Dry cleaning and tailoring in Palo Alto

Palo Alto's dress code leans casual, but suits still need pressing before interviews, gowns need hemming before weddings and every June brings a wave of graduation outfits. The city's options for garment care are modest in number. Our business directory lists one standalone dry cleaner, one dedicated alterations shop and a cobbler that has been on California Avenue since 1940. Add the tailoring counters inside the department stores at Stanford Shopping Center and most needs are covered.

This guide describes each business as our directory lists it, with links to the full pages. It also explains what California's dry cleaning rules mean for your clothes and how to plan around busy seasons. Prices change, so we do not print them. Ask for a quote at the counter.

Dry cleaning

Charleston Cleaners at 3900 Middlefield Road in south Palo Alto is the dry cleaner in our directory. Its website also uses the names Charleston Dry Cleaners and Charleston Dry Cleaning. It lists five services:

• Dry cleaning for everyday items such as pants, skirts, jackets, sweaters and blouses.
• Laundry, including shirts pressed by machine or by hand.
• Wash and fold, charged by the pound with a minimum order.
• Alterations for fit.
• Repairs for damaged garments.

The shop opens at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays and closes at 6:30 p.m., so you can drop off on the way to work. Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. It also offers an annual membership that takes a percentage off each visit.

Pickup and delivery

Charleston Cleaners promotes pickup and delivery at times you schedule. Its website says you can also leave bagged items by your door for same-day pickup. That suits people whose hours do not match the shop's. It also helps on a long stay without a car. Call 650-424-1113 to ask whether your street is in the service area. Our South Palo Alto guide covers the neighborhoods around the shop.

The shop says it uses sustainable practices and environmentally safe cleaning solutions as much as possible, though it does not name a specific process. If the method matters for a delicate fabric, ask staff what they use.

What California's rules mean for your clothes

For decades most dry cleaners used a solvent called perchloroethylene, or perc. California treats it as a toxic air contaminant. In 2007 the California Air Resources Board adopted amendments requiring every existing perc dry cleaning machine in the state to be phased out by January 1, 2023, or once each machine reached 15 years of age, whichever came first. The board's 2020 report to the Legislature describes the rule and the grant program that helped cleaners switch.

That program, created under Assembly Bill 998, offered a $10,000 grant to cleaners who replaced perc machines with systems that are non-toxic and do not contribute to smog. According to the board, the only systems that met those criteria were water-based professional wet cleaning and carbon dioxide cleaning. Other cleaners moved to different solvents, such as hydrocarbon systems.

For customers, the practical points are simple:

• Any cleaner operating in California today should not be using perc machines.
• Different processes suit different fabrics. Ask which method a cleaner uses before trusting it with silk, wool tailoring, leather or a beaded gown.
• "Green" and "organic" are marketing words, not regulated labels. Ask what the process actually is.

Alterations and tailoring

The Tailor Maid is a dedicated alterations and tailoring shop upstairs at Stanford Shopping Center, in Suite 675 above J.Jill. Its menu goes well beyond hemming:

• Alterations of all kinds, including catalog, mail order and sale purchases.
• Bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses and tuxedos for the whole wedding party, plus customizing heirloom dresses.
• Restyling garments whose fabric you love but whose style no longer works.
• Copies of a favorite garment in your own fabric, which takes about two weeks and at least two fittings.
• Embroidery and re-weaving.
• Home linens: slipcovers, duvet covers, curtains and resized sheets.

The shop lists a 48-hour standard turnaround and an express service for a 20 percent surcharge. It will also do fittings at your home or office for an extra 20 percent. It is open Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday. Prices are not posted, so call 650-328-8858 or email for an estimate.

Department store and brand tailoring

If you bought something at Stanford Shopping Center, the store may alter it on site. Our directory pages list:

Department store tailors often focus on items bought in the store, so ask whether they accept outside garments and what they charge. Book the fitting when you buy, especially before graduation or the winter holidays. Our Stanford Shopping Center guide covers parking and the layout.

Shoe, bag and leather repair

The Cobblery at 410 California Avenue is a family-owned shoe store and repair shop. It says it has served the Bay Area since 1940 and is now run by its fourth generation. Its repair work covers resoling, bag refinishing, zippers, sewing, patching and custom leather projects on bags, belts and jackets. It lists alterations too. If you cannot get there, it accepts repairs by mail and ships them back by UPS.

The shop is closed on Monday. It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Combine a visit with the cafes and shops on the street, which our California Avenue shopping guide covers.

Timing around busy seasons

Garment care in Palo Alto follows the local calendar. A few periods fill tailors' schedules fast:

1. Stanford commencement in June. Graduates and visiting families need suits pressed and dresses hemmed in the same few weeks. Our commencement weekend guide covers the rest of the planning.
2. Wedding season from late spring through early fall. Bridal alterations usually need two or more fittings. Start early.
3. The winter holidays. Party clothes and coats arrive at once in December.

Whatever the season, tell the counter your deadline when you drop off and ask when the item will be ready. For a rush job, call first to check whether the shop can take it.

Tips for better results

• Point out stains at drop-off and say what caused them if you know. It helps staff choose a treatment.
• Empty pockets and remove pins, brooches and belts.
• Bring the shoes you plan to wear when having trousers or a gown hemmed.
• Keep your ticket. You need it to collect your order.
• Check care labels. Many items marked dry clean can be wet cleaned safely, but some cannot.
• Ask for a written quote on expensive or sentimental pieces before work starts.

When clothes are past saving

Worn-out textiles do not belong in the black garbage cart if they can be reused. Palo Alto's Clean Up Days collect clothing at the curb along with bulky items. GreenWaste sends usable textiles to reuse partners where possible. Our trash and recycling guide explains how to schedule one. Clothing in good condition can also go to local consignment and secondhand shops, listed in our vintage and consignment guide.

Frequently asked questions