KEEFAUVER DRY CLEANERS

I began using Keefauver's when THE premiere dry cleaners closed their doors permanently and that was Anderson's.  They used to be near the old hospital and were outstanding. But, we're not here to talk about them.   I only have one problem with Keefauver's and that is they are not convenient for me since I live in Smithsburg. It wasn't bad when I worked in Hagerstown but now its WAY out of my way.  I began going to them just because I prefer to go to a shop where they speak English very well and also because I was being overcharged at another location.   It can become very frustrating at times trying to explain things to a clerk that barely knows any English which is one reason I won't use the one in Smithsburg.   Also, compared to the cleaners in Smithsburg,  Keefauver's is MUCH more reasonably priced.  I had used the cleaners in Smithsburg a few times after Anderson's closed but had never taken to them a big "change of seasons: order. It was not unusual when I wore "dress clothes" every day for work that I would have armfuls of clothes to be cleaned at the end of winter.   What fixed me at this other place was when I needed the pants hemmed about 2 inches and the sleeves of this "pant" suit about the same. (I'm short, only 5'2" and even have to have Proportion Short clothes hemmed at times, very frustrating).   I had purchased the suit on sale at a higher end box store like Macy's, etc.,( something like that) on sale but it definitely wasn't a rock bottom, clearance rack, final sale price you'd have at Kmart. (this is important to know)..... This other place actually charged me MORE to hem (simple straight-forward hemming, wasn't lined) two sleeves and two pant legs than it cost me to buy the suit.  I was FURIOUS.  That was back in the early 1990s and I haven't been back in all that time.  That was when I found Keefauver's.  
I've only ever had one or two items in all of the years which they were not able to get the stain out of i and  they informed me right away, didn't try to hide anything and if they don't think they can clean something they tell you right away.  They won't take the item just for the money and then do a lousy job.  They can get very busy at times and aside from the location, which is inconvenient for me  there is only one thing I really wish could be changed and that's getting a vehicle in and out of the place.
They're pretty much right across the road from South High and at times that area can get CRAZY with the traffic that goes through there for the evening "rush hour".  You want to make SURE you park your car in a way that you don't need to back out onto Potomac Street.  The parking lot is small, right along the road and can be very busy at times.  That's the ONLY issue I have with them and I'm pretty sure they have been there long before the road became as busy as it is now.  I've always been very happy with their work, I think the prices they charge are very fair, the counter staff has always been very nice and they're all English speaking people.  You don't need to wonder if your information was understood correctly.  I realize its not really the fault of people who immigrate here that they're difficult to understand, I just wish when they have a business like this they would employ people at the counter and to answer the phone that speak English as their first language.  It just provides for MUCH better customer service.  I've never been sorry I've taken my dry cleaning work to Keefauver's and I have no reason to think I won't deal with them again.  
The only reason I didn't give them an "A" on price is that they are not as economical as it used to be to take a large batch of items to "bulk" dry cleaners.  I was brokenhearted when the state made all the bulk dry cleaners close or else change the way they could do the cleaning which drastically increased the prices.  At that point it wasn't any cheaper to go to the bulk cleaners.  I don't remember details any longer but it had to do with environmental issues of some sort, so they said......
I also didn't give them an "A" on punctuality only because it usually took at least a week for the cleaning to be done which isn't bad, but the days of "next day cleaning" seem to be long gone.  I believe that can happen only in shops where the actual cleaning is happening.  Since most places now send out their cleaning to a centralized off-site location overnight service or hourly service is rare anymore.  Anyone else remember the days of "1-hour cleaners"?  You could drop off laundry, go for your groceries or out to lunch and pick it up on your way back home.  I haven't seen a dry cleaners like that in years.  Long gone too I think are the days when the dry cleaners used to pick up your items from your house and when finished so many days later deliver them back to you.  I remember the "cleaners" coming to collect items when little and I stayed with grandparents who were my babysitters.  The way it worked was if you had items to be collected you had a "sign" or tag of some sort you hung on your porch or on the front of your house on a certain day of the week, the day they were always in your area,  to let them know they should stop.  It was a WONDERFUL system. There is a business idea for an enthusiastic entrepreneur  I KNOW that I would use someone like this to save me from a 20-25 minutes drive each way.