About Us

Our family has been in the service and retail business in the Cedar Valley for more than 100 years, so we understand what it takes to earn and keep the trust of customers.

We’ve set basic, fundamental standards for our services at Prestige

1. We provide the finest apparel and fabric cleaning and processing in the Cedar Valley
2. Our customer service is second to none
3. We will never sacrifice customer and employee safety by using poisons and toxic chemicals to clean clothes cheaply.

This last point is very important. We are one of the few dry cleaners in Iowa who refuse to use “perc” under any circumstances. Yes, using perc is an easier way to dry clean apparel, and it is often less expensive than alternatives. But what is less expensive in the short term is often enormously expensive in the long term. Perc is a poison and a known carcinogen. We don’t want it around our employees, our customers or anyone’s children.

We believe single greatest vector for exposing children to perc is the near-universal use of perc in cleaning children and young adults’ band uniforms. Literally hundreds of Iowa kids regularly wear heavy uniforms what have been soaked in a dangerous carcinogenic solvent. Is all the perc later removed? Ask yourself what is in the fumes that waft from freshly dry cleaned band uniforms.

Mission Statement

We have decided that we will no longer use “perc” (perchloroethylene) as a solvent to clean any band uniforms. We decided it was simply too dangerous to continue to expose children (and our workers) to a chemical that “likely causes cancer.” (See, for example, the entry on “perc” at “WebMD” or any of the other, numerous studies on the topic.)

Perc is a phenomenal degreaser and has been the industry standard for many years. Most dry cleaners use it (and will continue to use it) on everything. We now refuse. Perc is just too risky. Children simply should not be put at a higher risk of cancer from wearing band uniforms cleaned in perc.

We have converted our system to use a silicon-based product known as “Solvon K4”, which is a vastly safer biodegradable solvent developed in Europe. It performs as well as perc on all textiles; on some textiles, it cleans better than perc, giving a better result on many colors and patterns.

However, the economics of K4 differ from those of perc. Doing the math, we have decided that the best way to price band uniform cleaning under the new system is to price per set, rather than per piece. We have also decided that, rather than hem and haw over how to price pick up and delivery, we will include all pickup and delivery within 90 miles of our main store in the base price.

Thus, the new price for all band uniforms is $18.00 per set (no matter how many items, including pickup and delivery (either to home or school) anywhere within 90 miles of Charles City, Iowa. Every uniform will be cleaned in the far safer K-4 system, and professionally finished.

We know this is more expensive than it has been in the past, but we believe it is the right thing to do. We will not apologize when it comes to children’s safety or the quality of our service.

-- Prestige Quality Dry Cleaners