I bought my heavy winter coat at a 'pay by the pound' thrift store in 2020 just before Covid shut everything down. I can't remember exactly how much it cost, but it was well under $10.
I try hard not to buy anything that needs to be cleaned. When I got it home I realized that the care label said Dry Clean Only, but since I didn't pay a lot I just consider the yearly cleaning to be part of its cost.
A couple of decades ago I got so busy when the weather heated up that I forgot to clean our winter outwear, and when the first cold weather showed up in the fall we had to put on the dirty stuff or freeze. Since that time I've made a point to get everything washed and ready as soon as there isn't a need for it anymore, so earlier in the week I dropped the coat off at a branch of a large local dry cleaner chain. They do a good job, and I can always find a coupon to bring the price down a bit.
However, for this coat it's a crap shoot just how much the cost will be. Some years they consider it a plain garment. Some years they say because of the fake fur they have to price it as a premium garment (which costs four times as much). Of course I would prefer to pay the cheaper rate and keep the rest of the money in my pocket, but since the coat only gets cleaned once a year I just grin and bear any additional cost.
This year I won the cheap cleaning price contest. I went up to the counter with my coat and the latest coupons. The clerk looked at the care label, which says nothing about special treatment, and handed me a scissors to cut out the $4.65 Plain Garment coupon. She wrote the price on the receipt and told me I could pick up the coat today.
When I picked it up the clerk who assisted me said that Drop Off Clerk had made a mistake. I should have been charged the non-coupon price plus two dollars. When I asked how much that would have been, she said $7.
I wonder which clerk was correct? And I wonder how much I should budget for next year?
Five years ago today: Behindhand
I don't know about your coat, but sometimes an item labelled with 'dry clean' can be washed and dried as a regular item. Dry clean in this case means that this is the best option, but not the only one.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I've had great luck ignoring the tag. Sometimes not. I like the coat too much to play the odds.
DeleteMay be time to get a new coat that you don't have to dry clean!
ReplyDeleteMay be. Eventually everything has to be replaced. But I like the warmth of this one, and get SO many compliments.
DeleteI have a closet full of "dry clean only" that I routinely toss in the laundry. The only special care they receive is to be line dryed.
ReplyDeleteLike you I read that tag as more of a suggestion than a commandment. Some things come out perfectly, but others have completely fall apart when I ignore the instructions.
Delete$7 once a year would not be a deal breaker for me. I work around the problem by never buying anything that has to be dry cleaned.
ReplyDeleteThe body of the coat is denim, and it didn't even occur to me that it would have picky washing instructions until I got home. Wonder if that's why the original owner got rid of it?
DeleteIt is a hassle to take things to dry clean. But, they should still give you the coupon price. They are charging the regular price is cheating you, who won the contest. Since the item costs only under ten bucks, I won't mind throwing it in the washing machine for gentle cycle and line drying.
ReplyDeleteI know I didn't pay a lot for the coat, but I've really grown to like it. Maybe down the road when it's starting to look worn I will take the chance.
DeleteYou probably will get two different answers next year and probably two new prices since businesses are using inflation to drive up prices.
ReplyDeleteProbably :-)
DeletePerhaps Missouri has different laws on dry cleaning. There are lots of things dry cleaners cannot use here in California and they have to recapture chemicals. The costs have skyrocketed over the decades. That jacket would cost $15 here, minimum. A simple silk blouse is at least $7. Most of my jackets are between $15 and $20 each. In my book, you got a really good deal.
ReplyDeleteMissouri follows the EPA regulations, but I didn't know about the additional restrictions on chemicals in your state. I think I got a deal too
DeleteIt sounds like you got a good deal using the coupon, who knows what next year's price will be.
ReplyDeleteAgreed.
DeleteI've never taken anything to dry clean.
ReplyDeleteBack when Tony was required to wear a suit to work we were regulars at the cleaners. Now I only go once or twice a year.
Delete