Pressed and bagged
Dry cleaning in Albany, CA
Solvent cleaning for suits, wool, cashmere, velvet and formal wear, done at the counter under the navy awning on San Pablo.
Chapter 01
Why a home washer is hard on a wool jacket
Dry cleaning cleans with a solvent other than water, and that one change is the whole point. Some fabrics react badly to water and heat: wool shrinks, suede stiffens, and a protein or tannin stain that meets a hot cycle can set for good. A dry cleaner works around all three, which is why a favourite blouse or dress shirt you do not want to risk in the machine is exactly what belongs at the counter.
Royal Cleaners handles cotton, wool, velvet and cashmere, and any type of clothing can be dry cleaned, not only the dress shirts, suit jackets and dresses people usually bring to mind. Wedding dresses and formal wear come in too. Darks tend to come back looking darker and lights lighter, and delicate fabrics hold their colour and their shape.
If something spills on you, the shop's advice is simple: bring it in fast and do not rub it. Rubbing drives wine, coffee, oil or ink deeper into the weave, and home remedies tend to make the job harder for whoever picks it up next.
A garment rail of pressed suits and white shirts in clear bags over a checkerboard floor
What happens after you hand it across the counter
Your garment is tagged at drop-off, and the pockets and any stains are noted before it goes anywhere. Wine, coffee, oil and ink are the spots people ask about most, and each gets treated before the garment is cleaned, then pressed and bagged. Leather and suede are a different animal, so they get their own handling rather than the standard run.
Dry cleaning is typically ready in 2 to 3 business days, and it can often be expedited. Same-day service runs from 7 AM to noon for simple items, so call ahead on (510) 323-4167 before you count on it. A neighbour in Albany said the shop has handled urgent requests more than once, which saved a rush out to buy a new work outfit.
Prices are posted for the common pieces: pants from $7.00, sweaters from $7.25, skirts from $6.95, a two piece suit at $17.95 and a laundered shirt from $3.00. Jackets and other items are quoted at the counter. The shop is open Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM and Saturday 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM, closed Sunday.
Chapter 03
Taking it home and keeping it good
Take the plastic off as soon as you are home and let the garment air out before it goes in the closet. Plastic traps moisture, and clothes keep best when they hang somewhere cool and dry. A few minutes of air does more for a suit than most people expect.
The plastic wrappers and hangers do not have to go in the bin. Bring them back to 814 San Pablo Avenue and the shop recycles them. The machines are technologically advanced as well as environmentally safe, and the shop meets local and state regulations, so the cleaning side is handled the way the rules ask.
Albany and Berkeley customers use the counter the same way: drop off on the way to work, pick up on the way home. There is no pick-up and delivery, so plan the trip around the hours above, and ask at the counter if a particular fabric makes you nervous.
“They've never damaged anything, and they really know how to get tough stains, like ink, out of my shirts.” Joey P., Albany, CA, a customer for about three years.