Dry Cleaning Pickup and Delivery in Boston? What Neptune Laundry Does (and Doesn’t) Clean
If you searched for dry cleaning pickup and delivery in Boston and landed here, here is the straight answer first: Neptune Laundry does not offer dry cleaning, and we do not accept items labeled “dry clean only.” We are a family-owned laundry that has been washing Boston’s clothes since 1999, starting at 489 Saratoga St in East Boston, and what we pick up is wash and fold laundry. This page explains how to tell which of your clothes truly need a dry cleaner, which ones can simply be washed, and how Neptune’s pickup service takes care of the washable part of your wardrobe.
Does Neptune Laundry Offer Dry Cleaning in Boston?
No. Neptune does not dry clean garments and does not take “dry clean only” items in pickup orders or at the counter. Our service is wash and fold: clothes and linens are washed in water, dried and folded. We may also decline items we are not equipped to clean, and we make no promises about silk, cashmere or wool, even when the label does not say dry clean only.
That may sound like a short answer, but it protects you from a real problem. A tailored suit or a structured wool coat that goes through a regular wash can shrink, lose its shape or pucker at the seams, and no laundry can undo that afterward. Being clear up front means your best garments go to a dry cleaner, where they belong, and your everyday laundry still gets done without a trip.
How to Tell What Really Needs a Dry Cleaner
The care label sewn into the side seam or collar is the most reliable guide you have. Manufacturers choose the cleaning method they stand behind, so start there before you sort anything. Our laundry care symbols guide goes deeper, but these are the symbols that matter most for this decision:
- A washtub means the item can be washed in water. Dots inside the tub show the maximum temperature, and lines under it call for a gentler cycle.
- A hand in the washtub means hand wash. Treat these pieces with care and ask before including them in a laundry order.
- A plain circle means professional cleaning. A letter inside it, such as P or F, tells a dry cleaner which solvent to use.
- A circle with an X means do not dry clean.
- The words “dry clean only” mean exactly that. Send the item to a dry cleaner.
When a label is missing or faded, be conservative. These pieces usually belong with a dry cleaner: tailored suits, blazers and sport coats, which have inner canvas or interfacing that can bubble in water; structured wool overcoats; formal and evening wear; anything with beading, sequins or glued trim; items with leather or suede details; and garments made of acetate, many rayons, or silk.
These are usually fine to wash, as long as the label agrees: cotton T-shirts, jeans and chinos, casual button-downs, polyester and nylon activewear, sheets, towels and pillowcases, pajamas, underwear, socks and loungewear, and most cotton sweatshirts. If you are unsure about one item, leave it out. Dropping off a single garment at a dry cleaner later is much easier than fixing something that should never have been washed.
What Neptune’s Pickup Service Handles in Boston
For most people, the washable part of the wardrobe is the large majority of what they wear in a week, and that is the part Neptune’s wash and fold pickup takes off your list. You schedule online, leave your laundry at the door in any bag, and our team picks it up, weighs it, washes, dries and folds it, and brings it back. Orders usually come back the next day, in the same time window as the pickup, and most orders are back within 24 to 48 hours.
Pickup in Boston covers a set list of ZIP codes, mainly the central and harbor-side neighborhoods: East Boston, Charlestown, the North End, Beacon Hill and the West End, downtown, Back Bay, the Seaport, South Boston and Fenway. When you book, you enter your address and the booking page tells you whether it is covered. The full list is on our pickup service area page.
Separate washes for whites, colors, lights and delicates are free on pickup orders, and so are softener, OxiClean and free and clear detergent. Name-brand detergent is $4 and extra packaging is $2. That makes it easy to keep washable delicates, like a polyester blouse or workout gear, apart from heavy towels.
What Boston Laundry Pickup Costs
Pickup is priced by weight. A one-time order is $2.00 per pound with a 19 lb minimum per order, which is $38 at the regular rate. If you turn on “Make Order Recurring” when you book, you get a pickup every two weeks at $1.70 per pound, 15% off the one-time rate. A 25 lb order is $50.00 one-time or $42.50 recurring, and a 40 lb order is $80.00 one-time or $68.00 recurring. Scheduled pickups have no delivery fee. Not sure what your laundry weighs? Our laundry weight chart helps you estimate.
Your card is charged after the order is weighed at the store, so you pay for the actual weight. Comforters, pillows and other bulky items are priced per item on top of the weight of the rest of the order; on a pickup order a twin or full comforter is $25. If plans change, you can reschedule online any time before your pickup window. If no bag is out when the driver arrives, there is a $10 missed-pickup fee. And if something isn’t washed right, tell us within 7 days and we will rewash it free.
A Simple Routine: Dry Cleaner for a Few Pieces, Pickup for the Rest
For many busy Bostonians, the real issue is not dry cleaning at all. A suit and a coat may need a dry cleaner every few weeks, but shirts, gym clothes, sheets and towels pile up every week. Splitting the two keeps both under control: the handful of dry-clean-only pieces go to the cleaner when they need it, and everything washable goes out in a Neptune pickup bag.
Before each pickup, take thirty seconds to empty pockets and pull out anything whose label shows a plain circle or says dry clean only. That small habit protects your best clothes and keeps your laundry order simple.
Neptune Laundry won’t dry clean your suit, but we will happily take the rest of the pile. Check your address, schedule a pickup, and get your evenings back.
Pricing Notice: Rates and prices mentioned in this article are for informational purposes only and reflect service rates at the time of publication (November 2026). Neptune Laundry may update pricing and service terms. For current pricing, contact Neptune Laundry at (617) 608-9854 or visit our contact page.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Neptune Laundry offer dry cleaning pickup in Boston?
No. Neptune Laundry does not offer dry cleaning and does not accept items labeled “dry clean only.” Our pickup service is wash and fold for washable clothes and linens.
How can I tell if a garment needs dry cleaning?
Check the care label. A washtub symbol means it can be washed in water, a plain circle means professional cleaning, and “dry clean only” means it should go to a dry cleaner. Tailored suits, structured wool coats and embellished formal wear usually belong with a dry cleaner.
Can I put silk, cashmere or wool in a Neptune pickup order?
Neptune makes no promises about silk, cashmere or wool and may decline items it is not equipped to clean. If a piece is valuable or its label calls for dry cleaning, take it to a dry cleaner instead.
Which Boston neighborhoods get laundry pickup?
Pickup covers a set list of Boston ZIP codes, including East Boston, Charlestown, the North End, Beacon Hill, downtown, Back Bay, the Seaport, South Boston and Fenway. Enter your address when you book to see if it is covered.
How much does wash and fold pickup cost in Boston?
A one-time pickup is $2.00 per pound with a 19 lb minimum, which is $38. Recurring pickup every two weeks is $1.70 per pound. Scheduled pickups have no delivery fee.
How soon does my laundry come back?
Usually the next day, in the same time window as your pickup. Most orders are back within 24 to 48 hours.
What if something in my order isn’t washed right?
Tell Neptune within 7 days and the item will be rewashed free.
Ready to hand off the washable part of your wardrobe? Schedule a wash and fold pickup online or call Neptune Laundry at (617) 608-9854. Store: 489 Saratoga St, East Boston, MA 02128, open daily 5:30 AM–midnight (last load 10:45 PM). Book online: https://www.neptunelaundry.com/pickup-delivery/
Prefer to drop off in person? Visit Neptune Laundry at 489 Saratoga St in East Boston, where drop-off wash and fold is $1.50 per pound with no minimum, or check your address and schedule a pickup.