Family-owned business defies industry trends and challenges by focusing on customer service and innovation.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.—(December 1, 2025)—Despite the dry cleaning industry’s steady decline nationwide, Florida-based Oceanside Cleaners recently opened a third location at 3915 A1A South in St. Augustine, Fla., at the former site of South Beach Cleaners. The company also has storefronts in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach.
“I believe the ticket to our continued success has been our 35-year, unwavering commitment to impeccable quality and customer service,” says Mike Harris, co-owner of Oceanside Cleaners along with his wife Amy, son Mark and daughter Clare. “Our customers know we go out of our way to meet their expectations, so not only are they loyal to us, but they spread the word through five-star reviews that have helped grow our business, year after year.”
Oceanside is a bit of an anomaly in the U.S. dry cleaning and laundry services industry, which shrank from nearly 40,000 private establishments in 2002 to fewer than 28,000 in 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Trends such as “fast fashion,” work-from-home and more casual attire in the workplace have contributed to a decline in consumers’ use of professional dry cleaning. Oceanside has worked to anticipate and adapt to challenges like these, while staying focused on their main selling point: excellent, high-end service for every customer. Early adoption of environmentally safe cleaning — In 2001, Oceanside became one of the first dry cleaners in the U.S. to eliminate harmful cleaning agents. It uses 100% eco-friendly processes, including safer cleaning products, water-conserving equipment, hanger recycling, reusable garment bags and a barcode system rather than paper tickets for tracking customer items. Oceanside has been GreenCouncil Certified since 2013 and took first place in a 2020 international competition for the CINET Global Best Practices Awards.
“We see these steps as a commitment to the health of our employees, who are not exposed to dangerous chemicals,” says Harris. “They are also an investment in our community because we are doing our part to preserve the environment where we live. Our customers appreciate that effort.”
About Oceanside Cleaners
Oceanside Cleaners is a family-owned and operated business that has served Jacksonville, the beaches and St. Augustine for 35 years. Services include dry cleaning, wash and fold, designer garment cleaning, shirt laundering, care of household items and award-winning wedding gown cleaning and preservation.
