On Drycleaning

I've been told that blogs are typically a place to rant. So far I think I've done pretty good at keeping from spewing negativity but I think I'm at the place where I need a moment. Here's why: the exhorbiant cost for drycleaning absolutely kills me! Here's the deal. I took in 3 dress. Sure they were nice dresses but they weren't that dirty or anything. What would you do in a dress to get it that dirty?! I know it's not the same as taking a pair of pants in but I was thinking maybe $30. You know, $10/dress. Seems like a fair assumption, right?

Nope.

Wrong.

I go to pick them up and, after hunting all through the shop for them, which concidentally didn't leave me feeling very confident, the cute little lady comes to the cash register and announces, in her perky little voice, that it would come to $65.00. Are you kidding me? (yes, I really asked that!). She informed me that they'd given me a 10% discount!!! That was kind of them, wasn't it?! Without that "discount" it would have been over $70 to dryclean 3 dresses. Now here's the thing, if I could have washed them on my own I would but I can't. It's those satin bridesmaids dresses that will get you everytime. So other than letting them go without ever washing them, what other options do I have? Seriously, though, what the heck costs $70 + about cleaning those things!? Soap? Electricity...for a month!? They didn't even put them each in their own individual plastic bags...although they did each get their own hanger! I don't understand! If someone could explain to me the deep dark underbelly of the drycleaning world and why the heck it costs so much, I'd be happy.

And just in case you're wondering, I didn't cause a scene in the shop. I politely paid for my bill with my trusty visa card and took my dresses home...and I only grumbled in the car for half the drive! Arg!