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Are all dry cleaners created equal? The dry cleaning industry is seen as a commodity, and some feel the only difference between dry cleaners is the prices they charge. The notion that price is the primary difference separating one cleaner from another couldn't be more incorrect.

So what distinguishes one dry cleaner from another and what should you look for when trying to find a good dry cleaner? The quick answer is quality, convenience, customer service and then price.

Let's talk about quality first. How do you figure out if a dry cleaner has good quality or not? Of course there are many factors that can be considered, but in my 7 years of experience as a dry cleaner; the number one way a person can determine the overall quality of a dry cleaner is by looking at the cleaning and pressing job preformed on laundered dress shirts. When you get your shirt back, if you notice clamp marks, missing buttons or overall poor pressing job, one could surely consider those to be bad signs.

So why is a dress shirt the number 1 way to determine the overall quality of a dry cleaner? Simple really. Many dry cleaners look at shirts as their lost leaders. Believe it or not, most cleaners only launder and press dress shirts in an effort to get the opportunity to also clean and press your dry cleaning. With this feeling being nearly universal in the cleaning industry, a dry cleaner that does a great job on the dress shirts he cleans, even though he really isn't making a large profit on them, will also do a very good job on the high profit dry cleaning items you send to him. Right?

Convenience. This one is really a no brainer. Anytime you can save time and gas for about the same price or maybe even less, than you are currently paying for dry cleaning why wouldn't you use a pick-up and delivery service? One of my most dreaded chores was having to pick-up and drop off my cleaning. Because of that, if at all possible, I always look for a cleaner that will come to my house and pick-up and deliver my clothes at no extra charge.

Customer service is where the rubber meets the road. Most dry cleaners offer little, if any, customer service and it isn't acceptable. I know personally when I have had a ruined item and had to ask for the cleaner to replace the item it always turns into an argument. If the cleaner finally gives in and agrees to replace my garment they have some strange formula they use based on the estimated life left of that garment. As any Wife will attest, the "estimated life" remain on any mans garment is very relative.

Finally we come to price, like you I want a fantastic deal on anything I purchase, but if my clothes get lost or I am late to work because I am repressing my shirts, I don't care how good of a price I got on my cleaning. In fact my cleaning could have been done for free. But if I am stuck repressing my clothes what good is that? If I only want average looking clothes I would have pressed them myself in the first place. I'm in no way saying you should over pay for dry cleaning, but when you have a cleaner that offers fair prices, meets or exceeds your expectations in customers service convenience and quality don't just think about switching to them. Just do it.