Boyd Cleaners
Greenville, OH Photo courtesy Alan Culley
That bright yellow arrow is hard to miss. Sweeping beneath the neon lettering, it points motorists right to the front door in classic roadside fashion. The Boyd Cleaners has been catching the attention of passing drivers with this wonderful sign for decades. 06-09
Opened around 1947, the Boyd Cleaners has become a longtime fixture along East Main Street in Greenville. While many neighborhood cleaners have faded into history, Boyd has continued serving the community, adding a 24-hour laundromat alongside its traditional dry-cleaning business.
Best of all, both the business and the sign are still around. More than 75 years after opening, the Boyd Cleaners continues serving Greenville, and its classic neon sign remains one of the city's enduring roadside landmarks.
UPDATE: Boyd Cleaners remains open in Greenville, and its iconic neon sign with the bright yellow arrow continues to welcome customers along East Main Street. 07-26
Norge Cleaners (Gone)
Hobart, IL Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
Norge Cleaners was hard to miss thanks to its famous Norge Ball. Actually, make that two Norge Balls. One stood at each entrance to the parking lot, making this Hobart location one of the most unusual Norge laundry sites around. The colorful spinning globes were designed to resemble soap bubbles, although plenty of people thought they looked more like giant Wonder Bread wrappers. 06-09
Originally part of the Norge Village chain, the laundry later operated as Hobart Village Cleaners before eventually becoming a modern laundromat. While the business changed over the years, those twin globe signs remained the real attraction for anyone who appreciated classic roadside design.
Thankfully, the globes weren't lost. In 2021, both Norge Balls were carefully removed and rescued by a private collector before they could disappear. Although they're no longer standing at the property, it's nice to know they've been preserved instead of ending up in a landfill.
UPDATE: The former Norge Cleaners building continues to operate as a laundromat under a different name. The two iconic Norge Balls were removed in 2021 and are now preserved in a private collection. 07-26
Village Cleaners (Gone)
Hobart, IL Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
Village Cleaners gave roadside travelers another chance to spot one of the famous Norge Balls. Standing out front in great shape, the colorful globe added a splash of mid-century fun to an otherwise ordinary neighborhood cleaner. Like many Norge signs, it was impossible to miss once you knew what you were looking for. 06-09
Unlike many former Norge locations, Village Cleaners has continued operating for years as a full-service dry cleaner. The business has remained a familiar part of downtown Hobart while many similar neighborhood cleaners have disappeared.
Sadly, the vintage Norge globe is no longer there. At some point after this photo was taken, the sign was removed as these iconic roadside globes gradually disappeared from the landscape. Fortunately, many have found their way into the hands of collectors who recognize their place in roadside history.
UPDATE: Village Cleaners continues to operate in downtown Hobart, Indiana, but the classic Norge Ball has been removed. While its current whereabouts are unknown, the business remains a longtime fixture in the community. 07-26
Ranburn Cleaners (Closed)
Gary, IN Photos courtesy Kevin Heggi
Ranburn Cleaners may have been just another neighborhood cleaner, but the Norge Ball out front made it anything but ordinary. Sitting high atop the pole, the colorful globe was designed to grab the attention of passing motorists and became the property's most recognizable feature. Even after years of weather, it still looked right at home. 06-09
Originally operating as a Norge Village laundry, Ranburn served the Gary community for many years before eventually closing its doors. The building has since sat vacant, but one piece of its roadside history has managed to hang on.
While the original business sign below the globe has disappeared, the famous Norge Ball remains standing above the property. At one point, the owner even hoped someone would rescue the vintage sign before it was lost for good.
UPDATE: Ranburn Cleaners is closed and the building remains vacant. The original sign panels are gone, but the iconic Norge Ball still survives atop the pole, making it one of the few remaining examples in the area. 07-26
Glen Park Cleaners (Gone)
Gary, IN Photo courtesy Kevin Heggi
Glen Park Cleaners was another Northwest Indiana cleaner that proudly displayed a classic Norge Ball. Instead of sitting atop a pole, this one was mounted right on the roof, making it an eye-catching landmark for anyone driving along Ridge Road. The colorful globe was a fun reminder of the days when even neighborhood businesses invested in memorable roadside advertising. 06-09
The business served the Gary community for nearly 70 years before closing in 2022. While the building still stands vacant today, the familiar Norge Ball that once crowned the roof has disappeared.
It's always a little disappointing when one of these classic signs vanishes. Unlike some Norge Balls that have been rescued by collectors, the fate of this one remains a mystery.
UPDATE: Glen Park Cleaners closed in 2022, and the building is currently vacant. The roof-mounted Norge Ball has been removed, and its whereabouts are unknown. 07-26
Garden Cleaners (Rem.)
Evergreen Park, IL Photos courtesy Bruce Cassi
You don't see many drive-in cleaners like this anymore. The unique roadside sign and mid-century design are enough to make you take a second look as you pass by. The Garden Cleaners has been a familiar sight along 95th Street for decades, welcoming customers with a style of business that was once found all over America. 06-09
Built during the automobile era, the layout made it easy to pull in, drop off your clothes, and be back on the road in just a few minutes. It was a simple idea, but one that worked well for busy families and commuters. Today, very few neighborhood cleaners are still laid out this way.
The sign was every bit as memorable as the building itself. Standing proudly near the road, it gave Garden Cleaners plenty of personality and helped make it a recognizable landmark for anyone traveling through Evergreen Park. It's the kind of sign that probably became part of the daily routine for locals, but really stood out to those of us who appreciate roadside Americana.
Unfortunately, that sign didn't last. Later in 2009, a powerful windstorm brought it crashing down, destroying one of the area's more distinctive roadside landmarks. It was never rebuilt, and a modern sign eventually took its place.
Garden Cleaners (Rem.)
Evergreen Park, IL Photos courtesy Bruce Cassi
Fortunately, the building is still doing what it was built to do. While the classic roadside sign is gone, Garden Cleaners continues serving customers from the same location, proving that even without its vintage sign, it's still a longtime fixture in the community.
UPDATE: Garden Cleaners remains open in Evergreen Park. The original roadside sign was destroyed in a 2009 windstorm and replaced with a modern sign. 07-26
Clairmount Laundry (Gone)
Berkley, MI Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
There's just something about old neon letters stretched across the front of a neighborhood business. Even if you weren't looking for a dry cleaner, this corner building was enough to catch your eye as you drove down Woodward Avenue. The Clairmount Laundry looked like it had been part of the neighborhood forever. 06-09
The business got its start in Detroit before opening this Berkley location in the early 1960s. For decades, the Clairmount Laundry welcomed customers from its busy corner, with the bright neon lettering becoming just as familiar as the building itself. It's the kind of place that blended into everyday life for the locals but stood out to anyone who appreciates classic roadside architecture.
Like so many neighborhood cleaners, times eventually changed. The Clairmount Laundry closed in 2020 after the pandemic dramatically reduced the demand for dry cleaning, ending a run that had lasted for generations.
Fortunately, the story didn't end there. Rather than being discarded, the vintage neon sign was carefully removed from the building and later offered for sale, giving this wonderful piece of roadside history a chance to survive. Hopefully, it will find a new home where it can once again be appreciated.
UPDATE: The Clairmount Laundry closed in 2020, and the building no longer houses the business. The vintage neon sign has been removed from the façade. 07-26
Boyd Cleaners
Norge Cleaners (Gone)
Village Cleaners (Gone)
Ranburn Cleaners (Closed)
Glen Park Cleaners (Gone)
