Before dry cleaning, clothing was washed by dressing up a phalanx of backyard laundry scarecrows just before thunderstorms. Today's Groupon lets you do away with sopping straw men and clean your clothes the new-fashioned way—with science. For $15, you get $30 worth of mobile dry-cleaning and laundry services from PurpleTie based in Redwood City. Click here for PurpleTie’s service area.

PurpleTie bathes and repairs body sheaths with a laundry list of environmentally friendly services with the option of pick-up and delivery from the home or office. The accommodating staff dry cleans dirt, grime, and stains from physique trimmings such as jackets ($6.99 home/$5.99 work), sweaters ($5.99/$5.49), and dresses ($9.99/$8.99). Tricky materials such as silk, leather, and stardust also receive deft and delicate treatment. Conventional laundry services are available for pieces such as hung cotton shirts ($2.19/$1.99) and jeans ($5.99/$5.49), as well as mending and alteration for shoddy shoes, distressed purses, and even eyeglasses in need of a tune-up.

PurpleTie’s cleaning services incorporate several eco-friendly techniques, including the use of a carbon-neutral delivery fleet, reusable laundry bags, and a 100% perchloroethylene-free dry-cleaning method. Mother Nature–inspired practices such as these allow the purifying process to run carbon neutrally, like commuting to work in a Radio Flyer wagon.