For years, I always checked the cleaning instructions before I bought clothes. If it said “dry clean only,” it went straight back on the rack. Truth be told, the thought of taking things to the dry cleaners made me nervous. First of all, there was the time and effort. Secondly, there was the expense. But, even with all my careful shopping, there are times that you just can’t avoid dry cleaning.
And truthfully, once I relaxed a little, I found out that dry cleaning can actually be an amazing thing. Especially when you have a service that you trust. Many cleaners also offer basic laundry service, which can come in handy when life gets a little too crazy to keep up with the demands increasingly complicated laundry.
The great thing about dry cleaning is that your items, which are often those things that need to be treated with special care, are kept in better condition with a proper cleaning, not to mention the fact that they are returned fresh, pressed and ready to go. But, finding that special place that you trust with your most delicate, and probably most expensive, clothing can be tough.
For a dry cleaner to make the mark, in our book at least, they have to have the following qualities:
- Affordability
- Convenience
- A wide range of cleaning services
- Great results
Sounds easy enough, right? But the fact is that there are few of us who would be willing to use our favorite silk blouse as the testing ground. In the interest of that blouse, we’ve done the hard work for you. The following five dry cleaners have earned our seal of approval and that of many of your fellow Richmonders. With great prices, convenient locations and dependable service, these five cleaners have earned their spot as Richmond’s best.
If you know of a dry cleaner in the area that always goes above and beyond on everything but price, we would love to hear about them. Drop us a line at cs@richmondmom.com!
Gaskins Cleaners / Yelp / Photo by Sean F.Customers come back to Gaskins Cleaners time and again for one reason – they know their clothes will be treated as well as they are. This West End cleaner has become a customer favorite by providing top-notch customer service that starts with a friendly face at the counter and results in your clothes coming back quickly and in the cleanest state possible – all with some of the most competitive rates around. Whether you are looking for dry cleaning, wet cleaning, laundry service for professional or formal wear, wash/dry/fold service, or cleaning for specialty items like leather or bed linens, you can count on the professionals at Gaskins Cleaners. They’ll even do alterations and repairs to make sure that your clothes not only look great, but fit right, too.
Why we love them: Sure, there are plenty of dry cleaning services out there. And sure, many of them will get your clothes clean. But exceptional customer service doesn’t come as easily. At Gaskins Cleaners, you’ll find that customer service makes all the difference. After all, it’s the people behind that counter that help to build trust in a business. Gaskins Cleaners has built trust with a staff that is friendly, accommodating and helpful without fail. Then, of course, there’s the fact that they offer next day pick-up for most items, crazy fair pricing and impeccably clean items. If we had to say anything negative, it’s that parking can be a tiny bit tricky at times thanks to the Starbucks next door. But, wait…a Starbucks next door? That might just be another win as far as we’re concerned.
Contact:
3820 Gaskins Road, Suite B
Henrico, Virginia 23233
(804) 290-0430
C. Alexander’s Cleaners / FacebookWhile relatively new to the scene (they’ve only been open since 2015), C. Alexander’s has earned a reputation for customer service that goes beyond the norm. In addition to standard dry cleaning services, which includes clothes that have been cleaned, hung and pressed, they also provide superior wedding gown cleaning and preserving, wet laundering, executive shirt laundering, suede and leather cleaning, professional alterations, smoke and fire restoration (WITH pick-up and delivery available) and rug cleaning. Not only do they provide excellent quality in their work, but they are known for their timely service – often with orders ready ahead of time. As you can see, there’s not much they don’t do. But service with a smile is what make it worthwhile.
Why we love them: To make our list, every dry cleaner we picked needed to have reasonable prices. So, you can rest assured that C. Alexander’s fits the bill (pun intended). But what makes them truly special is the fact that, in a world where environmentally-friendly products and services seem to cost more, C. Alexander’s is the exception. They use Exxon DF 2000, an environmentally safe soil solvent, to ensure that your clothes are cleaned to perfection, but that the environment is protected at the same time. So not only do get clothes that are exceptionally clean, you can feel good about the process, too.
Contact:
2007 Venable Street
Richmond, VA 23223
(804) 658-4466
HandCraft Dry Cleaners / FacebookWhen it comes to claiming the title as one of the best dry cleaners in Richmond, it’s hard to argue with 50 years of proof. HandCraft Dry Cleaners has been serving the Richmond community for more than five decades, providing service that gets rave reviews time and again. In addition to highly competitive pricing, they offer ongoing specials and coupons to help you get the best service at the best prices. As for their cleaning services menu, there’s not much they don’t do. HandCraft’s services include wet and dry cleaning; executive shirt laundering and pressing; wash/dry/fold laundry service; corporate accounts for bulk uniforms, etc.; wedding gown and heirloom cleaning, restoration and/or preservation; leather, suede and fur cleaning; household textiles; and oriental rug cleaning and repair.
Why we love them: It’s all about the extras at HandCraft Dry Cleaners. Yes, they provide high quality cleaning with extremely competitive pricing. And yes, they will clean…well, just about anything. But it’s not just cleaning or a long cleaning menu that sets them apart. At HandCraft, you can also count on extra services like embroidery, alterations, repairs, and free seasonal storage. But the real value comes in the things they do to make your life easier, such as free pick-up and delivery at home or the office and auto-pay, a free service with a one-time setup that keeps your payment method of choice on file for automatic billing whenever you use their services. And it’s that kind of service that keeps customers coming back every time.
Contact:
5705 Patterson Avenue
Richmond, VA 23226
(804) 285-3336
5th Avenue Cleaners / FacebookSince they opened their doors in 1999, 5th Avenue Cleaners has been earning the trust of customers with quality cleaning services and prices that simply can’t be beat. With a convenient location just across from Willow Lawn Shopping Center, they’re easy to find and even easier to love. For nearly 20 years, 5th Avenue has proven their dedication to high quality service that is backed by speed, reliability and affordable prices. Choose from dry cleaning, laundry services for professional and formal clothing, wash/dry/fold services, cleaning for bed linens and household items, and corporate services that include pick-up and delivery. Simply put, at 5th Avenue Cleaners, you can count on full service cleaning, without paying full service prices.
Why we love them: As one of the most affordable cleaners on our list, it would be easy to think that “cheap” means low quality. But the service you get with 5th Avenue Cleaners is anything but “cheap.” You might be wondering, “What’s the catch?” But there is none. Their prices stay in the $2-$3 range for regular service and they take it even further with ongoing coupons and specials. But, we haven’t even mentioned the best part. Most dry cleaning items will be ready by 5pm the same day if they are dropped off by 9 or 10am. No catch. No gimmicks. Just incredible service with unbeatable prices.
Contact:
4916 W Broad St
Richmond, VA 23230
(804) 684-8130
Plus, be sure to visit their affiliate store in Ashland!
EnRoute Cleaners
121 Junction Drive
Ashland, VA 23005
(804) 368-8598
Puritan Cleaners / FacebookIf you’re a long-time resident of Richmond, then chances are, our number one spot won’t surprise you. Puritan Cleaners got its start in 1937, and today they offer 13 locations around the Greater Richmond area, ensuring that you’ll always have access to their superior care, customer support and long list of services. In fact, they’ve been named Richmond’s Best Dry Cleaner for over 20 consecutive years, a title that caught the attention of the Richmond Squirrels professional baseball team and resulted in Puritan becoming their official cleaning service. Their services include dry and wet cleaning, professional shirt laundering, wedding gown and military uniform preservation, handbag restoration, expert alterations, leather and suede cleaning (including Uggs), and restoration for insurance-covered damage. Whatever your cleaning needs, you can count on Puritan to get it done right the first time.
Why we love them: Honestly, we love Puritan Cleaners for many of the same reasons that the rest of Richmond loves them: same day service, free home pick-up and delivery, free clothing storage and email notifications when your order is complete – just to name a few. But in our minds, what really sets them apart is their investment in the community. In addition to offering services like military/first responder discounts and free U.S. flag cleaning, they also give back with programs like Coats for Kids (coat collection for Salvation Army), 100k Meals (in partnership with the Central Virginia Food Bank), Thank You Patriot (notes and card for active service men and women), Cinderella Dreams (providing formal wear for high school teens in need in partnership with the Midlothian Junior Women’s Club), and more. It’s this kind of care – the kind that reaches far beyond the walls of just one store – that makes Puritan Cleaners the number one dry cleaner in Richmond, not just for us, but for generations of customers, as well.
Contact:
Click here to see a complete list of all 13 Puritan Cleaners locations.
