Brite Way Cleaners (Closed)
Belleville, IL|
Photo courtesy Dennis Dixson

This Holiday Inn looking sign belongs to the Brite Way Cleaners. This Belleville, IL treasure is still very eye-catching off the roadside. You almost expect to see "Holiday Inn" across the top of this sign. With its soaring boomerang shape, starburst detail, and unmistakable mid-century styling, it's the kind of roadside landmark that's hard to ignore. The Brite Way Cleaners certainly knew how to get the attention of passing motorists. 10-05

Standing along West Main Street in Belleville, the Brite Way Cleaners was a longtime fixture in the community. The towering sign promised quick service while adding a splash of Googie-era style to an everyday neighborhood business. It's hard to imagine pulling up to drop off your clothes without appreciating that incredible sign overhead.

Sadly, the business has since closed, and time hasn't been kind to the sign. It still stands, but years of weather have taken their toll. Broken panels, missing pieces, and fading details tell the story of a landmark that's slowly slipping away.

UPDATE: The Brite Way Cleaners is closed, but its iconic roadside sign still stands. Although heavily weathered and damaged, it's one of the more recognizable surviving mid-century cleaner signs in southern Illinois. 07-26

Shea's Cleaners (Gone)
La Salle, IL
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

They sure don't make arrows like this anymore. Packed with rows of little light bulbs and pointing customers toward the front door, this marquee was impossible to miss. The Shea's Cleaners sign was the kind of roadside advertising that turned an ordinary neighborhood business into something worth slowing down for. 03-06

For years, the Shea's Cleaners served the La Salle community from its downtown location. While the dry cleaning was what brought customers in, it's the wonderful marquee that catches my attention today. It's a throwback to an era when businesses weren't afraid to add a little fun and creativity to their signs.

The oversized arrow gave the marquee plenty of personality. You can almost imagine the bulbs chasing one another toward the entrance, inviting motorists to pull in. It's details like that which make old roadside signs so much more interesting than the plastic boxes that have replaced them.

Sadly, the cleaners closed in the mid-1990s, and the sign eventually disappeared as well. Whether it was saved or scrapped is anyone's guess, but it's another reminder of how quickly these unique landmarks can vanish.

UPDATE: Shea's Cleaners closed in 1996, and the distinctive marquee has since been removed. Its current whereabouts are unknown. 07-26

Pierce Cleaners (Closed)
Columbus, OH
Photo courtesy Sol Bermann

There's something comforting about an old neighborhood business that's been serving the same community for generations. Standing along North High Street, the vintage sign was impossible to miss, and if you drove by often, you probably looked up to see what message was on the marquee that day. The Pierce Cleaners wasn't just known for cleaning clothes—it became part of the neighborhood. 04-06

Founded in 1946 by two World War II veterans, the Pierce Cleaners spent nearly eight decades serving Columbus. Over the years, its roadside sign became just as famous as the business itself, displaying jokes, inspirational sayings, holiday greetings, and other messages that gave commuters a reason to smile on their daily drive.

Like many neighborhood cleaners, changing times eventually caught up with the business. Remote work, changing fashions, and the lasting effects of the pandemic reshaped the dry-cleaning industry, and after nearly 80 years, the original Pierce Cleaners storefront closed in 2025.

Fortunately, the story may not be over. Although the original location is closed, new owners have expressed their desire to keep the Pierce Cleaners name alive, either at the same location or somewhere else. The familiar roadside sign still stands, but its once-active marquee now sits blank—a quiet reminder of one of Columbus' longtime roadside landmarks.

UPDATE: The original Pierce Cleaners storefront closed in 2025 after nearly eight decades in business. The iconic roadside sign still stands with a blank marquee, and the new owners hope to eventually bring the Pierce Cleaners name back in a future location. 07-26

Arnold Cleaners
Oak Park, MI
Photo courtesy Rick McOmber

Sometimes it's the simplest details that catch your eye. In this case, it's the bold lettering stretched across the front of the building. You don't need a giant neon sign or towering marquee when the architecture does the advertising. The Arnold Cleaners has been doing just that for decades. 06-06

Located along Coolidge Highway, the Arnold Cleaners is one of those neighborhood businesses that has quietly stood the test of time. While many old dry cleaners have disappeared or been remodeled, this one still holds onto the character that first caught my attention.

The lettering is what makes the building special. Clean, simple, and unmistakably mid-century, it's a reminder that sometimes the best signs are built right into the architecture. The building has seen a few updates over the years, including a colorful mural, but those classic letters are still there welcoming customers.

UPDATE: The Arnold Cleaners remains open in Oak Park, and its vintage storefront lettering continues to survive alongside more recent exterior updates. 07-26

Birmingham Cleaners (Gone)
Birmingham, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Some neighborhood businesses just have a look that tells you they've been around for a long time. The classic marquee, simple storefront, and location along busy Woodward Avenue gave this place plenty of roadside appeal. The Birmingham Cleaners looked like the kind of business generations of customers had come to rely on. 06-09

For more than 40 years, the Birmingham Cleaners served the community from this highly visible corner. The marquee remained in great shape and gave the building a timeless look that fit right in with the era when neighborhood cleaners were found on nearly every main street.

Today, that scene has changed. The old building has been replaced by newer retail development, and the vintage marquee has disappeared along with it. Whether the sign was saved or simply scrapped remains a mystery. It's another reminder of how quickly familiar roadside landmarks can vanish. Fortunately, photos like this preserve a little piece of what once stood along Woodward Avenue.

UPDATE: The Birmingham Cleaners is gone, and the original building has been replaced by newer retail uses. The vintage marquee has been removed, and its fate is unknown. 07-26

La Grange Park Cleaners (Rem.)
La Grange Park, IL
Photo courtesy Bruce Cassi

There's something about an old faded sign that makes you wonder how many people have driven past it over the years. Weathered by decades of sun and seasons, this one still manages to catch your eye along the road. The La Grange Park Cleaners may not be as bright as it once was, but it still has plenty of character. 06-09

Located on 31st Street, the La Grange Park Cleaners is one of those neighborhood businesses that's simply become part of the landscape. The building has the look of a classic one-hour cleaner from the days when dropping off a week's worth of shirts was just another stop on the way home.

The faded sign is really what gives the place its personality. Every weathered letter and sun-bleached panel tells the story of a business that's spent decades greeting passing motorists. Sometimes a sign doesn't have to be perfectly restored to be worth appreciating.

Best of all, the cleaner is still in business. While many vintage neighborhood cleaners have disappeared, the La Grange Park Cleaners continues serving the community, and that old roadside sign is still out front doing exactly what it was built to do.

UPDATE: The La Grange Park Cleaners remains open. This is the historic site of the La Grange Park One-Hour Cleaners at a masonry retail building that dates back to 1960. The sign is long gone. 07-26