Helen’s Cleaners

On my first-​ever visit to Helen’s Cleaners on August 31, 2015, I dropped off a leather backpack to be cleaned. When I attempted to retrieve it approximately 5 weeks after it was dropped off, they presented me with a canvas backpack which was not mine. Despite numerous visits and telephone calls to Helen’s Cleaners, after 90 days, I still have not been refunded for the backpack, for which I paid over $ 150! Needless to say, I would not recommend this dry cleaner unless you are okay with never seeing your stuff again and not being refunded for it.

Very convenient location with loading zone for driving drop-​off/​pick-​ups. The woman who works the register is always very sweet to me and my kids. She will even run to the door and take my clothes if I’m walking with my stroller. Everything has always come back in great condition and on time.

They used to be my go-​to cleaners for a while, mostly because of their convenient location. But after getting shirts back with damaged and broken buttons on multiple occasions I had to write them off for good. Friendly people and decent prices are nice, but in no way make such poor results acceptable.

This place absolutely mangled my wedding dress. I took it to get cleaned so I could put it away in storage and they ripped the fabric in several spots! DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING OF IMPORTANCE HERE!

I moved to this neighborhood about a year ago and used Helen’s for 6 months without any problems. The woman was friendly, they were cheap enough, accepted credit cards and had a quick turn around. So to be fair, unless they screw up, they are a good enough dry cleaner.
The problem came though when I picked up a load of shirts two months ago. FOUR shirts were completely ruined. ONE WAS FOR MY WEDDING REHEARSAL DINNER THAT NIGHT. They came back with what looked like serious stains around the collars. If this was one old shirt I would chalk it up to me needing new clothes. But to get back four identically ruined shirts, three of which were less than a month old, I knew something had gone wrong.
I brought them right back to be fixed. I explained the situation and showed the woman what looked like iron burn marks on each collar. She said they would clean them again and get out the marks. When I came back a week later, they were the same. It was obvious they had done nothing to fix these.
At this point I started to get upset and a manager came out to help me. I initially was relieved because I thought at least now I’ll get some resolution. However he took no responsibility for what they did to my clothing. Instead he tried to tell me that this came from my cologne. I explained that I don’t wear cologne because these are work shirts. And that even if cologne did cause this, why had this never happened once ever before in years of dry cleaning???
They took my clothes AGAIN, promising to fix my shirts. ANOTHER week goes by and when I come back they tell me they can’t fix the shirts. The manager tried to blame me again for the damages! After arguing he offered $ 30 for over $ 150 worth of shirts. On my way out they had the nerve to ask if I wanted to keep the shirts. I told them to throw the shirts away, because they ruined them.
So fool me once shame on you, right? Well shame on me because they fooled me twice and I accepted the $ 30 credit. I brought in another group of shirts and now they have burn marks down the sleeves. At this point I’m out six shirts, each one retails for at least $ 40. I will never go back and I would warn you to do the same.

I give this place no stars. I brought a skirt & 2 pairs of pants to be cleaned & pressed. First problem: they made me pay at drop off. When I picked up, thankfully I looked at what I was getting — the skirt had not been cleaned or pressed. It still had my hair on it! I asked the woman at the counter what was the issue, she looked it over (the entire time on her cell phone) and said «you want to come back?» I just asked for my money back, and I got out of there. Since I read numerous reviews that say the same, I’d recommend NEVER go there. No stars.

Took a batch of dry cleaning here for same day cleaning. Came back smelling like chemicals and mildew. Sign of a cleaner using dirty solution… like washing clothes in dirty water. After a BIG bill, I had to get everything re-​cleaned and stay up all night laudering what could be washed for my travel the next day.

Linda is the sweetest lady, but the actual dry cleaning here is terrible. Multiple times I’ve brought in clothing with tears or stains and asked them to be repaired or treated, and the damage was still there when I got them back. Linda was kind enough to send everything out again a second time free of charge, but I’d rather go to a cleaner where I know they’re not just pressing it and putting it in plastic.

I am a little biased because this place is so close to me, so convenience helps their review! But, overall, when I go to Helen’s, I am greeted with a smile and by my first name, the service has always been wonderful and the prices are very affordable. I have already recommended them to friends who are also now regulars.
Keep up the good work, Helen’s!

I am not sure what to make of the negative reviews – we moved to Philadelphia almost 4 years ago, were pleased to find a dry cleaner close to our house and even more pleased to discover that the people who work there are polite, accommodating, customer-​oriented, and capable. I have never had a problem with the cleaning, broken buttons, or anything else. And the prices are especially reasonable.

These folks are really nice, but my clothes come back stinking to high heaven. They smell like a man working construction in 100 degree heat was wearing them on the job all day. They smell waaay better before I drop them off. It’s puzzling. I’m going to another dry cleaner because I can’t take clothes to be dry cleaned only to smell like a homeless person who hasn’t bathed in a month. whoa

Don’t come here with your dry cleaning unless you are OK with items being a) not cleaned properly or not at all, and b) your items coming back damaged/​broken.
One multiple occasions I brought in items to be cleaned that came back in the same condition that I had brought them in. Then I stupidly made the decision to bring in a lab coat to be tailored and it was poorly done, oh and the buttons were all broken off of it as well. After that happened I stopped going.
Sadly, I didn’t spread the word enough because both my boyfriend and my roommate had similar experiences. The BF was literally just bringing in men’s dress shirts to be cleaned, probably the most simple run of the mill item at any dry cleaners. His buttons were also coming back broken off! Also, collar stays missing or broken. Things not getting cleaned… Roommate just brought in a coat with a bunch of stains none of which were removed, and guess what, the BUTTONS WERE BROKEN!
WHAT is the deal with this place breaking everyone’s buttons?! If it is a special jacket, like what happened to my roommate, you essentially have to go replace all of the buttons!
Ugh, writing this review just made me mad all over again. This place may be fast and cheap, but you really get what you pay for here.

I have never really had the need for a regular dry cleaner in my life. However I started a job this year that offers a uniform that is not the easiest to clean at home. I go to Helen’s once a week. Linda always seems to be there. I walk in the door she knows my name I do not even need to give her my phone number anymore. They clean on site, she always asks when I want it done by. If something changes after I leave like one time the washing machine when down she called me and said here is what I can have ready for you. The personal service and friendliness of Linda is what keeps me coming back.

This place is a scam. On two separate occasions, I brought in items to be dry cleaned only to discover upon picking them up that they had not been cleaned at all and were in the exact same condition as when I dropped them off. The first time, I dropped off a down coat to be cleaned after a winter of heavy use. I picked it up and put it in the closet without inspecting it because I had cleaned the coat at other places before with no issue. When I took it out again, every single mark on it that I had pointed out to them to remove was still there. What’s more, there was a rip in the armpit that they say was there initially but which I know for a fact was not (I inspect my items before dropping them off to avoid such potentially sticky situations). On a separate occasion, I dropped off a dress I had worn to a wedding so it smelled quite a bit. When I picked it up, not only did it smell just as before, but it had a huge liquid stain that was not there before! On both occasions, I took the items back and explained that there was no way they could have actually gone through the dry cleaning process and come out worse than when they went in. Without question or hesitation, they took them both back and cleaned them. Although I credit them for doing that, I believe this business is a scam. They take your items, do nothing to them, and return them same as before, assuming that for every person who comes back in to complain, many more just accept that their clothes have been cleaned.

I will never go here again. My husband and I just moved to the area and decided to try Helen’s. Big Mistake! They ruined my husbands tie– it looked like they laundered it or something. We laundered his brand new shirts at home and only took them in to be pressed and they were returned with spots! Finally and my biggest issue was the smell of my clothes. they smelled horrible! So bad that we had to take them to another cleaners (the organic one a little further north on 20^th) to get the smell out. Unfortunately the smell is still not out and we’ll have to take them back again.

I decided to try Hellen’s since it’s nearby and offers organic dry cleaning. I brought my clothes in and was pleased to find that the door was wide open and that the service was welcoming and friendly. The prices are extremely reasonable, and I don’t mind pre-​paying. I liked that when I picked up my clothes, they were grouped very efficiently, such that I didn’t end up with a mountain of excess plastic when I got home. The quality of cleaning was very good. Although they close at 6pm on weekdays, which is a little early for me, they are open until 5pm on Saturdays, so I think I’ll bring my clothes here from now on.

These folks are very nice and do a good job. I have never had a problem and have used them exclusively for over a year. BTW discount if you bring your stuff in on Thursday night.