Hung out to dry

For a variety of aggravating reasons (which may be fodder for another vent sometime), I can't really do laundry in my building, and because I despise laundromats (which will definitely be fodder for a vent sometime), that leaves me with little choice but to outsource all of my laundry. This may sound luxurious, but let me assure you, the expense is sufficiently obscene to limit total enjoyment of the convenience. The real problem, however, is that sometimes, the wash and fold people and dry cleaners lose things. Often, these are things I enjoyed wearing, which are never to be found when I call. Or, they are socks, which is understandable, and not something I can really call and complain about, but leaves me with too many pairs of mismatched socks! 

The most annoying of all is the story like this one: I call the dry cleaners and am told, no, they don't have the white belt that matches my white jacket. I turn my apartment upside-down to find said white belt, without which the jacket just doesn't work. Then, when I don't find the belt, I call again, just to check, and -- within about 2 seconds -- the belt is located, tagged, and delivered to me. So where was it the first time? On an employee? Used as a headband for someone ironing? I will never know.