Does Dry Cleaning Have to Cost a Lot?
How to Cut Back Dry Cleaning Expenses
There are many discount dry cleaning services available that can clean your garments for considerably less. If you’re concerned about saving money and keeping your clothes in pristine condition, you might be wondering if discount dry cleaning services are a good choice. So, the question is, are all dry cleaning services created equal?
Why the Price Difference?
There are several discount dry cleaning services in my area that claim to clean a single garment for less than $2. Fortunately, I haven’t found a huge difference between the quality of dry cleaning services where I pay $1.89 per garment or services where I pay $7.00 per garment.
Many of the higher-priced dry cleaning services actually charge what they do because of all the frills they offer, such as free pickup and delivery. One of the more expensive dry cleaning services that a friend of mine frequents actually uses aromatherapy scents to enhance the clothes they clean.
Dependability Counts
If you have a special garment that you cherish for some personal reason then you will probably want to stick with your dependable dry cleaner no matter how much it costs. Dry cleaning services can be a great place to trim money from the family budget, but you don’t want to run the risk of ruining important garments either.
Break It Up
With two-piece garments, many consumers send off their tops for dry cleaning and only send off their skirts or pants every second or third time. If your tops are cleaned repeatedly more often than your bottoms, you might begin to notice a color difference. Be careful when deciding what garments you send to the dry cleaners and which ones you try to wear a few more times before cleaning.
Penny Wise, Dollar Foolish?
The at-home dry cleaning kits you see in stores won’t really save you more money than the discount dry cleaning services available, and if you’re very busy home dry cleaning kits could be more trouble than they are worth.
Watch Your Wardrobe
You might also want to limit the number of clothing items you purchase that need dry cleaning. If you can care for your garments at home, even if they require hand washing, you will save money on your dry cleaning bill.