Dry Cleaning

Jason's office offers a dry cleaning service. At CHF3.90 per shirt, we were sure we could do better elsewhere. He has a lot of clothes, so I had procrastinated this knowing that we would never find dry cleaners like our beloved Plumsteadville cleaners. (They bought Sarah and Easter dress as a going away present. Plus, it was $1 per shirt.)

I asked around for dry cleaners and no one seemed to be able to help me. Well, let me rephrase, I asked at church. I asked Swiss people. All of them gave the response that they didn't know where to go for shirts and that they only took their suits in on the rare occasion that their child slimed them, or something similar. Anyway, I finally got a recommendation for a cleaner in Arlesheim, which is three tram stops away and where I do most of my grocery shopping. The person said he thought it would be CHF3.00 per shirt, which is better than 3.90.

With vague directions and a bag full of dirty clothes, I set off. I was also nervous because I had no German speaking helper. But, I am a brave woman and was determined to accomplish this.

Except I couldn't find the darn place. I knew it was "close to the Coop", but I couldn't find the Coop. (Coop is one of the two major grocery store chains in Switzerland.)

I finally gave up and headed home, dirty shirts in tow. Using the miracle that is google maps I searched for Coops near my home and found how to get there, using public transportation. I set off again.

This time I found the Coop and I found the dry cleaner. It was also 1:00 (or rather 13:00, they use military time over here.) The cleaner's were closed for lunch until 1:30.

No bother, Daniel and I just went and bought cookies at the grocery store and then sat on a bench and ate them. We'll suffer for a good cause.

At 13:30 we headed to the dry cleaners, which had 20% off signs all over. If I had looked closes, I would have noticed that it was 20% off, excluding shirts, pants and washing. So, I guess I could have gotten 20% off my fur coat, had I needed it cleaned, except I don't have a fur coat and it seems to me that you should just be able to leave that out in the rain, as that is how the original animal got clean.

Anyway, I produce my 7 shirts and 3 pairs of pants. I am then informed that it will be, drum roll please, 10 days. 10 days! For dry cleaning! I asked if it could be any earlier. She looked at her calender, signed and said, "How about 1 week? No, that is a holiday. 10 days."

Fine.

Cost for 10 shirts and 3 pairs of pants? CHF63.00. Using today's exchange rate, provided by Google, that's about $55.

I left the clothes, but I didn't like it. I decided that I would just iron Jason's shirts myself. After all, I am eine hausfrau, right? Well, Jason's boss had different ideas and told him that he needed to have his shirts professionally cleaned. I guess I'm just not good enough.

I will ask the other mothers at Sarah's school for their recommendation, as apparently the Swiss don't do dry cleaning. And for tgood reason.

All I can say is that when I pick up those clothes, they better be lined in gold.