Comments on: The Dirty Side of Frugal

By: Become Debt Free

Become Debt Free — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 07:51:43 +0000

I’m not surprised. As Gail says above, women in particular don’t use dry cleaners any more. We check the label of the garment before we buy to make sure we can just throw it in the washing machine at home.

It’s a little different for men because the fabric suits are made of don’t do well in washing machines. But wait till someone invents a blend that does…

By: lurker carl

lurker carl — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:13:23 +0000

I’d hate to see that industry vanish, a cleaner is about the only place to get hems and alterations anymore. Few Americans under the age of 30 actually know how to sew.

By: Corporate Barbarian

Corporate Barbarian — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:21:30 +0000

I work in a corporate casual environment, and now I only buy wash-and-wear clothes. But I only wear a garment once, as I tend to sweat more than the average person, and wouldn’t want to put my coworkers through any obnoxious smells (we have enough guys with bad hygiene running around here already). I thought losing weight and cutting out coffee would cure it, but no. Everything gets washed in cold water, so there’s a small savings. The only time that I need the dry cleaner is for the occasional wedding or funeral.

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:27:23 +0000

I’m not at all surprised your local dry cleaner has noticed a drop in her business despite the favorable demographics of your community. Taking clothes in for dry cleaning is a very conscious and regular expense that would immediately show up on the radar of anyone interested in trimming their budget. As a working woman whose wardrobe has evolved from almost 100% to virtually 0% dry-clean-only over 25+ years, I can attest to the huge amount of time & money you save by nixing the dry cleaning bills. Fortunately these days there’s a wide selection of quality, affordable, and attractive washable merchandise suitable for most professionals (both men & women) and I think the trend will increase as manufacturers respond to customer’s needs in the current economic environment. And I completely agree with the last sentence of the article, based on my own personal history. The dry cleaning industry may need to regroup!

By: AC

AC — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:18:25 +0000

I also wear shirts twice before washing. The Brooks Brothers shirts do wash well without needing to be ironed, but they are expensive, which is why I haven’t yet bought so many. Some Land’s End shirts are also good – I think the 60/40s are better than the 100% cotton, though I forget now which was which (the bad one needed ironing).
As for pants, I often go a week with the same pair, assuming they aren’t visibly dirty or particularly sweaty.

By: Rick Beagle

Rick Beagle — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 21:41:27 +0000

Hmm…. I am sitting in a pair of jeans that I have worn three days straight… not at work mind you, but this is my attire for putzing around the house. Putzing isn’t a word? I figure you all can figure out what that means….

But I digress, in reading your article it occurred to me that a good portion of the dry cleaners business may come from professional service industries and that the drop in business was due to that segment of their work. If I had to guess that is where the drop in their income is felt the most. Soooooo… I think it would be a bit premature to call Americas’ dirt bag mentality the end of dry cleaning profits as we know them.

Peace.
Rick Beagle

By: No Debt Plan

No Debt Plan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:23:04 +0000

Telling on myself here but I’m not ashamed! I have three pairs of work pants. They are washed… weekly. My shirts are washed occasionally. That may sound disgusting, but it really is not a big deal at all. Of course if something gets dirty, or I go out to eat with a client at a japanese, BBQ, or other highly aromatic restaurant, then of course it goes straight in the laundry pile.

But my normal days are spent behind a relatively clean desk, in a relatively clean chair. I don’t sweat at work. There is a highly limited amount of dirt that I interact with on a daily basis.

The clothes last a lot longer and the colors stay brighter longer due to a lack of intense washing on a weekly basis.