Manhattan
West Village:
Green Apple Cleaners
92 Greenwich Ave., nr. 12th St.; 212-206-6236
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I’m more health-conscious now as a mom; I don’t want harmful dry-cleaning chemicals coming near me or my girls. Luckily, there’s this ecofriendly service right around the block.” —Rachel Roy, designer
Roberto Morquecho
By appointment; 347-740-3581
Services: Wash-and-fold service.
“Roberto and his wife previously worked for a neighborhood laundry that went out of business, but what many people don’t know is they continued service out of their home, just using another laundromat’s facilities. Call or text them for a pickup, and they’ll bring back your clothes perfectly washed and folded.” —Rosemary Wettenhall, owner, Madame Matovu vintage store
Gramercy:
ABC Laundromat
259 Third Ave., at 21st St.; 212-598-4272
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, self-service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I like things orderly, so I appreciate a wash-and-fold place that sends back your boxers and T-shirts with a precise and consistent fold. A little extra attention to detail goes a long way.” —Jerry Pozniak, managing director, Jeeves of Belgravia
Tribeca:
Four Seasons Dry Cleaner
21 South End Ave., nr. W. Thames St.; 212-786-4543
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“A rare neighborhood place that offers same-day dry cleaning—something I always seem to need in bulk when I’m leaving for a trip.” —Matt Bernson, shoe designer
Franklin Cleaners
6 Varick St., nr. Franklin St.; 212-431-9775
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“Dry cleaning here is more costly, but the service is exceptional, especially with alterations.” —M.B.
Chelsea/Meatpacking:
The Eco Laundry Company
249 W. 18th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 646-649-3806
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I love the sleek, clean interior and the fact that they do organic wash-and-fold as well as dry cleaning—not to mention, it’s on the same block as the Barneys Co-Op.” —Jennifer Collins, founder, pinkclouds.com
New York Cleaners
304 W. 14th St., nr. Eighth Ave.; 212-647-9191
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“Incredibly personal service—the manager always remembers my name and is honest about what she can do when my satin or silk gets stained. The same-day service is also a huge plus in a pinch.” —Brigyte Delia, store manager, Ted Baker London
Pologeorgis Fur
143 W. 29th St., at Sixth Ave.; 212-563-2250; by appointment only
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“They come to you, the customer service is superlative, and they clean, moisturize, repair, and provide winter storage—I wouldn’t trust my Victorian furs to anyone else.” —Michelle Violy Harper, brand consultant
Midtown East:
Champion Cleaners
154 E. 39th St., nr. Third Ave; 212-297-0641
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“The cheapest dry cleaner in the neighborhood: The manager is kind and will throw in a 10 or 15 percent discount when you bring in ten items or more.” —Dariy Margaritov, co-founder, cleantie.com
Meurice Garment Care
245 E. 57th St., nr. Second Ave.; 212-759-9057
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, tailor.
“Masters in the art of pressing—they’ll never leave you with an imprint under your pocket flap. This is where I clean all my suits.”—Mark Ingram, owner, Mark Ingram Atelier
Midtown West:
Divine Touch Organic Dry Cleaners
41 W. 58th St., nr. Sixth Ave.; 212-980-5744
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“The best—well, only—ecofriendly dry cleaner near my office. If I’m going to clean my Gucci shirts around here, I prefer a place that doesn’t use toxic chemicals. The owners are friendly and pay careful attention to detail.” —Joe Zee, stylist and creative director of Elle
Splendid Dry Cleaners
30 Rockefeller Plz., nr. 50th St.; 212-218-2947
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I pop in here for basic dry cleaning and pants-hemming. They have longer hours than most dry cleaners, which is convenient when I’m putting in long days in the jewelry district.” —Lee Clifford, co-founder, Altruette Jewelry
Upper West Side:
Anel French Dry Cleaners
219 Columbus Ave., at 70th St.; 212-799-0199
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I’ve used them for eighteen years, especially for my expensive coats—like a white fur-lined suede jacket.” —Vivianne Tvilling, owner, Älskling boutique
Belleclaire Cleaners
2163 Broadway, nr. 76th St.; 212-874-4197
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“They do a great job with dry cleaning and removing basic stains like makeup. The owners are nice, too.” —Kseniya Kozinets, stylist, BOC boutique
Upper East Side:
Black and White Cleaners
1225 Madison Ave., nr. 88th St.; 212-744-7900
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“Not your typical cleaner, at least in terms of ambience. It has a crystal chandelier, linen curtains—really elegant décor—and the service is equally fine.” —Allison Goodman, manager, Collette Consignment
Jeeves of Belgravia
39 E. 65th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-570-9130
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“Thank God they pick up and deliver—I call them to dry-clean my most precious clothing. For example, a museum piece that had serious stains, including rust from the metal and red wine from a birthday celebration. Jeeves came to my door and assessed the damage, then returned the dress in pristine condition.” —Michelle Violy Harper, brand consultant
Madame Paulette
1255 Second Ave., nr. 66th St.; 212-838-6827
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, tailor.
“You can schedule online pickups and drop-offs for anywhere in the city, so I used them for specialty cleanings even when I lived downtown. Recently, a client’s spray-tan bled onto one of my grenadine-pink dress designs—on the collar, in the lining, everywhere—and it was returned to us in impeccable condition. They remove stains you’d never dream were removable.” —Juliette Longuet, designer
East Village:
Chris French Cleaners
57 Fourth Ave., at 9th St.; 212-475-5444
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“This place is reliable for cleaning everyday shirts and pants and has a phenomenal old-world tailor as a bonus. She recently repaired a Chanel jacket for us—which had fallen off the mannequin and torn on the way down—and the stitching is virtually undetectable.” —Kreg, co-owner, Cadillac’s Castle
Mike’s Cleaners
62 Ave. A, nr. 4th St.; 212-674-1957
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I’m obsessed with dry cleaning, and these guys haven’t let me down in the three years I’ve used them. The vibe is also mellow; no antsy customers or waiting in line.” —Maryam Nassir Zadeh, boutique owner
Village Shoe Repair
52 University Pl., nr. 10th St.; 212-473-7802
Services: Shoe repair.
“These guys have revived some of my most precious shoes—including a pair of hot-pink satin Rupert Sanderson pumps that I had a little too much fun in during Fashion Week, partying on an apparently very dirty floor. Thanks to Village, the pumps no longer look like pink-and-black zebra print.” —Jennifer Collins, founder, pinkclouds.com
Lower East Side:
Lau’s Wash & Dry Laundromat
123 Rivington St., nr. Essex St.; 212-388-9229
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, self service, leather/fur cleaner.
“Their wash-and-fold service is prompt and reliable; the machines are old-fashioned but work just fine. What’s special about this spot is the people-watching, since the Lower East Side is such a melting pot, and laundry-day outfits are hilarious, no matter where you are.” —Maryam Nassir Zadeh, boutique owner
Orchard Cleaner & Laundromat
28 Orchard St., nr. Hester St.; 212-334-0821
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, self service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I’m eternally grateful for the overnight job they did on a delicate chiffon piece for our last runway show.” —Greg Armas, owner, Assembly New York
Soho:
G&G Cleaners
46 Grand St., nr. Thompson St.; 212-966-9813
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“Any time our samples come back stained or dirty-collared from press shoots, we send them straight here. Recently, we custom-made a raw-denim blazer for a client, and it bled onto his white shirt; G&G put it through two cleaning rounds and finished the job by hand to remove the stain.” —James Jurney, co-owner and designer, Seize sur Vingt
Village Tailor & Cleaners
125 Sullivan St., nr. Prince St.; 212-925-9667
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“This dry cleaner makes it easy for people who are always traveling—just use their iDryClean app to track orders and schedule pickups and deliveries.” —Olcay Gulsen, owner, SuperTrash
Murray Hill:
36 Cleaner
23 E. 36th St., nr. Madison Ave.; 212-779-1278
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“The cleaning itself is average, but the service makes this place great. CeCe is at the counter with a smile every morning when I walk by on my way to my store, and she’s usually still there working hard when I leave at night.” —Neil Machlovitz, owner, J. Lucas Clothiers
Harlem:
Fancy Cleaner
2319 Third Ave., nr. 126th St.; 212-427-6633
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, leather/fur cleaner.
“They’ve pulled off impressive stain removal for our consignment items, including a yellowed Carven tennis skirt they got back to its original white. Plus they offer same-day service.” —Heather Jones, founder, Trunk Show Designer Consignment boutique
Financial District:
Exchange Cleaners
44 Exchange Pl., nr. William St.; 212-797-1177
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I take all of my everyday cleaning here, including wool and cashmere sweaters, and even shearling boots and throw rugs. They also just repaired a bunch of knits for me that apparently a family of moths had been feasting on all summer; the holes are untraceable now.” —Evette Rios, correspondent, ABC’s The Chew
Hell’s Kitchen:
Dunrite Dry Cleaners
1013 Sixth Ave., nr. 38th St.; 212-221-9297
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I learned about this place back in my summer-intern days at Anna Sui. They’re accustomed to serving a fashion crowd, so perhaps they come off as a bit abrupt, but they’re great with specialty stuff: treated and printed fabrics, and buttons and trim that require careful replacement after cleaning.” —Drew Paluba, co-founder, Rebecca & Drew Manufacturing
Noho:
Ramon’s Tailor Shop
306 Mott St., nr. E. Houston St.; 212-226-0747
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor.
“Ramon does standard dry cleaning, but what really stands out are his leather-restoring skills, with even the most precarious pieces—like Chanel suspenders or a shearling jacket from the seventies. And if you speak Spanish, he might give you a discount.” —Christina Kornilakis, owner, Portia & Manny vintage clothier
Bonus Pick:
Brown Bag Laundry (208 Mercer St., nr. Bleecker St.; 212-505-2440) accommodates a variety of type-A requests, from specific heat settings to detailed hand-washing, and preferences are stored in the system for future orders.
Brooklyn
Williamsburg:
Brothers Cleaners
76 Havemeyer St., nr. N. 5th St.; 718-782-6744
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“They’re family-run, fast with orders, and totally reliable. I once got caught in the rain wearing a suede cross-body bag over a brand-new pale-silk dress: The suede left a stain that other cleaners refused to touch. Brothers was my savior.” —Sarah Meyer, co-owner, Life: Curated boutique
Driggs Ave Laundromat and Dry Cleaner
258 Driggs Ave., at Eckford St.; 718-389-2830
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, self service, leather/fur cleaner.
“Cleanest laundromat I’ve ever seen, and it’s well maintained; you won’t run into any broken machines here. They also have jumbo dryers, so you can double up your loads.”—S.M.
Pork Pie Hatters
441 Metropolitan Ave., nr. N. 6th St.; 347-457-6519
Services: Hat specialist.
“I’m thrilled this milliner just opened a new location in my neighborhood. They’ll steam-clean and shape hats as well as swap out bands and alter widths of brims.” —S.M.
Greenpoint:
Clean Green Cleaners
155 Nassau Ave., nr. Newel St.; 718-349-1358
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“The owner is super-accommodating and a master at both cleaning and repairing my worn-and-torn vintage collared shirts.” —Roy Caires, co-owner, Alter boutique
Natural Cleaners
850 Manhattan Ave., nr. Noble St.; 718-383-3505
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“They use organic detergent here, so my clothes don’t come back with that chemical smell.” —R.C.
Bonus Pick:
M & W Laundromat (995 Manhattan Ave., nr. Huron St., Greenpoint; 718-349-9663) sells 24 flavors of soft-serve ice cream—including apricot and peanut butter—to patrons waiting for the dryers to run their course.
Bonus Pick:
Sunshine Laundromat (860 Manhattan Ave., nr. Milton St., Greenpoint; 718-475-2055) boasts a wall of vintage pinball machines (The Addams Family, Star Trek: The Next Generation) and a coffee shop next door.
Carroll Gardens:
Noble Cleaners
284 Court St., at Douglass St.; 718-237-0093
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“The mother-son owners take out stains other cleaners won’t even attempt—like the margarita spill on my silk skirt; it came back spotless.” —Gaia Diloreto, owner, By Brooklyn boutique
Michael’s Shoe Repair
319 Smith St., nr. President St.; 718-243-0288
Services: Shoe repair.
“Old-timey pros, particularly at removing salt stains from boots.” —G.D.
Park Slope:
San Toy Laundry
101 Seventh Ave., nr. President St.; 718-638-3477
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, self service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“An old-school Chinese laundry place, with paper-wrapped wash-and-fold packages stacked high on the shelves. The family owners have been in the neighborhood for years and do wonders with emergency stains, including printer ink that splotched my favorite coral sweater.” —Christine Alcalay, owner, Kiwi boutique
Green Apple Cleaners78 Seventh Ave., at Berkeley Pl.; 718-799-5015
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“I don’t know if it’s the environmentally friendly cleaning technology or what, but when my cashmere and knits come back from this place, they seem even softer and more beautiful than when I first bought them.” —C.A.
Queens
Astoria:
A&E Cleaners
28-01 23rd Ave.; 718-728-5272
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“The owner is a whiz with needle and thread and quick to offer input on alteration requests. She even rents out tuxedos.” —Kristie Foster, owner, Kristees boutique
Glo-Brite Laundromat
28-03 23rd Ave.; 718-274-3118
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, self service, leather/fur cleaner.
“The best wash-and-fold service I’ve seen. They provide free pickup and delivery, including for same-day service. They’re also super-friendly.” —K.F.
Long Island City:
Absolute Dry Cleaning
4-75 48th Ave., nr. 5th St.; 718-392-3139
Services: Dry cleaner, ecofriendly, wash-and-fold service, tailor, leather/fur cleaner.
“Dry-cleaning options in Long Island City are limited, so I was relieved to find one so reliable. They pick up and drop off, and the turnaround is always on schedule.” —David Mesquita, co-owner, Leather Spa
Laundry City
10-03A 48th Ave., nr. Vernon Blvd.; 718-937-0285
Services: Dry cleaner, wash-and-fold service, self service, leather/fur cleaner.
“The best part about this self-service laundromat is the ambience. While you’re waiting for your wash, you can watch TV, or when the weather’s nice, relax on their outdoor chairs—they have a clear, south-facing view.” —D.M.
Online:
Bonus Pick:
Local online service LaundryStork.com caters to ecoconscious urbanites by adhering to a strict reusable-bags-only, minimum-water-waste, energy-efficient credo.
Bonus Pick:
SpotlessCity.com is the Seamless of the wash world: Users log in to schedule free pickups and drop-offs by their neighborhood launderers. Rush delivery and special instructions are available on demand.
Great Moments in Laundry History
• 1660s: Women do their wash in a pebbly brook running to the East River (today’s Maiden Lane).
• 1832: First reported commercial laundry opens in Jersey City.
• 1933: Minimum wage is established for women and minors in the NYC laundry industry; it’s 31 cents an hour.
• 1948: The city’s first ironette—a self-service ironing store—opens in Wood side.
• 1959: The state’s appellate court rules that using a coin-operated laundry machine on a Sunday does not violate Sabbath law.
• 1973: Windsor Terrace’s Pilgrim Laundry perfects a low-cost method of fading denim, but shuts down a year later amid allegations of extortion.
• 1990: VideoTown Laundrette opens on the UWS, complete with fax machines, VHS rentals, and tanning booths.
• 2006: The Laundromat Project begins creating art exhibits in low-income neighborhoods’ laundromats.
• 2009: Jersey Shore introduces Americans to the significance of “GTL” in the guido maintenance routine.