Our Legacy

For more than 100 years, the Shelton Family has cared for customers’ most precious garments, offering outstanding customer service and quality cleaning at a low, affordable price. Our family’s story starts in the late 1890s, when family patriarch John W. Shelton, Sr. worked at the family’s White Star Laundry in Oklahoma, offering garment and textile care to the local working community at a fair price. In the 1910s, John decided to move the family business to Tucson, Arizona, where he purchased Unit Laundry. Under John’s leadership, the business flourished. Customers loved John’s commitment to quality, professional service and affordable pricing. By 1950, Unit Laundry had earned a reputation for having one of the largest and most modern dry cleaning plants in the country. In the 1950’s, John W. Shelton, Sr. followed the American Dream to California. From San Diego, he and his three children established Bonded Cleaners. A decade later, John W. Shelton Jr. took the business over from his father and siblings, moving the dry cleaning plant to downtown San Diego and opening more than 40 “drop stores” around San Diego County for added customer convenience. But John Jr. wasn’t finished – he listened to customer feedback and pioneered a new, one price option.