Guides › Home Improvements and Traders › Dry Cleaner Damaged My Clothes
Dry Cleaner Damaged My Clothes
A dry cleaner must carry out its service with reasonable care and skill. If your clothes come back damaged, shrunk or lost, ask the cleaner to put it right or pay you a fair amount. Keep the item, the ticket and the care label as evidence.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Your Rights
Care and Skill
Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015); if not, you can ask for the work to be redone or a price reduction, and go straight to a price reduction if redoing is impossible, takes too long or causes significant inconvenience. source
Price and Timing
If the price was not agreed you only have to pay a reasonable price (s.51), and if no time was agreed the work must be done within a reasonable time (s.52). source
Time Limit for Problems
You have up to 6 years in England, Wales and NI (5 in Scotland) to report problems with services, even if not immediately obvious. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 6 yearsTime limit for legal claims about services6 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; 5 years in Scotland
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Do not wear or wash the item again. Keep the ticket and care label.
Step 2 of 5
Show the cleaner the damage straight away and ask what it will do.
Step 3 of 5
Write with photos and the item's value and age. Our free letter templates can write it for you.
Step 4 of 5
If the cleaner refuses, get advice from Citizens Advice.
Step 5 of 5
A small claim is the last resort.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Citizens Advice Consumer Service (0808 223 1133)
Free advice, template letters and reporting to Trading Standards.
County Court Small Claims
After other routes fail; usually up to 10,000 pounds, within 6 years.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Point out stains, delicate fabrics and the care label when you hand the item in, and get a ticket.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/somethings-gone-wrong-with-a-purchase/complain-about-a-service Checked 13 October 2026
- legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2015/15/section/51 Checked 12 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/cancelling-building-or-decorating-work Checked 12 October 2026
- citizensadvice.org.uk/law-and-courts/legal-system/small-claims/deciding-whether-to-make-a-small-claim Checked 12 October 2026