Reliable Laundry & Cleaners

This place closed down without any notice and still has my last load of laundry. Do not use this place, as it may be the last time you see any of your clothes.

So I know this place has some bad reviews, but my lazy self was desperately in need of a new laundry pickup/​dropoff spot that didn’t cost a ton. Enter Reliable Laundry and Cleaners. There is another spot with the same name on Clinton St. but DO NOT use them. Plain and simple they suck. However, this place is fast, didn’t mess up any of my clothes, and reasonably priced. The lady that answers the phone is awesome too. They are my new go-​to. *They accept credit cards!

The price and service are both on point. Free Pickup and Delivery just tip em. Very friendly and unlike most of the wash and fold’s around here, the take Visa & MasterCard. Its my new favorite!

Their sign says they close at 7:30pm. THIS IS A LIE.
I put my stuff in the drier and came back at 7pm. They were CLOSED. The people were gone, and the place was locked up. My clothes sat, still damp overnight, growing mold. If I’m the one late, then that’s fine, it’s my fault, but DO NOT say that you’re open until 7:30pm and then close up at 7, with my stuff still obviously in there.
AVOID AT ALL COSTS. They do NOT deserve even a PENNY of your business.
I would give them ZERO if I could.

I really dislike Reliable Laundry. I’ve had an on-​again, off-​again relationship with them for a year now and like a bad boyfriend, you forget how awful they are when you haven’t seen them in a while.
At first, they were ok and the cheapest option around. Then, they started getting sloppy — lots of lost and mismatched socks (which I can forgive every now and then) and yellow stains on white clothing they refused to admit was their doing (it completely is). I stopped sending almost everything then and just sent the things I figured they couldn’t fuck up. A week ago, I sent some laundry in for the last time. I got all my clothes back relatively unharmed except for a pair of the hubby’s jeans which were massacred! There was a huge square foot of missing fabric in the crotch area. When we showed Reliable Laundry the jeans, we got the typical «Hey that wasn’t us» reply. Never again. You’ve been warned, stay far, far away!

I love being called «Mr. John,» and having someone there always to make small talk with me. Once Natalie’s predecessor asked me what I was doing that day. I told her I was going to Tompkins Square Park to listen to some music. She said she hoped I find «a new partner» there. How sweet! (I didn’t find a new partner, though.)
You should have seen this place before the total overhaul circa 2005. Everything was covered in thick layers of dust, including the Christmas decorations that hung on the wall year-​round for God knows how many years, and the ladies who worked there smoked. That’s a bad combination with laundry. And they were mean! I think this is entirely different management; it’s certainly a different staff.
One thing I’ve noticed Reliable could do better: privacy. They want your address and phone number for their system, and they include this info on every receipt and tag they print out. They pin it to your laundry bag while it’s waiting for you to pick up and they sit in plain sight behind the counter. Great for stalkers & pervs, not so much for everyone else.
Oh also sometimes they messed things up and I’d get a stray piece of laundry from someone else’s load. Not often, but it happened.

I know there were those of you out there who doubted the bond I had with Natalie. You didn’t understand our love, probably because you’re bitter, cynical people who are envious of the connection we have. You were probably ecstatic when she left for Indonesia, thinking that was it for us.
Well, guess who found me on Facebook from the other side of the world? (And yes, she referred to me as «Mr. Peter» in her message, AND asked about my girlfriend.)
Ah, the magic of the Interwebs.
Sadly, I was forced to inform Natalie of how Reliable Laundry is no longer the stellar operation it once was. I suppose you people need to know too.
So here goes: Reliable Laundry is no longer the stellar operation it once was. Still solid, but I have found myself considering other options. I would never have cheated on Natalie, but now that she’s gone, my eye has started to wander.

Reliable Laundromat is awesome. it’s by far the best laundry service i’ve used in my hood. i drop off my laundry in the morning and it’s ready for me to pickup by closing (or next morning if i can’t make it in time). it’s always ready at the stated time, no exceptions. Natalie runs the place and is not only professional and speedy, but is also funny as all hell — a real contrast with some of the other torturous laundromats in the area. i’d only take my laundry somewhere else if this place went out of business or i moved far away.

the woman who works there (natalie) is freaking awesome and she always calls me «Miss Alexandra.» (that’s my legal name.) she is so accommodating; i brought my wool college blanket in once that has to be hung to dry, as well as 2 large bags full of laundry, and she told me to come back later that day — and everything was done. hooray!
an aside: i do have a sneaking suspicion they got a stain on my pillowcase. but i don’t care! this place remembers me and i’ll keep coming back!

I love Natalie! She’s the reason why I keep going back to this place despite the fact that there are two other cleaners that are closer. She always does an amazing job and is reasonably priced.
One time I had something on my shirt that I didn’t know about, she cleaned it 3 times and said the next time I bring it in she’ll make sure it comes out. She did it without me asking nor having to pay for the special treatment.
This is probably my favorite laundry place in the entire city, mostly because Natalie is so nice and that she remembers my name and how I like my laundry.
Highly recommend her.

This place is the best! After getting yelled at several times by the lady at Avenue A Laundromat, I came to Reliable. They will pick up and deliver between 8am and 7pm seven days a week, and I’ve never experienced any mess-​ups or long waiting periods with them. You call, they come, that’s it. You can also request that they keep your credit card on file, and tell them to just charge your laundry over the phone — so you can still do your laundry if you forgot to go to the ATM, as long as you have tip money for the pick=up/delivery people! They are nice and climb lots of stairs carrying your heavy laundry week after week and never complain.
What I like about this place is that they are friendly and accommodating, and if you have stuff that you need hang-​dried that absolutely cannot go in the dryer, they will do it with no complaints — but I think it costs .25 cents per garment. They’ve never messed up my laundry because I’m always writing notes to them and taping them to my laundry bag, and they read them! Go here if you want a hassle-​free laundry experience (and don’t want to get yelled at by the lady at Avenue A)!

One of two woman is garrisoned at the front desk of this place when I come in to drop off my laundry. The younger, plump one is helpful, friendly, and kind. The older, wizened one is mean and penny-​pinching. I’ve only brought laundry here a couple of times, but they’ve managed to make a number of mistakes (like staining my favorite shirt somehow!). When the older woman is there, I’ve always had to pay twice.
So I don’t quite know what to do. I’m considering peering in the door on laundry day and moving right along if the crone is manning the desk. I’d stop going entirely, but it’s cheaper than the other laundromat on B & 4^th, and it’s got free delivery. And I really enjoy my smiley, linguistically-​incompatible conversations with the cheerful lady when she’s in charge! Poop.

Open 7:30−7pm most days, 7:30−5pm Sundays, this doesn’t really satisfy my craving for midnight laundry, but is stellar in all other respects. There are always a ton of available machines of all sizes, everything is kept up in good repair, and the changer takes twenties. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah — although I’m sure they make all their money with the free pickup and delivery laundry service they offer, they never act like the people using the self-​serve machines are getting in their way or wasting their time. They seem to treat all customers with an equal amount of respect.