Maroney's Cleaners (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

According to an employee, who has been in Phoenix for the last 50 years and works at Maroney's Cleaners, Viacom owns the building and leases it to the Maroney's Cleaners. Word is that Viacom wasn't very good about taking care of the building, and now they are giving Maroney's the boot and will be tearing the building down.

Maroney's has been in business since 1911. Apparently this building was built in the early 50's so the sign must date back to about the same time. The family that owns the Maroney's Cleaners now, bought it in the 50's from the original family.

Maroney's will now be consolidating the business into one location at 32nd Street and Indian School Road (shown below), which was built in the late 50's by the 2nd owners. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info.

Maroney's Cleaners
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

The Maroney’s Cleaners & Laundry sign was a familiar sight at 32nd Street and Indian School Road for generations. Its tall stack of illuminated letters rose above the surrounding shopping center, making the cleaner easy to find from either direction.

The longtime location later featured a double drive-through canopy, allowing customers to drop off clothes without leaving their cars. It was a bit of mid-century convenience long before drive-through service began appearing almost everywhere.

In December 2021, the old shopping center was scheduled for demolition. The Arizona Vintage Sign Coalition stepped in just before the bulldozers arrived and carefully dismantled the large Maroney’s sign one section at a time during the Christmas holidays.

The eight sign sections were moved into storage in Mesa with plans for eventual restoration and display in a regional neon-sign park. The old building was demolished, but at least its most visible landmark escaped.

UPDATE: Maroney’s Cleaners remains in business after relocating within the same Indian School Road intersection. Its historic sign is safely stored for future preservation, while the original shopping-center location is gone. 09-26

Kachina Cleaners
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Check out the sign and building for the Kachina Dry Cleaners, located in Phoenix, AZ. This business is still owned and operated by the original family. According to the son of the original owner who still runs the business, this building was built in 1959. Many thanks to Elgin MacMillan for info.

The family’s laundry history began even earlier. Jim and Bessie “Kiki” Tsantilas, Greek immigrants, entered the cleaning business in Cleveland in 1929 before eventually heading west and opening Kachina Cleaners in Phoenix.

Their son Constantine “Dean” Tsantilas and his wife Stella later operated the shop, followed by a third generation of the family. That adds up to nearly a century of cleaning experience, although not every garment was probably meant to survive that long.

Kachina Cleaners
Phoenix, AZ
Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan

Kachina developed a reputation for handling more difficult items such as leather, suede, fur, and draperies along with the usual shirts, dresses, and suits.

UPDATE: Kachina Cleaners remains open at its longtime Indian School Road location. The family business and its familiar storefront sign continue serving Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood. 09-26