shoes for the commute/non-work walk arounds at lunch.

Then again, in my office we don't really wear business casual unless we have meetings .

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by SportsJunky

I can't wear a shirt more than once without having it laundered again. Can you? I'm not being a dick. Legit question.

edit - Hmmm. I see some posters here that wear their shirts a couple of times before laundering them again. It never occurred to me. The wrinkles from wearing it all day is enough alone for me to send it to the cleaners again.

I almost always can wear a shirt twice before taking it in. I'll either blast the shirt with the steamer or give it a quick iron. Then again, I don't sweat from my armpits so that helps with the shirt longevity.

[Red Potato Standing By]

I found the perfect solution for shoes in the office, I don’t wear any just go with socks.(don’t wear shoes in the house so doesn’t seem much different) people coming in don’t seem to mind and abide by the no shoe rule( bonus being the floors stay clean)