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

You almost expect “Holiday Inn” across the top of the Brite Way Cleaners sign in Belleville, Illinois. Its sweeping shape, starburst detail, and bold lettering gave this neighborhood cleaner the presence of a highway motel. That's quite a welcome for a load of laundry. 10-05

Standing along West Main Street, the marquee reflects the exuberant roadside design of the mid-century years. Businesses used arrows, dramatic curves, and bright lighting to attract customers from moving cars, and Brite Way certainly embraced the idea. The sign became the property's most memorable feature.

UPDATE: Brite Way Cleaners has closed, but the old marquee remains standing. Missing pieces and weathered panels have diminished its appearance, although the original design still catches the eye. Hopefully, this unusual Belleville landmark can find some attention before more of it disappears. 07-26

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

They sure don't make arrows like this every day. Shea's Cleaners in La Salle, Illinois, advertised beneath a marquee packed with little bulbs, pointing customers toward the entrance with considerable roadside enthusiasm. 03-06

The oversized arrow turned an everyday cleaning business into something worth noticing. Rows of bulbs could outline a sign or create the impression of movement, making arrow designs especially effective after dark. Whether customers needed a pressed suit or a freshly cleaned coat, Shea's made finding the front door the easy part.

UPDATE: Shea's Cleaners has closed, and its distinctive marquee has been removed. The reported 1996 closing date hasn't been independently confirmed, and the sign's whereabouts remain unknown. Unfortunately, one of La Salle's more entertaining pieces of commercial advertising is no longer guiding customers inside. 07-26

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

The Pierce Cleaners sign in Columbus, Ohio, gave commuters something to read besides traffic warnings. Its changing jokes, greetings, and observations made the North High Street business a neighborhood landmark, even for people who never dropped off a shirt. 04-06

Established in 1946, Pierce built a long history of garment care at 5205 North High Street. The reader board added a personal touch to the roadside, turning a business sign into an ongoing conversation with passing motorists. New ownership later brought Pierce into the Columbus Dry Cleaning & Laundry Services organization.

UPDATE: The North High Street storefront is listed as temporarily closed, although the Pierce name continues to appear in the owner's service offerings. The familiar sign remains, but a reopening date hasn't been confirmed. Its next message would certainly be worth watching for. 07-26

Arnold Cleaners
Oak Park, MI
Photo courtesy Rick McOmber

Sometimes the lettering is enough. Arnold Cleaners in Oak Park, Michigan, stretches its name across the building in bold letters that make the storefront easy to recognize. No towering pole sign was needed here. 06-06

Located at 22185 Coolidge Highway, the shop has the straightforward appearance of a longtime neighborhood cleaner. The lettering works with the building's horizontal lines, making the facade itself part of the advertisement. Later exterior changes, including colorful artwork, added another layer without entirely erasing the older look.

UPDATE: Arnold Cleaners remains listed at its Coolidge Highway address, and the distinctive storefront lettering survives. The business's founding date hasn't been established, but the building continues to offer a recognizable reminder of the neighborhood shops that helped give this commercial strip its character. 07-26

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

Here's Birmingham Cleaners along Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, Michigan. The old marquee gave the modest storefront a presence that fit right into a corridor once filled with distinctive signs. It was worth a look whether or not you had cleaning to collect. 06-09

The business operated at 33866 Woodward Avenue, serving customers along one of the Detroit area's busiest commercial roads. Its prominent location made the marquee especially useful, catching motorists' attention before they reached the driveway. The sign supplied much of the character that made this otherwise straightforward neighborhood business memorable.

UPDATE: Birmingham Cleaners has closed, and the former property has given way to newer retail uses. The vintage marquee is gone, with no confirmed account of whether it was saved. Another familiar piece of Woodward Avenue's commercial landscape has disappeared. 07-26

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

Here's the weathered sign at La Grange Park Cleaners in La Grange Park, Illinois. The faded lettering still had enough character to catch the eye along 31st Street. Sometimes a little wear makes an old roadside sign even more interesting. 06-09

Known as La Grange Park One-Hour Cleaners, the business operated at 1009 East 31st Street. The name put its chief selling point right up front: quick service for customers fitting another errand into the day. Its low masonry storefront and roadside advertising reflected the convenient neighborhood-cleaner format that became common during the automobile era.

UPDATE: The cleaner continues to be listed at the 31st Street address, but the original roadside sign has been removed. Its fate remains unknown. The familiar business location survives, although the weathered marquee that first caught the camera's attention is gone. 07-26