Insurance for dry cleaners.

Bailee coverage for customer garments, pollution coverage for solvents, general liability, property, and equipment breakdown for boilers and presses, for plants and drop stores.

What dry cleaners usually carry

General liability, $1M / $2M
Bailee customers coverage
Pollution liability
Property and equipment
Equipment breakdown
Commercial auto, for routes

Watch for these in a dry cleaning policy

Customer garmentsGeneral liability excludes property in your care, and that is every garment on your racks. Bailee customers coverage pays for them after a fire, theft, or other covered loss.
Damage from cleaningMany bailee forms exclude shrinking, fading, or other damage caused by the cleaning process. Ask whether yours covers processing.
SolventsThe pollution exclusion in most general liability policies leaves out spills and vapor from perc and other solvents. A separate pollution policy answers them.
Contamination from years pastSoil and groundwater contamination at a longtime cleaning site can surface decades later. Pollution policies are often claims-made, so the retroactive date matters.
Boilers and pressesA boiler failure stops production without any fire. Equipment breakdown pays the repair and the income you lose while you are down.

What landlords and commercial accounts ask dry cleaners for

Pollution liabilityMany landlords now require it before they lease to a cleaner, with the landlord named.
Additional insuredThe landlord and the property manager, on general liability.
Bailee limitsHotels and uniform accounts may ask what limit applies to their goods in your plant.
Waiver of subrogationCommon in leases, on property and liability.

Questions dry cleaners ask

Straight answers.

The questions we hear most, answered plainly.

What happens when a customer says we ruined their suit?

If your bailee customers coverage includes processing, it can pay for the garment after your deductible. Many cleaners settle small claims at the counter and save the policy for larger losses.

Do I need pollution coverage if I switched away from perc?

Usually yes. Other solvents can still spill, and a new process does not erase contamination left by past operators at your site. Landlords tend to require it either way.