Friendly cleaners that do a good job and are reasonably priced. They are near my Walgreens & Staples, so they ate convenient as well.

I took 3 items to get hemmed at the Monitor cleaners by my apartment and wow! I am blown away with how good my items turned out! I was weary about bringing the items anywhere because the fabrics were a little tougher of a job (crochet, linen, and sweater material pieces) and they absolutely killed it! My items look better than when I brought them in! I cannot recommend this place enough!! I'm now ready for my vacation! THANK YOU!!!! read more

Monitor Cleaners - Sweater material pants she took 2in off!! - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Very happy to find a solid source for alterations and dry cleaning in the new neighborhood. I have a favorite jacket, now 20 years old, that I love love love. The zipper got stuck. I took it to Monitor Cleaners and was told, it's not the entire zipper mechanism that broke, it's one part. They replaced the part and cleaned the jacket for under $20.00. I'm thrilled. Thus encouraged, I took my two winter coats to be cleaned. Both had suffered splatters, spills, and the effects of my leaning against places I shouldn't have leaned against. Both coats came back spotless, again for a very reasonable price. Monitor Cleaners is my new favorite neighborhood business. read more

I was hoping this place would be great because they are one of the closer cleaners to me. I actually used them for two services - dry cleaning and alterations. For the dry cleaning they did great - the small spot I got on my dress was gone when I picked it up. That made me breathe a sigh of relief. However, I was really, really disappointed in the alterations. I tried them all on, in the shoes I would wear them in, and I honestly can't see that anything was done with them. The one pair of pants I needed a button moved over and the hem pulled up; I know the button wasn't moved. If she couldn't because it would look stupid (the pants once belonged to someone larger than me who had altered them, and so they were already big for me), I wish she would have said so. Another pair of pants I found still had safety pins in where the buttons are; I'm not sure what she needed to do with the buttons, and maybe people leave safety pins in, but there weren't any in the other clothes. I was really disappointed because I paid for over $50 worth of alterations on three pairs of pants, but I don't know what if anything was actually done. They seem to wear the same way. I won't use them again. read more

Always professional, fast and well done. I've used them for years!Sweaters, coats, work clothes all come out well cleaned and pressed. Staff is super friendly and helpful. Would recommend to anyone! read more

I had an out of town wedding to attend which required three formal dresses. Fancy dresses are kind of my thing and I have a closet full. I pulled three of my top notch selections out of the closet and one backup dress just in case. I tried them all on only to discover to my horror that one of the dresses (which was still new with tags, mind you) had a split seam! This dress was my first choice for the American wedding ceremony and it needed to be fixed ASAP! I called around to various local cleaners and seamstresses and no one could help within the time I needed it fixed. That was until I called Monitor. At 11am I told them the situation and that I had a 5 pm flight, so the sooner the better. They told me to bring it in. I thought I'd be dropping it off, but the wonderful woman by the name of Virginia told me to sit down and wait and she'll fix it right up. Fifteen minutes later she fixed the seam and steamed the dress. The price was so cheap that I tipped her double! I highly recommend Monitor, but try to give them more notice than I did. read more

I was told by one of the women at Monitor that my one star review makes no difference to them. I may be making no difference but I still want to encourage those researching where to bring their wedding dress to keep looking. Don't bring it here. My wedding gown was brought over on March 1st and a deposit was made. The ticket said the dress would be ready by March 5th. I waited until March 23rd to phone Monitor and was told the dress was hanging in the back and it hadn't left for cleaning yet because normally people aren't in a rush to get the dresses back. I wasn't either, but I was immediately irritated that no one communicated honestly with how long they actually hold the gowns before starting the work on it. I told him I wanted the dress cleaned and preserved and that I wanted to pick it up by the end of the month. At that point, the sooner the better. I was beginning to feel really uncomfortable with my choice to use them. I was instructed to return to the store on Thursday, March 28th. I returned Saturday, March 30th. I inspected the dress and was told it would be boxed up that day, ready by close of business that night. We returned on April 1st, the dress still wasn't ready for pickup. We were told it would be boxed and sealed that afternoon and that we could come back for it anytime before 7pm. This was when things got really annoying for me. So I definitely voiced that annoyance, which I still feel badly for but the dress has a lot of sentimental meaning for me. I was offered a discount on the remaining balance, a balance I was happy to pay discount-less. I just can't deal with shops that don't respect their client's time. I know we all share the same 24-hours in a day but no one likes crossing town to run an errand to a cleaners. I chose Monitor based on Yelp reviews but I had no idea I'd have to visit their shop four times to get my dress put an an archival box. I will never, ever recommend Monitor Cleaners to anyone. I know Gown Preservation is sort of a speciality service to find in Chicago but please don't bother with this place. Monitor Cleaners was a giant headache to deal with and created a ton of temporary anxiety and worry. read more

[Background: I must be one of very few brides who needed NO ALTERATIONS on their gown. That said, I still needed a bustle put in to hold the train up during the reception. After reading good reviews about their alterations, I chose Monitor and was not disappointed - thanks Yelpers!] Virginia added the bustle to the train of my wedding dress. In addition to being a really nice person, she did a great job! The bustle looked great, was easy to take up/ put down (several people were capable of completing this task), and held up through hours of square dancing . . . yes, you read that correctly . . square dancing - spinning, stomping and twirling :) I daresay that's more wear & tear than your average bustle requires! Total cost: $20. They also do gown cleaning & preservation - I trusted them with my gown once and they delivered, so I think I'll go with them again! read more

Incredibly disappointed with my most recent experience. I paid $36 in advance for 18 buttons to be replaced on a blazer. Once I got it home, I realized the buttons had not been swapped out. When I brought the blazer back in thinking it was just an innocent mistake, the shop owner accused me of lying and said they had been replaced. Not only did she refuse to take responsibility or admit fault, she did not offer to refund the charge. I have been going to her for almost 1.5 years and I am insulted by her illogical reaction and complete dismissal of the issue. read more

You: "I need a man's suit tailored, but I don't just wanna bring it to some dry cleaner. I need someone who's gonna make me look like a baller. You know, a player. A pimp. A Clooney." Me: "Stop talking. Seriously. I've got one name for you. Are you ready? VIRGINIA. Take your suit posthaste to Virginia at Monitor Cleaners. She is a sartorial wizard, the Miles Davis of tailoring." Me: "She immediately sized up a suit that I'd had custom made and pointed out several ways to tweak it--and she was right. She even undercharged me for letting out the trousers' legs where they were too narrow." Still me: "I plan on bringing alterations there from now on. So with the whole 'Dry cleaner tailors aren't real tailors' thing? Just don't." ***NOTE: Virginia is not in every day of the week, so call ahead. read more

This review is for the tailoring services, not the dry cleaning services. (Though they seem to do quite a bit of business in that department from the looks of things.) So, I bought a tuxedo and needed to have it tailored to exactly fit me. Nothing major - bring the sleeves out a quarter inch, and bring the jacket and shirts in around the midsection so they fits me and not the biggest guy with my shoulders. From previous experience this usually takes a week or two for the tailor to do. I needed it in a little over 2 weeks, so when I called Monitor to see how quickly it could be done they said bring it in and we can do it in 1 hour. 1 hour!! That is crazy. I have never seen a place with such fast services. When I told them I just needed it by then end of the week they said that was fine too. When ever I wanted to pick it up that is when it would be ready. Great!! The tailor is only there on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, so I would recommend calling before you bring things in. However, the work he did was excellent. The next time I need tailoring I know the first place I will look. read more

re: my original post, I know what more you could want: 10% off for frequent visits! Make sure to get their frequent visit discount card thing. For every $5 you spend, you get a hole punched. Then, after $50 spent, it is a $5 coupon. I've also had a few things altered there. They do a great job and it is very well priced. read more

I don't have much experience for alterators and seamstresses to this point, but the level of satisfaction I had with Monitor was off the charts. The tailor is there Tuesday and Thursday and it's amazing the amount of work she gets done! I brought in a bridesmaid dress that needed all kinds of alterations - it needed to be taken in, taken up, the bust needed to be taken in. She had it done for me within a week and even though I didn't feel like trying it on when I picked it up, she told me that if I needed anything else done, to bring it in the next day she was working (Tuesday) and she would whip something together. Fabulous service at a reasonable price. She does get busy, and although she's very much like a superhero with her skills, I would get your garments to her in a reasonable time frame. LOVE IT! read more

I used Monitor's tailoring services to have a dress hemmed for my wedding. I was so surprised at how fast the service was. I brought in the dress at around 11:30 on a Saturday and it was ready by 3pm the same day. The price was reasonable especially for the quick service! I'll definately be using their services again! read more

Excellent cleaners. Moved my biz here after being disappointed with another local place. They do good work. Prices seem fair. Work is done on-time. read more

Great place for dry cleaning and tailoring! I believe it's family owned. The people are friendly and will go out of their way to get things done sooner. I usually use the tailor lady that works on Tuesdays and Thursdays to get dress shirts and pants tailored with darts and a slim fit. She always makes the right adjustments. read more

I took the el up to Uptown from the city....because of the stellar reviews and am so glad I did. I'm going out of town and needed my jeans hemmed the same day. The staff were so friendly and did a great job. And get this, was $20 less than doing it in the city. I would highly recommend Monitor One Hour Cleaners. read more

First time customers can unlock a 10% off deal of $25 or more. There is a Frequent Visitor card, that every time you spend $ on dry cleaning in increments of $5 you get a punch, on a card. Once you spend $60 total you get $5 off. They do a really good job on dry cleaning and they are reasonably priced. They have removed impossible food/oil/butter stains on my clothing, as well as clean hard to clean items like my down jacket. The owner is really nice! read more

Been here so many times I can't even count. I've had everything dry cleaned - silks, dress pants, winter coats, sweaters, etc - here, and they've never done a bad job! Prices are reasonable, and I love their frequent customer punchcard. Tailoring is amazing. She's normally there all day Saturday and then one other day during the week, but be sure to call first! The tailoring is expensive but amazingly done. They also have a really quick turnaround time for pickup. Only complaint: they use pins on skirts - and, this last time, through the back of a really expensive jacket. Not a big deal for most fabrics, but my silk skirts didn't take it too well. Be sure to ask for no pins and they will accomodate! read more

They don't know modern fabrics! Pants faded and shrunk. I dropped off two pairs of pants to Monitor for dry cleaning after they did a decent job on a couple of basic hems to some other items. Prior to this, I used another local dry cleaner. I wish I never switched. Monitor "cleaned" my pants on two occasions. The second time I took the pants in was a disaster. They misread the fabric care label and solvent streaks were all over the pants. I took them back. They re-did the job THE SAME EXACT WAY....solvent/oily streaks all over the pants..The third time they had to soak the pants for days to get the solvent out. The result...no solvent, BUT pants are a faded and a little shrunken. They stink of scented starch and there is a permanent front crease mark from all of the harsh ironing. These are $100 dress pants. It's inexcusable that they didn't read the label and were unfamiliar with the fabric. This is supposed to be their specialty - dry cleaning clothes. If you can't risk your clothes getting ruined or can't easily afford to repurchase $100 pants, I suggest you don't roll the dice here. read more

The first time I went to Monitor for tailoring was for a long silk yellow gown for a formal wedding. The invisible zipper was delicate and brittle and broken off. Regine (spelling?) ordered a special yellow zipper that fit the exact color and size needed and it was like nothing ever happened. The 2nd major tailoring job was for my WEDDING dress and Regine hit it out of the park. The dress was lace and delicate, and like most wedding dresses seemingly, made for super skinny tall models. Her dexterity saved the seamlessness of the design so you couldn't see at all how much was altered- it looked like it was made to fit me, and it was, w Regine's talent. I'm very very grateful I trusted her w my wedding dress and will certainly be returning. read more

Monitor Cleaners - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I go here for all my dry cleaning, and have always been happy with the results. The area where they really shine is alterations. I've taken a few suits there and the work is always perfect, at a great price. read more

Still waiting to see how the tailoring turns out, but I wanted to report on my experience today so folks would know a few more details. First, the service today was very friendly. We walked as we live nearby, but all of the construction makes it difficult to figure out where the entrance to the store is. There are two entrances: one for formal wear and one for tailoring and drycleaning. We entered in the wrong door, but they let us walk through the back to get onto the right side of the store. The seamstress is actually only in three days a week (Tues, Thurs, and Sat) from around 12 noon to 6 pm. If you're having more complicated alterations done, you need to come in during that time. Fortunately, I was only having some simple hemming done, so another woman in the store was able to pin my items for me. No quick turnaround for me--over a week. But of course, if other reviews hadn't set up expectations for fast turnaround, I'd be perfectly satisfied with this, and I didn't ask for express service. The prices were reasonable--especially since I recently moved from DC, where alterations, even at a local dry cleaner, were typically very, very expensive. I'll report back once I see results! read more

Have been taking my dry cleaning here for months and they do a great job. All the work is done onsite so it's not a drop store. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. It's family owned too!! Never had any problems and my clothes come out great. They do a great job on getting stains out!! read more

Monitor Cleaners - Exterior photo - Sewing & Alterations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really want to like this place b/c I live so close and they have long hours, but my first experience with Monitor Cleaners was just OK. I went to have 2 silk pillow cases cleaned. The older man who helped me out said they would try their best, but since it was silk it's harder to clean. He mentioned that the cleaner might take some of the sheen off the case where the stain was. I appreciated his honesty about the sheen and told him to go ahead b/c the stain was on the bottom and wouldn't be noticeable. Picked up thes cases a few days later and before I even looked at the cases, I noticed there was grease all along the side of the bag. Must have been from the dry cleaning rail system, but that grease got all over my hands and what if I hadn't noticed? I could have gotten that all over my pillow cases. Anyway, I look at the cases and notice one of the stains is still visable. I thought maybe they missed the stain, but it's a large stain. So I took it back and explained that I wanted them to clean it again. Fast forward a few days later and when I get the cases back a 2nd time the stain is still on there. This time I was actually given an explanation from one employee as to why they couldn't get the stain out. Unlike the first time where I was given the covers and there was no note about not being able to get the stain out. My boyfriend needs to get his suit cleaned so I'll update this when that happens! read more

Monitor is a fantastic dry-cleaner-- same day service and $5/ dress? Yes, please! Also, they are organized and reliable-- no lost items, no damage, and they discount my knit dresses a little bit because they're easier to clean. Beyond all of this the tailor and staff at Monitor are great with vintage. They not only admire some of my favorite pieces when I bring them in, but treat them with the love and care that makes them keep looking amazing despite having 50 + years of wear-time on them. Recently, I had an amazing 1950's wool dress lined, and the neckline adjusted. The alteration took 3 days and is completely flawless. Lining is a really expensive alteration to have done because the fabric is expensive and the tailor basically has to de and then re-construct a lot of the garment to line well. Other lining jobs elsewhere have been lumpy, or made what were once lovely flat seams into ones that stand out from the surface of the fabric. Not so with my Monitor-tailored dress! The neckline adjustment could be called seamless. You would never guess that an alteration had been made. In sum, the whole alteration (lining and neckline) was $55 including the fabric for the lining. Not bad, especially since I dug the dress up at an estate sale for $10. And, I consider the ten minute chat I had with the tailor (who's english is not so great) about fabric, and vintage garments a huge bonus. He was excited about the dress, speculating on the year, the origin of the fabric, whether it was a particularly good home-made piece or a mass-produced one (it is tagless)...I was very pleased to have the person making my dress more wearable be someone who also has a love and appreciation of vintage clothes. I highly recommend Monitor as a neighborhood cleaner...But, the real gem of this spot is the tailoring service. A good tailor is hard to find. I'm so happy to have this one! read more

This is a first class, family-run business. They're polite, knowlegeable, flexible, engaging and very reliable. If you need something altered, call ahead and make sure you take it to Virginia. She altered a bridesmaids dress for me, and knew exactly what she was doing from the moment I put the dress in her hands. I can't recommend Monitor highly enough. read more

I listened to my fellow Yelpers and went to get a difficult dress altered at Monitor and I am extremely happy with the results! I was so worried about this dress because it's vintage-ish black cotton with black lace overlay, not an easy assignment for even the most skilled tailor. I just tried it on this morning and it looks fantastic! The tailor did a wonderful job. I am so excited to wear the dress to my friend's wedding this Saturday! read more

Awesome. Went in with a dress that had a stain and the owner gave me suggestions for how to clean it because he explained that if he tried to do anything he would run the risk of ruining it. In his opinion, the stain was old and would not come out without destroying the fabric. He was right. It did not come out, but he let me use some pencils he has for fabric stain covering magic, for no charge. An honest owner who will go above and beyond for someone...so what could I do? I asked him to press it for me so at least I was a paying customer and it looks great. HIghly recommend. read more

My update for Monitor: I went there and showed the seamstress who worked on my suit why I was not happy about the work she performed. She ( Virginia) did not acknowledge how bad the suit looked and kept giving excuses and actually started to argue with me. Me and my girlfriend calmly described what was wrong with the alterations.What s he wrote on her ticket alteration instructions that clearly were not followed, when we pointed this out she even started to argue with us about the instructions she left herself! I Told her this was a 700$ suit and she even argued that telling me it was only a 500$ even though the tag says 695$ on the pants. Virginia was very unpleasant to deal with. Even after the staff agreed to give me the refund Virginia keep shouting things like " you just do not want to pay for my work" and some other snarky remarks. The rest of the staff was pleasant and very professional, they gave me a refund. read more

I got two pairs of pants hemmed here on Thursday and they were able to have them done by Saturday at 3pm. And It was only $10 per pair! Very satisfied. read more

I was frantic! My boyfriend needed to get his suit dry cleaned before 1pm the next day for a job interview. I called a few places and they told me they would have it by 5pm the next day. sigh! I looked in yelp and found this place and called. Success they can have his suit ready by noon the next day! We drove over to Clark and Wilson and dropped off the suit. Sure enough noon the next day his suit was cleaned and pressed! Thank you Monitor for keeping to your word and not charging us an arm and a leg! We will be back! =D read more

This place is GREAT for alterations. I got a new little black dress last year and took it here to have it hemmed. The woman who does the alterations suggested that she could take it in a bit on the sides, too, to make it a little more body-hugging. The end result was FANTASTIC - the dress now fits my body perfectly and flatters from every angle. Perfect for date night. The price was reasonable, considering she basically re-did the whole dress! For alterations like that they price on a case-by-case basis, so just go in and ask. You won't regret getting your clothes altered here! read more

I have been going to Monitors for 5 years. Mr. Rayan and Fay are the owners. They are very professional and kind. They are hard workers and care about their customers. Their work is exceptional and quality of work is great! I highly recommend! read more

I would have to say that I HIGHLY disagree with the comments listed above (Aesha) I have used Monitor cleaners for years and never had a problem with them. Besides 50 dollars is actually a pretty low price for 3 pairs of pants. I guess she should have tried them on BEFORE she left the store and given them a chance to correct the mistake (if in fact there was one). Another thing I wanted to add about the bride below who complained about her not using a measuring tape, you dont use measuring tapes during fittings. HELLO. I took a jacket to be refitted for a last minute job interview. It was a size 0, I however am not! Not only was Virginia courteous and professional, the jacket was PERFECT!!! Honestly I didn't think I had much hope, but I was pleasantly surprised. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! read more

This cleaners has its s*it together, period. They take cards, have same day service, and aren't that expensive. Plus, they are friendly and have a regular tailor. read more

This is the only place I've ever gone to get my many, many whackadoo bridesmaids dresses altered to fit my actual-human body. They have always been kind, efficient, and done a great job for a good price. I will be back, this summer, two times. Hopefully soon my friends will stop getting married. read more

I dropped off my beautiful & cherished wedding dress to these guys last week to be cleaned & preserved. I was almost in tears as the lady encouraged me that they'd give me a call & to 'give us a few weeks'. That's why I was genuinely surprised when I got a call just a few days later saying my dress was cleaned & ready for inspection before they box it up. I walked in and it was gorgeous. The hem was filthy before but is now pristine. I was in awe of how flawlessly clean they got it! The man then said it should be ready to go in about a week. All the staff are friendly & I even stayed an extra few minutes to talk to them. PLUS what they charge to clean & preserve a dress is a LOT lower than what I had researched online. read more

Did a very nice job on the dry clean only faux fur blankets from pottery barn. Not really exciting, but they did a fine job. CD one price would not take the blankets at all, not their thing. Nice to know where I can get them done. read more

Fair prices (cheaper than other places in the neighborhood) and they got all stains out of my silk blouses. Just wish they took a credit card for under $10 charges but I understand it's tough for smaller business. Noticed their sign mentions "eco" cleaning but I forgot to ask what that exactly entails (it would be a bonus if they're actually environmentally friendly). Will definitely be back for my dry cleaning needs! read more