Monroe Cleaners

Can I give less than a one star ?
Gave them a Jersey t shirt to shorten. They over reduced the length. By more than 5 inches. When I told them about their mistake. They didn’t offer to reimburses or provide compensatory services for the next time.
And were incredibly rude.
Do NOT waste your money here.

This dry cleaner used to be great, but in late 2013, the owners went to Korea — my understanding was for an extended visit — and left the dry cleaner under the operation of relatives. Now it’s terrible. I don’t think they have EVER given me all my clothes. Somehow things get separated, and they only hand over one or two items. When I ask for the other items, they look confused and have to rifle through every single order in the place to find my stuff. Once a shirt they insisted they didn’t have miraculously appeared a month later in a totally different order. And woe is me if I can’t remember every item I dropped off. There’s also a significant language barrier, and they can’t seem to count out change accurately. It’s really stressful going there so I’ve stopped.

I’ve had only positive experiences with this dry cleaner. My stuff comes back clean, the prices are low, and I like the lady who works the register. Parking is also super easy, I just pop my flashers on in a spot 10 – 30 feet away from the cleaner.
I see some negative reviews about same-​day service. I’ve never used this cleaner’s same day service so I cannot comment on that aspect of the service. But if you’re willing to wait a couple of days you get quality service at decent prices.

WHAT I WANT IN A DRY CLEANER: My shit to come back the same way it was dropped off.
That’s about all I wanted, as I consider my experience with Monroe Cleaners. I’ll assume that my things will be clean since that’s the whole point, though with this establishment I suppose one might need to pray for that, too.
I dropped off a comforter to be cleaned. A nice day at the spa for my comforter versus a rigorous spin cycle and air-​dry seemed fitting for my steady nighttime companion who tells no secrets.
Because you have to negotiate release terms of your garments, which I’ll touch on below, I picked my comforter up a week later. Unwrapping it at home minutes later, I noticed repair stitching in more than one location where it had obviously been torn, mended with off-​color heavy thread, likely by hand given the quality of the job.
Bringing it back to the cleaners, I explained my case. I was told that I was mistaken, asked where I bought it, told that their on-​site sewing machine could not have possibly done the stitching (which is true, it couldn’t have) and that perhaps I’d never noticed the stitches before. She also suggested that it was stitching to keep the insides in place. That’s plausible, but not the case here. I maintain that the damage was done at the plant, since they do not perform any cleaning on-​site. I left it with her to research for a day.
Day two, I return to pick up my poor wounded comforter and receive the exact same explanation about how their machine can’t handle it, blah blah blah. No apology, no refund on the $ 30 charge, not even an offer to comp a shirt or something. Any of those would’ve made me happy and retained a customer that they have now permanently lost.
Aaaaalso, despite purporting to be a «same day» and «next day» cleaner, that doesn’t happen. They negotiate you down like a used car dealer and make you feel bad for insisting they actually deliver next-​day.
With dry cleaners in this neighborhood becoming like Starbucks in the loop, it’s not as though they have a captive customer base. A simple «golly that’s a shame I’m sorry, how about a dollar off your next load?» would’ve won me over.
[They get one star because the business is not a vacant lot for rent. Otherwise, I’d have skipped the review entirely so as to not be as generous as I am with that single star.]

WHAT YOU WANT IN A DRY CLEANER: Excellent work, prices consistent with the neighborhood, decent business hours, friendly staff, competent tailoring, and a convenient place to leave the car for the few minutes you’ll be inside.
When we moved to the Near West Side five years ago, I tried several local cleaners, all of which I found flawed for one reason or another. But Monroe Cleaners seems to have hit on the proper balance of service and price. There are certainly less expensive cleaners, but not for this quality of service in this neighborhood. There are cleaners open earlier or later, but not appreciably so. And Monroe’s tailoring has certainly satisfied me and my wife (who can be particular).
And here’s something impressive: In over three years of steady patronage, I’ve never had a single mashed button or mis-​matched replacement button show up on a dress shirt. Not one.
I’ve never used the advertised same day service, but have occasionally dropped garments off for next-​day pickup. Garments are always clean, even those with the tough stains (grease, grass). They protectively-​cover fancy buttons. They gladly recycle hangers. And in my experience they’ve always been open when they said they’d be.
I like Monroe Cleaners. They do the job honestly.

I have looked for a good tailor at an affordable price for a long time. They are either too expensive or not very good (and they always seem to have an attitude!). Until now. Monroe Cleaners does not have a seamstress like other cleaners, they have a Tailor. I had the sleeves taken down on a suit jacket for $ 25. Great job. I also had a pea coat taken in from the sides for $ 30. Great job as well. Not only is his work professional, timing is great too. I had my pea coat done overnight for the same price. I am glad to share that I have found my tailor, conveniently located in the West Loop.
You will not be disappointed.

Yeah, so. On your front glass it says «Same day service». When I drop off four shirts which are quite obviously work shirts, you ask if next Tuesday (five days away, and it’s very early in the morning right now) is okay. I ask if I can get them back any earlier. «Monday?». Uh, don’t you have same day service? Is Monday the best we can do? «Okay, tomorrow night after 5pm?» Perfect.
So I go back today at 5:30 today and despite your posted hours of 7am-​7pm Monday-​Friday, you are closed, and the lights are out.
Thanks, thanks so much. Guess it’s time to try one of the other 100 cleaners in the area, this place isn’t getting another dime.