They really need to put up proper signs explaining how to use the machines. We tried to add more time to our dryers; one worked with the additional quarters, but the other one didn't. When we asked the owner about it, she just told us to add more money. At that point, we decided not to extend the time and asked for the money back that we had already inserted. She claimed she didn't have the key to pull the money out. What a ridiculous excuse! You don't even have a couple of coins to reimburse us? We gave up on getting our money back, but it feels like highway robbery. Don't go here. read more

Absolutely rude owner. The first machine I put in ate my change. The second one had the change part clogged. When you use your card they charge you ten dollars. I called and she just yelled that there's signs everywhere and hung up on me. There's a tiny sign that says "bank deposit" and has the smallest text explaining that there's a $10 deposit. Better off using Metropolitan Laundry on Brookline street. read more

Pearl Street Laundry - The tiny green sign is what warns you there is a hold on your card - Laundry Services Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

It's a very tiny laundromat with professional machines that totally deep clean your clothes. I first used this laundromat 20 years ago, 2005, and today I realized theyre better than ever. Plus, the owners are so nice, that its happy-making to support them. PS...Their wash, dry and fold service is also excellent! read more

Needed to do several loads of laundry while visiting Cambridge. Owned by a nice and helpful lady, Nicole, Pearl Street Laundry has good equipment and is clean and safe. Credit cards or coins work here. A short walk from Central Square. Nicole also provides laundry service by the pound for folks who want to drop off. read more

If I could make this a minus five, I would. Put quarters in the machine yesterday, it did not register them. I had to take my big load of clothes out of that machine and move it to another. Later I had the same problem with the dryers--they swallowed four quarters, but only registered two of them (ie I put in a dollar's worth of quarters, only got fifty cents worth.) Machines I did finally find that worked were deceptive--quoted a certain price, but then asked you for more money if you wanted the water hot! When I went in today to explain the situation, the woman who was there screamed at me, told me you had to look at counter that was far above my height to see if the quarters had gone in, and walked away when I tried to show her which dryers had problems swallowing quarters and not giving time. She refused to give me the name or the name of her boss, yelled at me not to come back, and called the police(?!) Do not give any of your money to this laundry! read more

Their washing machine ripped my laundry for the second time! The manager said they have nothing to do with it and told me never come back! I have been using the laundry machines here for over two years now. The first time my laundry got ripped was when the management changed. I told that to one of their employees and she only told me there is nothing she can do about it. She also said it is not going to help if I talk to the manager. Ok, since this is the first time this happened over a long time, I won't blame them. The second time was with a new staff. She took all my stuff out of washing machine when I was putting another load into the dryer. She said there are people waiting to use THE washing machine, while there are apparently two others available at that time. I wasn't happy about it because I know how my socks get hidden in the machines sometimes and it is likely to lose one or two without attention. And that happened! Worst of all when I finally started to put that load into the dryer, I found my towel got so dirty. I thought that it came from the towel being dragged on the ground when she took my stuff out. But she insisted that it's coming from being stuck in the washing machine. She didn't want to fix the dirtiness so the manager came to talk to me. The manager said it is what it is unapologetically and put detergent on it and flushed my towel in a dirty sink. In the end I wasn't able to take a picture because he cleared the evidence. The manager handed me that towel with a lot of residual detergent on it, and said he did me a favor by "cleaning it". I asked him if it's possible to wash it with the washing machine to at least get the detergent off. He said, "I already removed the mark so no, nothing more I will do, and just don't come back ever again!" read more

See all

I've been coming to this laundromat for almost three years. In that time, ownership has changed twice I believe. The owners now are great - super reliable hours and service! The owners before this iteration (all due respect) had extremely unpredictable hours and were almost inaccessible, though the actual laundry services were fine (I used both the washer/dryers and the wash/dry/fold service). Over time one tank top of mine was lost but these things happen, I'm lucky it wasn't a favorite clothing item. read more

Was in town on vacation and stopped by here to get my laundry done towards the end of my trip. I dropped off my clothes for wash-and-fold service, and was able to pick them up the same day. I was missing the one pair of long pants I had dropped off, so I contacted them to ask if they had misplaced them. No response. I show up before they close that day and ask them if they had seen them -- they told me it was impossible that they could have lost anything and denied ever seeing the article of clothing in question, and told me to search my hotel room again. That particular pair of pants I had actually debated bringing to the laundromat so I know for sure that it was in the bag when I handed it to them. Not sure what I can do at this point besides warn others. Keep a good inventory w/ photos so at least you can get compensated if they lose something of yours. read more

Decent laundromat. Used the wash/dry/food service last week. The woman was super nice and was kind enough to save a ring of mine she found in a pocket of a jacket. I'm giving three stars though because all of my clothes came back folded, but inside-out. It was odd, like they'd purposefully flipped them inside-out when they had been the correct way out when I dropped them off... It wasn't a huge deal, but for the price ($1.50/lb- [there are cheaper places around]) it would've been really nice not to have to invert all my clothes and fold them again. Kinda defeated the point of doing the service. read more

This place sounds alright for the wash, fluff and fold, but they outsource their dry cleaning and whoever ends up caring for your clothes does not do so diligently. Five tops and a jacket was $38, so it's reasonable but the obvious beer spill (thanks, friends) on the front of a shirt and the elbow dirt on another remained when I got them back. The guy rushed to run my card when I inspected the articles. When pointing out the beer he said to blot it with white vinegar and it should come out. If not, they'd take care of it. I bit my tongue. Dryel and woolite, forever. read more

The key to this place is that they close for a few hours in the evening and then reopen for an hour from 8-9 pm. Yes, brilliant! All business should consider more worker friendly hours like these. I could never make it to the dry cleaner on any sort of a regular basis before because I'd always be in a hurry to get to work in the morning, and they'd be closed when I finally made it home in the p.m. Now, I never have that problem. If only my bank would do the same... They are also friendly, and I feel very neighborhood-y just walking into this place. btw, as a tip to an earlier poster, I've found that most dry cleaners miss spots if you don't point them out when you drop your clothes off and put the stain sticker on them. Gotta be on the lookout! read more

My boyfriend and I have been coming to Pearl Street Laundry for some time now. The reason why this place is even getting 2 stars is because of location - right around the block from our apartment. I don't think we're too picky on our laundry but since we are paying for it, you would expect decent service right? Here is a list of things that have gone wrong: 1) There's always a couple of socks missing - not a big deal. 2) Tank tops misplaced - we actually gained a tank top once - still not a huge deal. 3) Nice CK fitted sheets missing? One wonders how you misplaced a sheet but still didn't burst our bubble. So here is what tickle our wallets a little... Dry cleaning: I know they don't do it in building but we took a shirt back because it had a weird stain on it and wanted to see what they could do for us. We showed the guy at the counter and his response? "What am I supposed to do with this? How do I know you didn't have the stain there before?" Proceeds to grab the shirt from us and give us attitude? Really? We pay them for their services so the LEAST we asked for was courtesy but instead we got attitude. The workers don't value their customers at all. We pay for the service, not attitude. On one positive note; there is one lady who is sweet but all the guys there have a negative attitude when you come in. The point is: Pearl Street SUCKS. We have found a better place on Brookline street called Metropolitan. And for only $0.05/lb more (1.15 instead of 1.10) you get asked if you have allergies to any detergent and have a choice of which brand! Our laundry came back with clothes being separated by rubber bands, ziplock bags and folded well! Go there! You get service with a smile. read more

Pearl Street Laundry does my laundry for me every few weeks... I love them. Their prices recently went up from $1 a pound to $1.10/lb... but it is still totally worth it. Not only do they wash, dry, fold... but they match my socks! The staff are friendly and the turn-around on 33lbs of laundry is remarkable- sometimes it's ready the same day, but it never takes more than a day. I've never had anything lost or damaged in the year that they've been doing my least favorite chore for me. However, I wouldn't bring your dry-cleaning here. I brought a few sweaters last summer and one came back complete misshapen and had a few holes in it. They don't do the drycleaning in house, so you're probably better off looking for a place that actually does their own laundry. Now I just need to find someone who will put my laundry away for me when I bring it home! ;-) read more

It's alright. They recently upped their drop-off rates to $1/pound, but I think that's what most places charge these days. They don't have many machines, but the outdoor patio is nice, and it's a only a block away from the library. My biggest complaint is that their hours are weird: 8am-5pm and then 8pm-9pm. But whatever. My laundry comes back fresh regardless. read more

The thing that really makes this place is the change machine. I rarely have enough quarters saved up to do two loads of laundry, but thanks to the change machine (which accepts $1, $5, $10, and $20 bills) quarters are never a problem. In my entire year of washing my clothes at this place, I only once found it out-of-order. They even have a dispenser there that contains fabric softener, detergent, and Bounce - just in case you forget yours. Every now and then you find a "sick machine" (a picture of a sad-faced washer with a thermometer sticking out of its mouth and a hot water bottle on its head), but they are usually repaired by the time you go back for the next load. The smaller washers take $2.25 a load, while the bigger ones take $3.00 a load. The dryers give you 6 minutes per 25 cents. It's a very "where everybody knows your name" type of place. The guys who work there are pleasant enough, and every now and then you get to eavesdrop on all sorts of interesting conversations. You can put your load into the machines, go for a quick lunch in Central Square, and come back - or you can sit outside on a nice day in one of their chairs and read a book. You can give your load of laundry to the guys to do it for you at $1 a pound, and it's usually ready in 24 hours. I've never used their dry-cleaning service, which they outsource, so I can't really pass judgment on that. The only bad thing I might say about this place is that it's not very spacious, so if there are too many people doing laundry at the same time it could get pretty tight in there. I haven't tried any other laundry places in the neighborhood, but really, I don't feel the need to. Pearl Street Laundry is great. read more

I'm giving Pearl Street Laundry 2 stars today, rather than the NEGATIVE x INFINITE stars I would have given it prior to a week or 2 ago when they hired new staff. Whoever the new (see: Asian) staffers are = HUGE IMPROVEMENT. The staff that's been there for the past year or 2 (ever since the business was sold) were terrible. And the "hours" (there were no specific hours) were confusing/ bad/ non-existent. The place was dirty. Washers & dryers were broken. 1 staffer literally screamed at me and another customer when we were in there doing our laundry one Saturday. Why? Well, because the place was apparently "closed" (despite the front door being wide-open). Everything was the worst. Even with new staff though, I still encountered weirdness about a week ago on Monday, January 15, 2018 at 8:50pm (10 minutes prior to closing), when retrieving clothing I'd put in the dryer 45 minutes earlier. While there had been staff and lights earlier when I'd started the dryer, I was now in the dark & using the light on my phone to retrieve my clothing. Another customer was there doing the same. No staff. No sign on the door with information as to what was going on. Just pitch-black, lights out, door unlocked. And as an additional oddity, no light switch (myself and the other customer spent a good 5 minutes searching the place). Haha... ridiculous. But still: New staff (i.e. in the past couple of weeks) are a major improvement. read more

I stumbled upon Pearl St. Laundry during a couple of long business trips at MIT over Summer '07. I was staying at the nearby Hotel@MIT, and they didn't have any laundering facilities other than the typical hotel service which they contract in---which is EXPENSIVE. They charge $1/lb w/ a 10lb minimum. They wash and fold the clothes. I also had a nasty food stain from a boo boo a waitress made on my lap at Inman Square. Generally, I'd drop my clothes off in the evening and get them first thing in the morning--they were very quick. The staff at the facility were also very very nice & helpful. read more

Pearl street is my go-to place to drop off my dry cleaning. Pros: friendly staff, reliable service (no problems on 2.5 years), free donuts on occasion (yes, donuts), open from 8pm-9pm on weekdays, weekend hours, great neighborhood feel. Cons: no guaranteed 24 hour turnaround (cleaning not done on premises), no tailoring service ( as far as I can tell) The woman who runs the counter is a doll. I love her! read more

I've been going here two years for their wash and fold service. Unfortunately, new ownership fired all of the staff and now hours are very limited, unreliable, and impossible to predict. Sometimes I feel like my clothes are being held hostage because I can never seem to catch them when they're open, and any attempts i make to call or text them are met with radio silence. Really starting to resent this place and don't think I can go here anymore, which is really unfortunate because there aren't any other places within reasonable walking distance that provide the same services. read more

STAY AWAY. This is a fly by night operation. I dropped off my dry cleaning two weeks ago. When I returned to pick up my clothes during the hours they are open according to their website, there were no staff working. It took 5 return visits, 2 emails, and 10 phone calls to track down my clothes before I left town. read more

This place has really suffered under the new ownership and management. So ever going to open again? Update your website!! This place is never open. When it was open, I was yelled at for being there. Apparently they shouldn't have been open. Not my problem. Learn to treat customers with respect and don't waste people's time with your BS hours! read more

This place is AMAZING!!! I brought in a suit jacket covered in red wine stains that had set for 6 months and they worked on it for over two hours and got EVERY stain out AND THEN they only charged me $8.50!!!!! The people who work here are so kind, competent, and diligent. I could not possibly recommend this place enough! Look no further- this is the BEST dry cleaning service you can get! read more

Why in God's name do I keep coming back here? Every time I've gone to Pearl Street, something has gone wrong (like the time it destroyed an entire load because the machine had no cold water...leaving me with a pile of color bled, shrunken, pilled, semi-soapy, burning hot clothes that I will never wear again). The machines hold maybe two pairs of pants and a single sock - but forget the sock. It'll get stuck in the wheel anyway. In the end, you'll have spent 13 dollars on four loads of laundry that really could have been done in one if it weren't for these minuscule machines meant for elves. Unless you want an excuse to buy an entire new wardrobe, don't come here. Take the extra ten minute walk to Metropolitan. read more

This is the best wash and fold place I have ever used in Boston. Its owners are always there and the lady is super nice. I would see her on the street and she would yell out to me: "Hey Steve, you have to lay off those beans! I'm tired of scrubing your skids!" Just kidding, she never once complained about my skids and that is why I love her. read more

Not privileged enough to own your machines at home? Have a dayy off and want to go outside to clean? It's nice to go if you live in the area and do not want to run into anybody that will bother you. You have the option to walk back home between loads knowing your stuff is safe or sit out on the 3 chaired patio on each side to enjoy the shade and passer byers. Magazines and Ads, as required in all Laundromats. They do Drop Off service. The machines are mediocre at best. They recently got some new ones but the cost is $3.00 per load. Ridiculous. The usual ones are $2.50. Use some extra soap (baking soda!) and it'll be fine. It's well kept in there. I've never seen it a mess. It gets crowded on laundry days from both the establishment and neighborhood people but the customers are usually in a good mood and polite. So kids, use those rolling luggage bags an hop on over there. If small and old school does not do it for you, I hear R & D Laundry on Brookline street is hooked up. Check out The Lost Sock on Prospect Street if you live on the other side of Mass. Ave. towards Inman. The place is shady looking but the machines are super loaded with clean. read more

I went here recently to get my winter wool clothing dry cleaning. Prices are ok, pretty comparable to other places in the neighborhood so I went here because it's the closest one to my apt and is open 7 days a week including 8 am - 5 pm and 8 pm - 9 pm. My wool coats were about $10-15 each and jackets and skirts were about $5 each. Evenings and weekends seem to have the same serious-looking man working the counter, days seem to have a friendlier woman. My clothes were ready for pick-up about 48 hours later. read more

I've been living in this city for a while, okay? I've gone to shitty, filthy local laundromats that don't care if the machine eats your quarters. I've gone to the huge laundromat that has a billion machines and nice ladies and carts for everyone. But this place is the only place where you actually feel like you actually live here, that this is a community, and that you are part of it. Best laundromat ever. read more

I was a regular user of their wash and fold service until they lost an expensive, essential shirt of mine a couple months ago. They took my number and promised to contact me whether they found it or not, but never followed up. Honestly, it happens. I could have gotten over the loss if they did not offer money to my roommate, who also lost a few items around the same time. Makes me wonder how they decide who to show decent service to... read more

I dropped my jacket off a week ago. They told me they would call me the following day to let me know if it could be saved (oil stain). They have been closed everyday since and will not reply to my emails. I just want to pick my garment up and take it to a place that will respond to me. read more

This review is only for the Wash & Fold service, which is pretty much all I've ever used. I've been bringing my laundry here for years and they've not once lost or ruined my clothes (ok, maybe a sock or two) or not had my laundry ready when they said it would be. The owners are really friendly, and the fact that they open their service counter for an hour at night (8-9pm) for pickups and dropoffs is awesome since it's about the only time I can get there. I'm without a car for a couple weeks (wait for the Fresh Pond Shell review.. c'mon guys!) and the dirty laundry overfloweth.. so I only find myself wishing they offered home pick up and delivery. I used to live right across the street from this place, so it was the obvious choice. I'm sure there are places a little closer to me now that I'm on the other side of Central Square, but I love this place and they'll keep getting my business. read more

Pearl Street Laundry's strength is in its convenience. Open from 8-9 for pick up on fluff & fold - and they usually get it done in the same day. They do a decent job- but nothing brilliant. It seems reasonably clean, and the customer service ranges from congenial to totally cranky. Their machines are normally in working order, but I find them a bit above the average in price. Also, space is tight and there really isn't anywhere to fold your clothing. One plus- they do have wireless internet and a patio. read more

Clean, professional, and highly communicative. They text you when your clothes are done (with their hours), which both takes the guess work out of pick up timing and is a nice reminder to go get your clothes. They're also happy to wash with alternative detergents (e.g. unscented), and drop off is super easy because they keep you and your preferences on file. I use their wash & fold exclusively for my laundry - have never lost an item. read more

We send out our laundry and dry cleaning to Pearl street and they do a good job. The prices could be beat, yes, but the location is key here. Its right down the street and they have flexible hours for those of us with wacky schedules. I've only ever once had a problem with them- they didn't return a belt to my FAVORITE skirt along with it when I picked up the cleaning- but within a day they had located it and gotten it back to me. Expect severely bipolar customer service. The lady who I think owns the place is sweet as pie and super nice/helpful, while her male colleagues are a bit grumpy... to put it nicely. I'm sure we'll continue to send out our laundry here since they do a good job with the fluff n' fold...but for the expense they could be nicer sometimes. read more

A perfectly reliable place to do laundry in the neighborhood, I have given them my business numerous times now and I have only satisfying things to say. The new management is definitely an increase to their business, the old ones were horrendous. I highly recommend them now as they have changed, give them a try and test it out you won't regret it. read more

This place is gross. Your wash doesn't come out clean and if prior users don't check under the rubber lining where the washer door closes, not only does all your detergent turn into a swamp and just sit there, but you may also find someone else's underwear stuck under the rubber piece as well. Disgusting. read more

I can't speak for their machines or dry cleaning, but their laundry drop-off is awesome. If you bring your clothes in early enough, they'll have everything ready for you the same day (!!) during their handy evening hour, 8-9. $1 a pound isn't that bad, either. It's a bit awkward having someone else do your laundry, but between getting over that & paying a few extra bucks and sitting in a stinky laundromat for hours, it's well worth it. read more

I love this place. My apartment has laundry machines, but my clothes are never as clean as when I take them to Pearl St. My button-down shirts come back on hangers, and everything else is beautifully folded into a clear plastic bag. My roommates and I have been bringing our clothes here for ~8 months, and have not had a single lost item. They'll even wash things other places won't, like the comforter for my queen bed. And when I drop off laundry in the morning it's ready same day. For the quality of their work, $1.25/lb is an absolute bargain. read more

These people will wash, fold & FLUFF your clothes to perfection! Many laundromats, some well-regarded will fail to fluff. It is like now using conditioner. Another startling thing about this laundry is it seems to be quite popular with folks who work at Longwood av. Sometimes I see "missed connections" from the 47 bus stop at Longwood/Brookline. Kindness and a neighborly concern are what differentiate this fine, local concern. read more

Amazing. Absolutely love this laundromat. The dry-cleaning is inexpensive as well and the owners are splendid. =) Not much street parking if you're not an official Cambridge resident. You can park at the garage attached to the library for cheap and get great eats around Central Square. read more

I would give less stars is possible. On their website hours are listed. It expressly warns you to check the website. Even after doing all of that there was no one there to take the laundry. No sign up explaining they weren't there. Just a closed window. That is unacceptable for a reputable business if they were one. read more