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Rockridge Royal Cleaners
Rating Details »
Category: Dry Cleaning & Laundry [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Oakland5455 College Ave
(between Kales Ave & Taft Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618
(510) 653-5644
16 reviews for Rockridge Royal Cleaners
We know about their high prices ($32 for drycleaning 2 pants, 2 blouses).
What I do like about this drycleaner is that:
- I can take my own hangers with my drop-off clothes preventing me from getting their wire hangers
- Eco-friendly (no chemicals)
- Fruit/coffee
Hours open aren't anything extraordinary.
If I had more drycleaning in my wardrobe, this would probably slip to 2 or 3 stars. But since I only go there once every 2-3 weeks, it can fit in my budget.
If I had to pick one word to describe my Rockridge Cleaners experience? Maddening!
On the one hand, they're super close to my house. On the other hand, they are really expensive.
Then there's the door chime - it has a wide sensor range and sits over the front door, which is pretty close to the front counter. So when there's someone else at the counter & you're trying not to crowd them, you end up setting off the door chime over and over unless you go way on the side of the room. But when you're leaving, they almost always ask you if you want to help yourself to an apple from the mini-fridge. 9 out of 10 times I say no, but when I take it, it's always very refreshing!
They do minor mending without being asked, which is great for me (otherwise I'd just make do with safety pins and tape). But every time I drop off the red shirt and every time up pick up the red shirt, we have to engage in conversation about how awesome the red shirt is. Enough already about the red shirt!
I love that I never have to bring my ticket & they had my name memorized by the 2nd visit. However, that red shirt mysteriously didn't get returned to me once, although it took them only 2 seconds to cough it up when I went back for it the following week. Fishy.
But perhaps most importantly, they do a great job with the cleaning - finding spots I didn't even know about & then running them through twice at no extra charge to get 'em out. Although please note - not so good with the hemming of an expensive pair of jeans (and it was an expensive hem job!).
To wrap things up here, in spite of the high prices, I am a happy longtime Rockridge Cleaners customer. Sometimes I get so irked that I resolve to try a different dry cleaner. But in the end I never stray. How can you turn your back on a cleaner that once offered to hand wash a scarf that she thought was too delicate to dry clean at no charge?
They are nice there. And don't use chemicals...an eco-friendly cleaners. Clothes come returned cleaned and spotless.
Prices are really really high though, hence only three stars...especially when it's not a shirt or something they can do in house. You should ask first before leaving your stuff. I guess those who would come here are the same crowd that shops at whole foods and berkeley bowl...so maybe price for eco-friendly isn't so much of an issue...
Think about replacing things like cheaper rugs before bringing them in. It may be less $$$....or....you could take it to a discount dry cleaner, have it sprayed in formalin and gasoline, then take it home and set up a playpen on it. Don't do that.
Straight up -- they are not the cheapest cleaners and you can't get same day service. There are plenty of other traditional dry cleaning shops that will do that for ya, so heads up right now if that's what you're looking for.
What RRC does have is incredibly friendly staff, good alterations, eco-friendly cleaning methods, and free apples. If you wear out the hem in your pants, they'll fix it back up for you. They will track down some buttons to repair that jacket you brought in. This is a neighborhood place in that old school, "how you doin'?", Cheers kind of way. I farm out some of my clothes to other cleaners, but RRC is a place I enjoy coming back to.
A little bit pricey, but eco-friendly. It's like paying a premium for organic, I guess.
I frequent dry cleaners often because I don't like to iron my dress shirts, so why not let somebody else launder them?
Problem is, they kinda messed up ironing one of the collars of my shirt. On one hand it's wasn't that bad because it's a work shirt, as opposed to a suit shirt. But really, the shirt has a pattern and the pattern is jacked up.
Out of all the years going to various dry cleaners, I have never had a messed up collar.
But, this place is just around the corner from my house. So unless they mess up my shirts even worse, I really don't see a reason not to return.
A neighborhood cleaners that uses eco-friendly solvents was my mission. Low and behold I'm walking down College Ave. and POOF!
I spot Royal Rockridge.
Well, maybe it wasn't really a POOF, more of a WHAM.
Either way, this place is great! Reviewers have complained that they're expensive. Yes they are.
BUT, you're paying for excellent cleaning solvents that are good for you and for the environment.
Try reading about some of the nasty ass chemicals in typical dry cleaning stuff and you'll see what I'm talking about. Scary!
Not to mention, you're on College Ave. Everything is more expensive when it's convenient and on the main drag.
I pay a premium knowing that the girls here will not only take good care of my not-so-cheap frocks, but also care enough to do their part in saving the planet.
In my desperate search for a local dry cleaner I tried this place out by dropping off a simple blue jersey dress by an American designer. The staff seemed nice enough, but they gushed on and on on how beautiful my dress was, almost to the point that I started to wonder if the staff may "borrow" it for an evening out before I picked it up.
When I returned, it took them some time to find it, adding to my worry that my dress did some partying without me. Finally it showed up, and the counter person made a point of telling me how nice the dress would look with a black necklace and black heels. Thanks....I guess.
The cleaning was a whopping $15 (I could have cleaned 4 dresses at my SF cleaners for that price). I wish they had their prices posted so I could have prepared for that heart attack. That's the price of a pasta entree at a nice restaurant.
All in all. They run a very clean, thorough business. The staff is nice but it is just too expensive for me. Also, I can do without sniffing my clothes for other women's perfume like a jealous wife.
I go to the dry cleaner's once a year, give or take. I'm not sure I'm even qualified to review this place. That being said, a $50 bill for a handful of items is not going to put me back much, and a streamlined process is much appreciated.
It's true what people say, they are expensive. They also get red wine and coffee out (call it clothing rescue). They are very friendly (unless you sneak in at the end of the day, at which point things seem to pile up unmanagably and this would naturally affect anyone's demeanor) and I am pretty sure that they tell everyone who comes in that their such and such item of clothing is really cute or lovely or whatever. They use new machinery and natural cleaning products ("green" technology, if you will) that don't negatively impact the evironment as much as the old stuff.
I trust these women with my favorite articles of clothing. I don't even trust my best girlfriends with my treasured threads.
The clothes feel great when they come back. Not sure why they charge so much. Commission for the apples and coffee? Because they are environmentally friendly? Because they are so damn friendly?
My only gripes are: they don't tell you how much you how much the total will be, there is a $20 minimum for credit cards (though three items will run your bill over $20), and they tend to take a long time to dry clean your clothes. Not good when you dump all of your favorites there!
I found their services expensive but the quality excellent. Also, these ladies are so super nice -- they remember your name, your significant other's name, who dropped the stuff off last, etc. after just a couple of visits. They always would offer me an apple or orange ever visit. Cute!
They are open long enough not to feel you must rush home from work just to make the cleaners.
However, for my less important stuff, I would take it next door to the laundromat that also does dry cleaning, because there is only so much a student can afford!
I just called to inquire about a price for cleaning a wool coat. I was very nice, but the lady on the other end mumbled grouchily at me as if I were infringing on her time, and before actually telling me anything, said she had a customer to help and hung up on me.
I think I'll try a different cleaner.
Their alterations kick ass.
Of note: I wanted to get a party dress hemmed once, and they honestly advised me that it would not work for the style and cut, and that it would look fine a bit longer. I really appreciated their integrity vs. the opportunity to "make a buck."
Overall, they're *so* nice, and I trust them with my clothes!
Not the cheapest in town, but they are close and the staff is super nice. I've been in there a dozen times now and been offered coffee or fruit or whatever almost every time. Parking can be a drag though, being right on College in Rockridge. Good time to hit it is on your way to work in the morning.
Wow- this place is overly expensive and has horrible parking. To dry clean my comforter: $54. To fix my dress: $12. And, I was cited a week long wait!
I haven't minded their service at all! In fact, they were able to get cat urine out of my down comforter at a reasonable price and in a timely manner. I'll do business with them again.
They are open early and close late. They never forget your face/name/clothes and can rush your stuff for same day. Expensive but worth it. There is a 10 min. parking zone directly out front and you can eat licorice and watch fishies if there is a wait inside.
