By Sherryl Gilligan
Whatever type of dry cleaning service you’ve scheduled, it’s helpful to know a few tips to ensure the best experience available. From questions about pick up and delivery, to the details about where to hang your order, this article explores the details of the process and sets you up for repeated success.
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Where can I get my dry cleaning order delivered?
We currently deliver to a wide variety of places.
Private residences make up the largest population of our delivery customers, however, we deliver to apartment buildings, private businesses, assisted living facilities, office buildings, hotels, schools, churches, and community centers.
Each of these choices has its unique set of delivery option benefits and challenges. In every situation, you want your items to have a safe, dry place to hang comfortably from.
Where should I set my delivery location?
We want your items to stay in perfect condition so the first consideration when finding a delivery location is protecting your order from the elements.
You do not need to be home to receive your delivery order and a driver will not ring or knock when they drop off your items. Instead, you will receive a text when your delivery has been completed, so you want to make sure the items have a safe place to hang. A covered porch is usually the selected location.
Is inside the garage an option if you don’t have a covered porch, or would like more privacy?
If you don’t have a covered porch or have concerns about your items on a porch, you can choose to have your order delivered to you inside of your garage.
Homeowners who choose this method have a garage door code that our driver uses to gain access to the inside of the garage.
Drivers delivering inside a garage are not allowed to enter the home under any circumstances so make sure you have somewhere in the garage to hang your order.
3 ways to securely receive your dry cleaning order
Once you’ve chosen the delivery location you need to make sure there’s a good place at that spot to receive the order. There are 3 items that work the best to keep your items hanging securely and properly. The first item is a wreath hook, the second is an ornamental hook and the third is a free-standing rack.
A door wreath hook
Using a wreath hook is easy and convenient.
We will provide a door wreath hook for our customers at no charge with your first order.
You can place the wreath hook on an inside door and have the unlocked storm door for additional protection from the elements. Just be sure not to lock the screen door on the day of your delivery or the driver can’t access the wreath hook.
If the door is deeply set under an awning or roof, you can place the wreath hanger on the outer storm/screen door, keeping both doors locked.
Placing a wreath hook on a door is an easy, nonpermanent solution for somewhere to hang your order.
The wreath hooks we provide are plain metal hooks but there are many decorative wreath hooks that the homeowner could purchase to use.
Ornamental hooks
Some homeowners choose the second item, ornamental hooks. These are sturdy hooks secured to a wall or door and are not easily taken on and off like a wreath hook.
They can provide an opportunity for creative expression and can add to the beauty of a house.
When choosing an ornamental hook to receive hanging delivery orders, be sure to keep in mind how a hanger would hang from the hook. Wide, pronged hooks are great. Circular loops are more difficult and may allow your items to twist around.
Free-Standing Racks
Placing the third item, a free-standing rack on the porch is another fluid solution.
Racks can be more permanent, such as a vintage coat rack, or more temporary, such as a folding rolling rack.
They typically can accommodate larger orders because most have multiple branches to hang items, or a bar specifically designed to receive hangers.
If you are in an apartment building or office building with multiple tenants, door wreath hooks and free-standing racks work really well. We can deliver to your unit door, the building concierge, or a designated preapproved location of your choice and arrangement.
What about items in my order that aren’t on hangers?
Any bulky items being delivered, like bedding or rugs, will be labeled, wrapped in a protective casing or bag, and set at the delivery location.
If there is an elevated safe spot to place the item, we may choose that over the porch. If there’s a bench or chair on the porch that seems suitable for the item we survey the situation before leaving the items there.
Places to avoid hanging an order from and why
There are a few places that we try to avoid delivering to if at all possible.
Doorknobs and handles, door knockers, decorative light fixtures, and surprisingly, the simple nail.
These pieces weren’t designed to hold hangers with garments, so it is never the preferred delivery location.
Doorknobs and handles are also very difficult to hang an order from. We don’t want to scratch the finish of the door handle or knob and so we first lay the laundry bag over the surface, then we hang the hanger on the laundry bag.
Door knockers are not an ideal choice because It creates an awkward angle that interferes with clothing hanging properly from a hanger. Similarly, a simple nail is also not ideal because the thinness of the nail doesn’t support more than a couple of items.
Can I customize my delivery instructions?
As always, we’re here for your convenience. We will happily deliver your items to you wherever you decide is the best delivery place. Our customer concierge will consult with you at any time to make special delivery instructions.
For the safety of our drivers, the drivers do not enter private residences or individual apartment units. There is no exception to this rule.
Conclusion
Before reading this article, the manner in which your drycleaning was returned to you may have seemed like a vague concept.
In this article, you learned what options are available to you for receiving a variety of dry cleaning items. Now you know what locations are best and what you need at that location to successfully receive your dry cleaning order.
If you’re curious about what types of decorative wreath hangers, ornamental hooks and free-standing racks are available, check out our article about Ornamental Hooks at Snedicor learning center.
