The Cleaners Mt. Washington

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, as customers were picking up their clean clothes, an announcement crackled over the intercom: ‘Please be advised that from now on, your shirts will come back with one extra button.’ No one knew why or who had made such a rule. Soon enough, everyone started noticing something strange—shirts came back with buttons in unexpected colors and patterns. A regular customer asked the cleaner’s owner why they did it, but he just shrugged and said, 'Why not? It makes life more interesting.' And ever since then, The Cleaners became known for their quirky sense of style.

2. A delivery driver arrived early one Monday morning with a large box of freshly cleaned uniforms. As he opened the door, he noticed something strange: the clock on the wall seemed to be moving backwards. Curious, he looked around and saw that all the clothes were neatly folded but had an unusual scent—a hint of lavender mixed with citrus. He shrugged it off as just another quirky detail from The Cleaners. Back home, while hanging up the shirts, his reflection in the mirror appeared slightly younger than usual. Shaking his head, he dismissed it as fatigue or imagination. Later that week, when dropping off laundry again, he mentioned it to a neighbor who laughed and said, ‘Oh, they use special scented detergent for our uniforms.’

3. A sign appeared overnight in the window: ‘Cleaners Closed for Mystery Week.’ Curious neighbors peered inside but found only empty racks and a note scrawled on a piece of fabric: ‘We’re taking a break from reality.’ Days passed, and still no one came back. Then one morning, an old delivery driver knocked on the door with a box full of ironed flags. He grinned and said, 'I guess they missed their routine after all.' The neighborhood sighed, shook their heads, and went back to their laundry—except now everyone was talking about who might be behind the mysterious cleaners' sabbatical.

4. Late one night, a delivery driver arriving with fresh laundry noticed something odd—an eerie humming sound seemed to come from inside the building. Curious, he peered through the window and saw only empty shelves and quiet machines. Suddenly, an old poster on the wall caught his eye—a faded image of a cat wearing a bowtie. ‘Cleaners must be closed,’ he thought, but that humming wouldn’t stop. Finally, a voice called out from behind him: “Hey, you! Do you want your shirts pressed or not?” The delivery driver jumped and turned around to see an elderly cleaner, waving cheerfully from the door.