DryCleaning Low Down
Since I quit my job and had a baby nearly two years ago, my need for a good dry cleaner has been non-existant. But now that I'm a part-time working mom, some of my old work clothes are making their way back to the front of my closet. The good news is that they still fit...Yahoo! The bad news is that lots of them still call for dry cleaning...ugh. I've taken a few things to the cleaner up the street, and while they came back fine, the place was kind of scary looking and I never could stand that yucky "dry cleaner smell." Since moving to Portland, we've definitely become a bit more sensitive to health and environmental issues, so it got me thinking...
Can any mamas tell me what the "green cleaners" are doing that's either better for the environment or our health? Are they much more expensive than the stinky place up the street? Any recommendations for a good one? Does anyone know of a good one that does pick up/delivery to home/office? Any experience or good recommendations would be great!
There is a "Green cleaner" in southeast on Hawthorne and about 21st? It's two doors down from Hot Lips Pizza there. I haven't used them myself but I see it a lot going back and forth. I'm too lazy to buy dry clean clothes anymore... because inevitably as soon as I walk out the door there's banana mush or mud somewhere on my clothes :/
Posted by: Shetha | October 09, 2006 at 07:52 PM
When we moved here, we found Tip Top Cleaners via the Chinook Book. The coupon is for 20% off your cleaning bill. They've got a price list online (http://www.tiptopcleaner.com/797153.html) and it isn't completely exhorbitant. They're on E. Burnside at 20th Ave. We've used them and have been happy to not have that uber-chemical stink on our clothes.
Posted by: olivia | October 09, 2006 at 08:30 PM
Second Tip Top Cleaners -- we've used it a few times, and the returned clothes don't have that chemically smell. (Plus they have an awesome old neon sign.)
Posted by: Sterling F. | October 09, 2006 at 08:50 PM
Blacks cleaners on Hawthorne and about46th, right behind the korean restaurant. They are awesome. I still drive over there from the NE.
Posted by: colleen | October 09, 2006 at 10:09 PM
We use Door To Door Dry Cleaners. They pick up our bag of clothes on our porch on Wednesdays and return the clothes on Thursday. Their rates are better than others in our area (NW). So much easier than taking my toddler out of his carseat for each 2-minute dry clean visit!
Posted by: Stacie | October 10, 2006 at 08:30 AM
I haven't used them but I made a mental note: There is a dry cleaner right on the other side (the west side) of the Broadway Bridge at the bottom of the ramp, on the left side of the intersection. They proclaim in their window that they are chemical-free. That's all I put down in the mental notebook. :) Anyone know the name and the street names?
Posted by: Kat | October 10, 2006 at 10:48 AM
Standard cleaners use "perc" (ie, perchloroethylene). Very nasty stuff. I've seen a cleaner who billed themselves as "ecologically good" or some such, and they used perc! Always good to ask what's being used...
The green options are a silicon based solvent, which has some other health issues posed (look for an article from jan 2005 on NPR for details), liquid carbon dioxide, and high pressured water. The carbon dioxide method, according to consumer reports, does the best job.
Posted by: SWN | October 10, 2006 at 11:35 PM
Just found this great page of info on the OEC website regarding Eco-Friendlier Dry Cleaning: http://www.oeconline.org/livinggreen/drycleaning
They have a list of perc (the icky toxin)-free drycleaners in Oregon here: http://www.oeconline.org/livinggreen/drycleaning#PFC
Posted by: olivia | July 16, 2007 at 01:06 AM