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Crystal Cleaning Center
Rating Details »
21 reviews for Crystal Cleaning Center
5 million stars for Lynnette and Crystal Cleaning Center. Lynnette owns and runs the shop her mother started in 1963. They specialize in wedding gowns and high-end dry cleaning. As someone else said, the Four Seaons/Ritz Carlton of dry cleaning.
My fiance and I were scheduled to get married at the end of May. And just 3 months out we decided to reschedule til next June due to the economy. Well, my dress had been ordered and it just arrived. Not knowing what to do with it for the next 15 months I called Lynette.
She did a pre-heirloom job on the dress and packed it into the biggest box with tissue, fabric, etc. She did a great job. When it's time to alter my dress and have it pressed I will be back to Lynnette. Then when it is time to clean it and get it ready to go to England (for our second wedding) I will be back to Lynnette. When it's time to heirloom it for my daughter, I will be back to Lynnette. All of these stops will probably add up to the price of the gown itself, but it is nice to see someone who cares about it almost as much as I do and treats it with such respect.
So ladies, bring your wedding gowns to Crystal Cleaning.
PS - They also do a lot of specialty cleaning and hard to remove stains, etc. AND they seem to know every customer's name... which is a bygone tradition.
I took my wedding gown here. Yes the price is outrageous (approx. $400) but the owner does know how to do a good job. The deadline was met and everything went smoothly.
She showed me around her store as well and I saw a lifetime's worth of wedding dresses and couture gowns... first time I saw an actual Marchesa, which was nice.
My gown came back impeccably clean. All the stains from all that wine and dancing were gone. Truly impressive. I'm thinking of bringing some of my other precious items here, like my winter coats.
I own a floor length, silk charmeuse, hand-sewn gown, designed by me and made by a dear designer friend of mine as barter compensation for getting her boutique off the ground. My gown is literally one of a kind and I was terrified of taking it somewhere to be cleaned - but I want to wear it for my wedding, so I had to.
I called several dress designers in San Francisco and asked them where they take their custom creations for cleaning. Each of them immediately said "Lynnette at Crystal Cleaning in San Mateo." Just like that.
Oh, I'm so glad I listened. I live in the city and had to reserve a car share to take the dress (and future husband's suit) down to Lynnette, but it was well worth it. We picked up our clothes over the weekend and I cannot believe how lovely my dress looks. It's immaculate and looks better than it did before, which I didn't know was possible. Let me be clear: NOTHING BAD HAPPENED to one of my most valued possessions.
We paid $189 all told for my gown, my wrap, and a three-piece suit - and the most incredible service I've had from any business in years. Lynnette is a dying breed of people who think service is important. I know other reviews said this place was expensive but, honestly, for this kind of quality work and impeccable service I think $189 is perfectly reasonable. How often do people routinely pay $50-$75 to have a few sweaters and a dress cleaned at places with little to no service?
This place is the Ritz Carlton/Four Seasons of cleaners! From the moment you walk in, very friendly and professional service by Lynnette and her staff.
10 stars for Lynette and Larry (her operator) This woman is the most educated, classy woman you'll ever meet , who knows her business well.
As for her operator/dry cleaner he is implacable . Larry Barrozo has been there for over 27 years or so and has done the most amazing work on some of the most damaged clothes and gowns one has ever seen.
For anyone that has said less about this cleaners,shame on you.
You will never find anyone as good as these cleaners in the Bay.
Larry runs the entire system for Crystal Cleaners and hasn't missed a day of work in so many years and has dedicated himself to perfecting his work.
Lynnette runs customer service to the highest level ever seen.
I have sent my housekeeper to the cleaners to pick and drop off garments through out the 20 years that I have been going there and
can't ever say that I have had any complaints except............
Why can't we have them open for business on Sundays too??
Karla
In San Mateo ,Ca
This place was the most overpriced drycleaner I have ever used. I found it through the positive reviews on Yelp, however, it was definitely not worth the price. For one pair of slacks, three blouses (one of which was a tank top) and two dresses (basic, nothing fancy), it was $120. Completely ridiculous. This would have cost me $50 or less at any of the other cleaners I have used. Plus, their turnaround time is over a week, which is way too long.
Unless you want some serious sticker shock, I wouldn't recommend using Crystal Cleaning.
They do an outstanding job and expect to be justly compensated for it.
Granted, it is the most expensive dry cleaner on the planet but it is the only place I'd take my Chanel, vintage YSL, Missoni and beloved Brioni silk trench. They come back like new. If you spent a couple of grand on a collectors' item, you should treat it with the utmost of care.
I send my Theory and regular work clothes to Laundry Locker and save my special pieces for this place. I suggest you do the same.
CCC is expensive, however, if I have an item of clothing that is priceless, hard to clean, or too complicated for the average cleaners, this is the ONLY place I will EVER go. Great service. Every detail is taken care of. Been a client since the 1990's and only go there every once and a while and they still remember me! Wow!
Lynnette is a doll!
:)
Totally agree with Spencer P, Tina is a life saver!!
She altered my daughters graduation gown in an hour since I needed it for that day. When you stop by, definitely ask for Tina to help you.
They do a great job here and they have great customer service.
The only negative is the prices, they are fairly high but worth it.
In my opinion, the best dry cleaners ever! After taking my clothes elsewhere and having them ruined, I'm sticking to this one unless there is one a good deal less expensive AND the same quality. Which I seriously doubt.
There's a reason why they have SO many wedding dresses to clean, why people will take their linens and such... Heck, you don't want to know how much I paid to get a comforter cleaned here... Cause of the quality. You get what you pay for here They'll do alterations and fix items on your clothes if needed.
Yeah, I'll pay extra... Worth paying an extra .50 to $1 for a shirt if it's going to last you another year or two than if you take it somewhere else....
Indeed, you will experience a little bit of a sticker shock, but my friend had her wedding dress that she bought at a sample sale cleaned here--the dress was positively gleaming by the big day.
Once the owner saw that my friend had brought her wedding dress, she even gave us a grand tour of the establishment to assure her that her wedding dress will be well-taken care of. They were very accommodating with the scheduling, and my friend had no problems whatsoever with their services.
I agree with the majority of the yelpers who have posted previously. Yes, CCC is expensive, but it is not the sort of place you take ordinary shirts, pants, or skirts to; it's the place you take your one-of-a-kind wedding gown when you need it steam pressed four days before your wedding and you know they'll do a great job. How am I so sure? Because I listened to you yelpers and took my wedding gown to CCC to be steam pressed four days before my wedding!
The results--absolutely stunningly, beautifully, perfect! Not only did CCC do a great job, but they were incredibly hospitable and friendly; they invited me back into the depths of the store to inspect my gown before bagging it up for me to take home.
Furthermore, Lynette had quoted me at $150.00 on the phone, but upon seeing my gown, lowered the price to $97.00 because it was a simple design. Most importantly, however, Lynette and her other staff (I regret I did not get their names) made me feel right at home, and I knew--from the minute I stepped in there--that I could trust them with the most important piece of clothing for my big day!
Oh yeah--they also allowed my dad to videotape me picking up my gown (he's making a video of my wedding). Gas for ten minute drive to Crystal Cleaning Center: $1.00. Steam pressing of wedding gown: $97.00. Crystal Cleaning Center staff smiling, talking to the video camera, and taking my dad on a tour of the facilities: PRICELESS!!!
Four weeks before my wedding, I dropped off an Amsale Blue Label gown here. I was really excited to wear it for my wedding reception and it was a surprise which I had not shown to anyone yet. It was in pristine condition and since I had just had it altered, I wanted it professionally pressed and cleaned. Lynette met with me, and told me that they could have it ready 3 days before the wedding. Awesome, or so I thought.
Pick up day came along, and the moment I left the store, I was in tears and without my dress. First, they took 20 minutes to locate the dress, asking me questions on what it looks like etc. Uhhm.. really? When they found it, they said that they needed to do some last minute touch-up. Ok, not too bad. Then they brought out the dress and asked if they should go ahead and cover it up. Good thing, I said that I wanted to take a look at it first. Because, there was a palm sized yellow-brown stain right across the front of the dress. Did they really not see it and really wanted to just cover it up and let me leave with it? I also saw a couple thread pulls that weren't there before, but I could care less about those after I saw the stain. The owner said that it didn't look all that obvious, but of course when she stepped out and looked in the mirror, she took it back after seeing the extent of the stain. Then, they said that the stain was already there, or it could have surfaced after the cleaning process, because some stains do. Unbelievable. Even if that is truly the case, they should have called me the moment they saw it "surface" so that something can be done to it. Instead of waiting until I come in, pretending that it was not there. They are in the business of cleaning clothes, so it really makes me wonder why they didn't say a word about it, even if they had "not caused it"
Then they said they would try to work on the stain but they have no guarantee that it would come off, and told me to come back the next day.
The next day, the stain, although not completely gone, was much less obvious when I tried to pick it up again. (I wore it for a couple hours at the wedding.) The owner stayed after closing time to wait for me, since I was all around the Bay running errands and had not originally planned to be in San Mateo. If they had at least called me the moment they saw the stain, I would have given them a better rating despite the fact that there is a stain.
They specialize in protecting those priceless items that you might have - from a beautiful wedding dress to couture, to fine linens and sheets. If you've invested in those things already it is worth it for a cleaner to take care of it. For your everyday things (like shirts you wear to work) it's best to use another place.
The owner is a second generation owner, and she is quite friendly and very honest about the prices and doublechecks with you. Extra star for her honesty.
Lynnette and her team at Crystal Cleaning Center are total rock stars. Lynnette is a second generation cleaner with a staff that has been around for, literally, decades..such a rarity in today's world. Very professional, kind and knowledgeable I trust them with with every garment I own. Are their prices higher than many? Sure. But the quality and service cannot be beat and make the price a bargain in comparison
Crystal Cleaning is the BEST! After a horrific experience at Peninou involving false advertising and blatant over charging with no evidence to back it up, I ripped my wedding dress from Peninous greedy fingers and took it to Lynnette.
She was super nice, well spoken and knowledgeable about her services. Once I got there, dress in hand, I had a tour of the facility and saw firsthand the seemingly hundreds of wedding gowns in their back space. Old, new, beaded, emboidered, they can do anything.
The price was half of Peninous rate, and the service and cleaning was exceptional.
I later took another dress by my wedding gown designer that had a huge red wine spill on it...picked up the dress 3 weeks later without a mark on it. And it only cost about $60 - a small price to pay considering the job they had in front of them.
All my special items will be cleaned by Lynnette and her team in the future - dont bother looking for anyone else.
This is a cute, quality, multi-generational family operation, but it is true that their prices are astronomical. Unless you have to dry clean something irreplaceable, I would dry clean elsewhere.
I have been bringing my clothes to Lynette and staff for years. They have completely restored articles of clothing that I was ready to toss. They also always get difficult stains out that other cleaners fail to remove, but are happy to charge for.
This is the best dry cleaner in CA and even when I temporarily lived in the East Bay, I sent my expensive clothing by mail.
kh
I took a friend's recommendation and trusted this cleaners with my post-wedding dress cleaning and storage. They misplaced my shoes and ring pillow which were to be included in the storage box, but eventually found them after several weeks. In the end, they did a fine job cleaning and boxing my dress, but I just didn't understand the 18-month turnaround time (not that I really needed the dress for anything).
They do work hard to do the best job, but MY OH MY the prices - often the cleaning charge is more than the cost of the garment!
They are the BEST dry cleaning in town. They have gotten red wine stains out of my white dress shirts. Expect to pay more for their service.
