Women are charged more for dry cleaning services. Don’t fume,
find a better way. While it is true that the practice is unfair
it is also true that we have options for keeping our clothes
clean and holding onto more of our cash. Try some of these
tactics to stem or stop the unfair flow of your dry cleaning
dollars.
• Examine labels before you make a clothing purchase. Go for
easy care (read machine washable) items whenever possible.
• Determine if dry cleaning is a suggestion or a mandate before
you shell out big bucks. If dry cleaning is not necessary for
the care of your fabric, consider gentle hand or machine washing.
• Investigate home dry cleaning products such as Dryel. These
products work with a special bag and fabric-softener like
cleaning sheet, and your dryer to freshen your clothing. You can
find home dry cleaning products in the laundry aisle of your
grocer or local discount store. Dryel and similar products
typically run around $10.00 and clean 6-9 pieces, a significant
savings over dry cleaning costs.
• Negotiate with your dry cleaner for better prices. Politely
mention your concerns around gender price differentials and ask
that your cleaner offer comparable prices for comparable fabrics.
• Invest in a steamer. They are now widely available and priced
affordably.
• Take advantage of savings and discount programs. Some dry
cleaners offer discounts with pre-payment or a particular number
of items.
• Pay cash. Unless you pay your credit card balance in full each
month you incur additional costs in interest on top of your
already exorbitant dry cleaning costs.
• Wear clothing items twice, instead of once before making a
trip to the cleaner.
Dry cleaning costs can run as high as several hundreds of
dollars each year. These costs are inflated by gender bias.
Fight back and keep more of your cash with a few of the
suggestions listed above.
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