Author: Clare

60 Years of Peters’ Cleaners: A Legacy of Spotless Service

Posted on by Clare

Peterborough, UK – Peters’ Cleaners, a beloved local dry cleaning business, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, marking nearly six decades of providing top-notch dry cleaning and laundry services to the Peterborough and Stamford communities. After winning several awards in recent years, they have now established themselves as the top cleaner in England.

Founded in 1963 by Peter Grist and his sons Peter and Paul, Peters’ Cleaners quickly established a reputation for excellence and has continued to uphold this legacy to this day with exceptional cleaning services and award-winning customer care.

In 2016, Vicky Whiter stepped in to save this cherished dry cleaners. With her eight years of commuting experience in London, saw an opportunity to revitalize the business and make dry cleaning more convenient for the modern consumer. With her passion for innovation, Vicky introduced a network of dry cleaning pods that allow customers to drop off and collect their dry cleaning at a location that is convenient for them, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The pods proved so popular they have just launched a third at Waterside Garden Centre near Bourne.

Thanks to Vicky’s vision and the hard work of Peters’ Cleaners’ loyal customers, skilled staff, and dedicated team, the business is thriving and celebrating 60 years of spotless service. Peters’ Cleaners dedication to customer satisfaction has earnt a loyal following and an impressive 4.8 rating on Trustpilot with over 400 reviews. They take every review seriously and use customer feedback to continuously improve the service, so they can continue to deliver the best clothes cleaning experience in the country. 

“We are proud to have served the Peterborough and Stamford communities for 60 years and look forward to continuing to provide innovative dry cleaning services for many years to come,” says Vicky Whiter, CEO of Peters’ Cleaners.

We launch our new pod near Bourne

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Have a read of our press release for the launch of our new pod near Bourne:

After the success of their two cleaning pods in Peterborough, award-winning dry cleaning company Peters’ Cleaners has announced that a new pod will be launching near Bourne this week.

The fully automated cleaning pod is the result of an existing dry cleaning company in Bourne closing leaving customers requiring an alternative solution and will be located in front of Waterside Garden Centre, off the A15 between Bourne and Market Deeping.

The business, known for its tongue-in-cheek marketing slogans, will provide laundering of day-to-day items such as suits, shirts, dresses and trousers, as well as repairs and alterations of garments at the new pod.

The existing pods in Peterborough have attracted over 761 customers to sign-up to use them and have had more than 500 drop-offs since they launched in June 2022.

Managing director of Peters’ Cleaners, Vicky Whiter, said the pods are a modern approach to a traditional service.

“We have been delighted by the success of our existing pods,” she said.

“Our aim is to always place convenience at the forefront of everything we do, and the new drop-off and collection point near Bourne is simple to use as well as ideally located for both shoppers and those living nearby.

“The pods are unique to us and can be accessed via our app meaning customers can drop off items within seconds – we literally timed it.  

“Sadly, a lot of cleaning companies haven’t survived the last few turbulent years. It made us think about how we could provide a better, more convenient way for people to access specialist cleaning services. The concept of the pods has proven a huge success and we are excited to find out what the people of Bourne will think.”

Available to customers between 9am and 5.30pm Monday to Saturday and between 10am and 4.30pm on Sunday, the new pod will enable customers to drop off and pick up their clothing quickly and easily any day of the week.

“It’s really easy to create an account online or via our free app,” Whiter said.  

“We noticed that our customers were always seeking convenience when it came to dry cleaning but without having to compromise on great quality.

“Our specialist cleaning team has a collective 200 years’ experience within the cleaning and alteration sector ensuring that high standards are consistently met.

“It has also led to a loyal customer base and we have the best Trust Pilot rating of any dry cleaning company in the UK.

“The pod is all about revolutionising a traditional service and focusing on accessibility.”

The pod will use less energy than a traditional shop and doesn’t need to be manned. It is also 85% more cost effective to operate than a shop.

Garments are collected at least once a day preventing the need for additional vehicles that congest the local roads. Peters’ Cleaners is also the only independent cleaner in the area to recycle their water making the service one of the most environmentally conscious in the UK.

Following the launch of the pod in Bourne, Peters’ Cleaners will continue the roll out across the region.

Peters’ Cleaners helping local rising stars get back ‘on pointe’

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With the curtains opening on live performance in Peterborough once more, two dance schools in Cambridgeshire have been given the chance to shine a little brighter with the help of local dry cleaning and laundry specialists at Peters’ Cleaners.

Working with the Hebden School of Dancing in Peterborough and Lincolnshire Youth ballet in Stamford, Peters’ Cleaners has used their 60 years of specialist cleaning knowledge to breathe life back into the delicate costumes of each school’s leading performers.

Having been stored for a long period of time during the pandemic, the costumes, used in competitions and ballet performances, such as Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty required the help of experts to get them stage-ready.

Peters’ Cleaners currently has two innovative dry cleaning and laundry pods based at Serpentine Green shopping centre and Peterborough railway station. They are unique to the company and accessible 24hrs a day.

One weekly visitor to the pods is owner of the Hebden School of Dancing in Peterborough, Chloe Hebden, who said: “I use the pods for my personal laundry and find them so handy, especially because you can access them out of regular shop hours.

“We ordered a load of second-hand costumes for our dancers that are amazing, but were in need of a good clean and some repairs to get them up to performance standard.

“Our solo dancer, Meghan, has a particularly delicate costume, with beading so I couldn’t use my domestic machine to clean it.

“I knew Peters’ Cleaners would get our dancers dazzling on stage and I’m delighted with the end result.”

The team at Peters’ Cleaners has been providing specialist cleaning and alteration services for decades. Their expert knowledge of cleaning and repairing delicate fabrics and embellished items was essential to ensure each costume received the individual level of care it needed.

The most delicate fabrics needed to be cleaned inside net bags to protect them and beaded garments were given spot tests before any cleaning could be carried out to ensure they didn’t melt or break.

The Lincolnshire Youth Ballet is the UK’s newest youth ballet company, launching in 2020.

Speaking about opening her company at the height of the pandemic, owner, Maggie Purr, said: “Cinderella was our first production in August 2021, which we were thrilled to go ahead with after 18 months of uncertainty.

“All of the costumes had sequins, netting and delicate fabrics which needed an expert touch to ensure they were kept in tip top condition.

“After being in storage during the pandemic, they were in need of some TLC to get them back to their best.

“Peters’ Cleaners spruced them up and really did them justice so our dancers looked radiant on stage.”

Managing director of Peters’ Cleaners, Vicky Whiter, is passionate about supporting her local community and understands first-hand the struggle that the pandemic, and current economic crisis, is having on independent businesses and the arts.

Whiter added: “We were really happy to help both of these dance schools by cleaning and repairing their costumes.

“They are both doing amazing things for the talented youngsters we have in Peterborough and Stamford.

“Adorned garments need a specialist touch and our team really enjoyed giving each costume a new lease of life.

“We’re proud to have been supporting our local community for the last 60 years and we look forward to seeing these performers go on to achieve great things.”

WE’VE ONLY GONE AND DONE IT!

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We’ve designed an app that gives you INSTANT access to our pods.

Search ‘Peters’ Cleaners’ in your app store now or click here to download it!

It’s completely free and means you’ll have instant access to our pods from your pocket- no more waiting for a membership card. You’ll be able to access the pods at any time, track when your items are ready for collection and see your loyalty rewards.

The need for an app all came about from listening to our customers. Ultimately, they told us we were loosing their business as they needed our pods then and there at the point of sign up and so, we needed to remove the waiting time to access our services.

To do this we not only needed to create an app but we also had to move to unique QR codes. We had to change the way our pod scanners recognised our customers, now identifying them with a code unique to them, linked through to our internal IT systems. It’s changed the pace of access to our pods and means we can service more customers needs, more quickly.

A welcome addition to pods and here to stay.

Our Latest Interview with POSH

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Vicky Whiter answers questions from Tom Lea (Peterborough United Foundation’s social media and marketing assistant) about Peters’ Cleaners and its involvement with the foundation. Vicky has been the owner of Peters’ Cleaners for 6 years. Peters’ Cleaners has been partnered with the Peterborough United Foundation since the 2020/21 football season started as the official kit cleaners. 

Who are Peters’ Cleaners, how long have you been running and what do you do? 

We are the region’s longest established dry cleaning and laundry service. The company was founded in 1963 and in 2016 I bought it with the objective of making laundry services more accessible to today’s busy customers.

What have you been doing recently and what have you got coming up?  

We have developed two 24/7 automated clothes cleaning pods so customers can access clothes cleaning at any time of the day or night. We have then spent time raising money so that we can refine the service levels we are providing through the pods. We also have two more pods launching locally this summer with plans for the concept to be rolled out nationally after that.

How much has COVID impacted what you do, how have you adapted to it and what are your plans moving forward?

COVID had a massive impact. Revenue dropped by 50%. We shortened our shop opening hours, furloughed staff and kept our customers informed about our COVID changes. A lot of other dry cleaners closed during lockdown and haven’t reopened which then created opportunities for us within this sector. The pods are an innovative way to provide dry cleaning and laundry services 24 hours a day. They fit around when our customers are available, so they aren’t restricted to regular shop opening hours. Plus, they are simple to use and totally contactless.

What do you make of the Posh Foundation and what is your/Peters’ Cleaners involvement with the Foundation? 

We launder the team kits free of charge. The Peterborough United Foundation allows people to achieve their sports goals and build that into a career, but it also balances this with education which is really important for young people.

As we are only a small business it’s great that we can support a local charity. Sport is so close to my heart and has so many benefits including being good for your mental health, helping you to make connections and it’s sociable. The Peterborough United Foundation offers all of those benefits alongside providing children with an education, so they are getting the best start in life.

Why did you want to get involved with the Foundation and what do you want to gain from it/see it happen moving forward?

I got involved when asked how much it would cost to wash the POSH kit. I thought it was a worthwhile cause and decided to offer to wash the kits for free. In return we have also received a lot of support which we massively appreciate. The partnership that we have with the Peterborough United Foundation is one we want to nurture because we’re so passionate about what they do.

To read more about POSH please visit: theposhfoundation.com

Celebrating the return of breakthrough artists with Peters’ Cleaners

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With live events very much back on the agenda, our local business wants to help people clean up their acts in an unexpected way. 

We’re asking 50 local musicians, artists and performers in Peterborough to put themselves forward for a wardrobe freshen up at one of their automated dry cleaning and laundry pods at Serpentine Green Shopping Centre and Peterborough Railway Station.

Who can take part?

Maybe you’re a touring band that doesn’t get a chance to do laundry as often as you’d like – or you have a specialist costume that needs some expert alterations to get it back to its former glory. Whatever your act, and whichever way you perform, we want to help.

How it works

Simply sign up to use the pods here on our website, pop a photo of you performing in with some items that you would like to be cleaned or repaired and we’ll will do the rest – up to a value of £20. Please entitle your photo ‘clean up my act’. 

If you have a great story to tell about the clothing you’re dropping off, or why cleaning up your act will really help, then add that in with your photo. 

Our Managing director, Vicky Whiter, is passionate about her hometown and the people in it and said: 

“Things haven’t been easy for anyone over the last few years. We live in very uncertain times, but we wanted to think of positive ways that we could support independent creatives living in Peterborough and this seemed like a good way to do it.

“The pods are really straightforward to use and we love the idea of people putting photos of themselves performing in with their items so we can get a feel for the variety of creativity we have on our doorstep.

“Anyone that has seen our creative campaigns knows that we like to do things differently. Our latest ‘drop your trousers’ slogan has really caught people’s attention.

“We think it’s about time our local rising stars get back to what they love, with a helping hand from us, and we look forward to seeing the photos and hearing people’s stories.”

If you live in Peterborough and would like to clean up your act then sign up today.

Terms and Conditions

  • Only the first 50 drop-offs will be considered. Any drop-offs after this will be returned or need to be paid for.
  • Please check our pricing before dropping off items. Anything costing more than £20, the difference will need to be paid for.
  • Only drop-offs that include a photo will be considered for this campaign. Please ensure your photo includes the title ‘clean up my act’.
  • By including your photo you are agreeing to us using it for marketing purposes and contacting you to learn more about you.
  • We will retain the photo included in your drop-off. 

40% OFF in February

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This February we are running our biggest offer yet, 40% OFF when you sign up to use the pod.

You can drop laundry, alterations or dry cleaning off at the pod so sign up for a free membership today. You’ll receive your membership cards in the post and then you can use either of our two pods. Theres a few terms and conditions to the offer to be aware of but no catches; it applies to clothes only, up to £40 discount and you’ll need to redeem it before the 1st September 2022.

We hope you’ll join us on our journey to change garment cleaning, one pod at a time!