How much does Carpet Cleaning cost?

Carpet cleaning cost guide

Perhaps, nothing makes a home so cozy and aesthetically attractive as carpets. They reduce noise, give warmth to your feet, and soften falls, which is especially important with little ones running around. Most homeowners take good care of their carpets. Still, once or twice a year you should have your carpets professionally cleaned: dirt that accumulates in their fibers may negatively reflect on its condition and make the air in the rooms unhealthy to breathe.

Here you will learn about:

• Average carpet cleaning cost and services provided
• Price-related questions
• Information to check
• Other frequently asked questions

Professionals perform a deep cleaning of carpets by employing either dry cleaning or hot water extraction method. Their fees vary depending on the method you choose.

Among other factors that shape the final figure in the bill are the degree to which a carpet’s loops are interwoven, whether a carpet has any hard-to-get-rid-of stains, how many wardrobes and chest-of-drawers you have in the room, and other criteria. On average, expect to pay $180, while the bulk of providers charge $120-$235. The maximum is $360.

Price-related questions

What pricing structures are used by cleaners?

There are two pricing structures you'll encounter:

• For one room
• For one square foot

Flat rate for one room

This structure covers each room in your house or apartment where a carpet has been cleaned. The overall carpet’s area is not important. Note, however, that there can be a cap on a carpet's square footage. Does it exceed a certain size? Pay double. Find about any limitations in advance.

Square footage rate

Normally, cleaners come to your home before they actually perform the work in order to measure the number of square feet the object of cleaning occupies. The larger your house/apartment is, the more dollars you can keep in your pocket. Here are some estimates:

• Up to 410 square feet: $90 - $140
• Up to 1550 square feet: $250 - $310
• Up to 3050 square feet: $420 - $580

Note that materials and work are already incorporated into the fee. Professionals must also guarantee you quality and should abide to the acceptable cleanliness standards.

What are the principal carpet cleaning methods and how much do they cost?

Hot water extraction

Many, if not all, carpet manufacturing companies will consider the warranty invalid if their carpet has been made clean by a different method. That’s the reason why this technique enjoys such a great popularity. Steam cleaning - another name for hot water extraction - works like this:

• 1. Very hot water mixed with chemicals is injected under high pressure into the fabric in order to make unwanted substances leave the places where they settled in.
• 2. A special machine (electric or mechanic) with a rotating or vibrating brush starts moving all across the carpet, breaking unwanted substances inside the carpet.
• 3. The resulting mixture is extracted by suction.
• 4. The carpet is cleaned with a cleaning substance.
• 5. Forget about your carpet for a day: it must dry completely before you can use it again.

This method is costlier than others since it's more time and labor-consuming. Here are approximate steam cleaning fees based on the square footage rate:

• Home from 900 to 1000 square feet: $110 - $240
• Home from 1,200 to 1,400 square feet: $310 - $410
• Home from 1,500 to 2,000 square feet: $410 - $520

Dry cleaning

The dry cleaning method, also known as “low moisture” cleaning, is not so effective as the previous one. It uses almost no water, relying completely on chemicals. Steps:

• 1. A chemical substance is injected into the fabric.
• 2. A rotating brush intensively moves across the room, letting the chemical penetrate into the fabric.
• 3. The chemical ties with the unwanted substances inside the fabric.
• 4. The mixture is extracted by suction.

This method can’t remove dirt that has settled deep in the fibers like steam cleaning does. It has one advantage, though: you can put your feet on the carpet the moment the workers have finished their job. Having a house 2,200 square feet in size dry cleaned may pull $350- $590 out of your wallet. The average range for a standard home is from $110 to $150.

Does the type of carpet affect the cost of cleaning?

Some carpet fabrics are a nightmare for cleaners. Deciding which method of cleaning is right depends on how tightly wound the carpet’s loops are, which determines the amount of dirt inside. For instance, a Berber can be cleaned for around $100.

Is there an additional fee for removing stains?

How much you'll pay for stain removal depends on two main factors:

• Stain area. It's obvious: big stains - more money.
• Type. Blood and pet stains? Expect to pay more. Food stains? The fee will be lower.

The stain removal is normally charged by the hour. On average, prepare to pay $40-$50 for an hour of work.

Are there other price-shaping factors?

Furniture. Certain providers charge hosts for moving furniture, while others don't. Some companies may only take money for moving heavy pieces of furniture. You should inquire with the provider you're going to hire if you have to pay for furniture moving. The standard rate is between $15 and $55 per room.

Also, note that if the chosen method is dry cleaning, you can have all the furniture you like in your room: no extra fee. To save money with steam cleaning, consider moving furniture yourself before the cleaners' arrival.

Ecologically clean agents. Many environmentally aware customers want a cleaning provider to use only organic substances with no harm either to people's health or nature. If you're one of such customers, expect to pay more: around $70.

Degree of dirtiness. If a carpet looks like it has just been brought from a garage, with stains all over the place, the fee may grow.

Carpeted stairs. One step of carpeted stairs will cost you around $4.

Several tasks. If you buy several services such as cleaning, stain removal, and dyeing, reduction in price is almost always guaranteed.

Information to check

Invoice. To avoid any unexpected price inflation, request a detailed invoice with all of the tasks properly described.

Method. Talk to the professionals and let them recommend you the correct method of cleaning.

Allergies. If any of your family is allergic to chemicals, find out what agents will be applied. You could opt for an environmentally friendly alternative, albeit a costly one.

Other frequently asked questions

Which cleaning method is better?

If you don't know what cleaning method to choose, just compare pluses and minuses of what you have as alternatives.

Steam cleaning

Pros

• Effectively combats stubborn stains
• Deep-cleaning
• Good deodorizer

Cons

• Time consuming as a whole day is required for drying
• May make certain areas of fabric excessively wet

Dry cleaning

Pros

• No time for drying is required
• Takes little time overall (around 20 minutes for the chemicals to soak in)
• Good deodorizer

Cons

• Not deep-cleaning enough
• Often leads to the accumulation of dust in a home
• Chemicals frequently remain in the object of cleaning

What extra services do carpet cleaning companies provide?

Dyeing. For color repair, professionals normally charge from $0.20 to $0.50 per square foot (the lowest charge is $105).

Upholstery cleaning. Expect to pay something like $70.

Treatment with protectants may cost you in the range $7-$12 for one room.

Bottom line

Several factors have an impact on the total cost of carpet cleaning services such as large and deep-settled stains or the pricing structure. On average, cleaning businesses ask for $180 with the majority taking $120-$235. The maximum fee is $360.