A card from Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
Dry Cleaning
Even something as seemingly straightforward as dry cleaning requires step-by-step CPE. This card entails having a bin/bag at home, ensuring the appropriate clothes get into that bin/bag, finding a dry cleaner, knowing when it’s open so you can coordinate drop-off and pickup, and taking off the plastic wrapping before hanging clothes back in the closet. If the mutually agreed-upon MSC is that all clothes come back home, this cardholder is responsible for tracking down their spouse’s favorite shirt when it goes missing or negotiating a refund. (And maybe finding a new dry cleaner, too.)
Holding this card means owning all three
Conception
Certain clothes need to be dry cleaned
Planning
- Researching appropriate dry cleaner for pricing, location and hours
- Setting up account at dry cleaner for payment
- Scheduling pick-up/drop-off or physical pick-up and drop-off in store
- Taking inventory of pieces dropped off
Execution
- Purchasing dry-cleaning bin/or bag and making sure appropriate clothes are in the bin
- Tagging pants/shirts with stains
- Ensuring matching pieces picked up
- Taking off plastic wrapping and placing clothes in closet
Suggested Minimum Standard of Care
Are your dry-cleaned clothes ready and clean when you need them?
A starting point. You and your partner agree the real standard together, and the holder meets it without reminders.
Holding it well
- The holder owns all of it: noticing, planning and doing. No “just tell me what to do.”
- Agree the Minimum Standard of Care together, then let the holder meet it their way.
- Not working? Bring it to the weekly check-in and re-deal it. Don’t take it back mid-week.
Put this card on your table
Deal it, agree its standard, and see who holds what. Free.