How much does it cost to hire carpet cleaning services?

Carpets require annual cleaning to maintain a pristine appearance and help ensure a long life by preventing unsightly permanent staining. Regular professional cleaning removes soil before it has the chance to work into the carpet fibers, where it becomes almost impossible to extract. Soiled carpets also pose a health risk because they trap bacteria, pollen, dust, and other allergens that can quickly become airborne whenever the carpet is disturbed from walking across or vacuuming.

Carpeting a home is a costly home improvement that should be maintained. Most carpet manufacturers provide a warranty. However, the carpet warranty may not remain viable if you do not have a professional carpet cleaning company regularly clean your carpet.

Carpet cleaning companies vary in price. The condition of your carpet will also be a deciding factor on overall cost. However, if you maintain your carpet with regular carpet cleaning then the carpet should not be overly stained or dirty. A typical unfurnished bedroom measures 10’x14’. If the bedroom features a standard synthetic fiber carpet, the average cost will range from $0.18-$0.36 per square foot for an average cost of $50 per room depending the level of carpet soiling.

Cost factors

Typically, professional carpet cleaners charge by the square foot, so having a general idea of how big your home is will help you determine how much it is going to cost to have your carpet cleaned. On average, a 1,000 square foot house will cost $0.18-$0.36 per square foot to have the carpet professionally cleaned. At a cost of $0.25 per square foot, the carpet in a 1,000 square foot home will cost $250 for a basic wall-to-wall carpet clean.  

Several factors frequently cause the price of professional carpet cleaning to increase. Difficult angles in the home, such as stairways, normally cost more to clean because the professional carpet cleaner must use a hand wand or other attachment to effectively clean the hard-to-reach space.

Most professional carpet cleaners also charge additional fees to remove pet stains and eliminate pet odors because they must use specialized products. The average cost to have a carpet cleaning company remove pet stains and odors runs from $30-$40 per hour.

Applying Scotchgard(™) protectants to the carpet after cleaning is also an added charge. Professional carpet cleaners charge from $5-$10 per room to apply Scotchgard(™) to a carpet.

The cost of having an area rug removed by a carpet cleaning company and sent to a rug cleaning facility varies depending on the size of the rug. An 8’x10’ rug usually costs about $160 to be professionally cleaned.

Type of carpet

Approximately 65 percent of all carpets are made from synthetic fibers. Some carpets are made of a combination of wool and synthetic fibers and, rarely, carpets are 100 percent wool. Berber-style carpets are often a combination of wool and synthetic fibers. Most professional carpet cleaning companies do not charge extra for synthetic fiber, wool/synthetic fiber, or wool carpets. However, the cleaning methods do differ between wool and synthetic fibers, which does affect the price. Unlike synthetic fiber carpets which are normally cleaned using hot water/steam extraction, wool and wool/synthetic combination carpets are cleaned using a dry method which averages $50-$54 per room.

Cleaning methods

There are two main types of cleaning methods commonly utilized by professional cleaning companies: hot water extraction/steam cleaning and dry cleaning.

Hot water extraction/steam cleaning

Hot water extraction/steam cleaning involves applying a cleaning agent and hot water or steam to the soiled carpet. A pressurized machine with a vibrating or rotating brush is then used to work the cleaning agent, steam, and hot water into the carpet fibers and break loose the dirt and debris. A carpet cleaner device is used to rinse and suck up the dirt, water, and cleaning agent, and the carpet is then allowed to air dry.

Dry cleaning

A dry cleaning compound or powder is applied to the surface of the carpet. A motorized, rotating brush is used to loosen up the carpet fibers so that the dry cleaning agent can enter the fibers. The cleaning compound absorbs the dirt within the carpet fibers. A specialized device is then used to suction up the dirt debris and cleaning compound.

The cost of hot water extraction/steam cleaning tends to be higher than dry cleaning a carpet because it takes longer to perform and the dry time is significantly longer.

Professional carpet cleaners normally charge less to clean a room filled with furniture because the surface area of the carpet requiring cleaning is less than that of an empty room, which needs wall to wall cleaning. The average cost to clean a room using hot water extraction/steam cleaning with no furniture is $49-$63 per room, while with furniture it averages $33-$49 per room. The cost to dry clean a carpet does not change if the room is furnished or unfurnished. Generally, the cost to dry clean a carpet averages $50-$54 per room.

Labor

Professional carpet cleaning companies usually have a “per square foot per room” price that includes all of their labor and material costs. The average cost is typically $0.18-$0.36 per square foot, depending on the level of carpet soiling and how much furniture (if any) is in the room.

Carpet vs rug cleaning

While carpet cleaning takes place in the home, rug cleaning generally involves having the rug picked up by a rug cleaning service company and taken to a rug cleaning facility for specialized cleaning. In some cases the rug can also be delivered to a specialized rug cleaning facility to have it cleaned. An 8’x10’ rug will cost about $160 to be professionally cleaned.

Top carpet cleaners

Here are 10 of the top carpet cleaners available for home use.

Care tips

• Vacuum carpet 2 to 3 times per week to help prevent dirt from getting ground into the carpet fibers.
• All exterior doors should have a welcome mat so dirt is not tracked from the outdoors into the house and onto the carpet.
• A commercial spot remover can quickly lift away stains before they become set-in. You can also make your own spot remover by mixing ¼ teaspoon of liquid bleach-free detergent with 1 cup of cold water.
• Apply a stain-resistant spray to help carpet fibers repel dirt and prevent future staining.
• Always promptly remove stains immediately after they occur so they do not have a chance to become permanent.
• Prior to use, always test spot remover products on the carpet for color fastness before applying to a large area of the carpet. Choose an inconspicuous area of the carpet to initially test the spot remover.
• Before placing throw rugs on top of carpet, always test areas of the throw rug to determine the rug’s color fastness and make sure it does not bleed onto your carpet if it becomes wet.
• Vacuum regularly under area rugs to loosen dirt and debris before they have a chance to become ground into the carpet fibers and cause permanent stains.
• Leave all protective blocks in place after carpet cleaning for a couple of days.
• Clean and vacuum your furniture at the same time you clean your carpet to remove any loose dirt and debris before it falls onto your clean carpet.
• Have your carpet professionally cleaned regularly to get rid of dirt and soil before they become permanent stains.

Enhancement and improvement costs

• Upholstery cleaning: regularly cleaning upholstery not only extends the life of your furniture but also helps keep your carpet clean. Dirt and debris from soiled upholstery can fall from the furnishings onto the carpet and cause spots or stains. Normally, it costs $50-$80 to clean one piece of furniture. Many professional carpet cleaning companies also offer upholstery cleaning.
• Pet stains and odors: pet stains and odors should be promptly treated to prevent the stain from becoming set in and to keep the odor from traveling throughout your home. Carpet cleaning companies usually use a combination of products to remove stains and odors such as polymers and oxygenating compounds. The average cost to have a carpet cleaning company remove pet stains and odors runs from $30-$40 per hour.
• Scotchgard(™) protection: Scotchgard(™) repels stains and soiling to protect carpets and keep them clean longer. A can of Scotchgard(™) will normally cost $9-$10 per can. Professional carpet cleaners charge from $5-$10 per room to apply Scotchgard to a carpet.

Additional considerations and costs

• Many carpet warranties require a professional carpet cleaning once a year or more. Frequently, the manufacturer requires deep cleaning or steam cleaning methods to keep the flooring warranty valid.
• Additional carpet cleaning service fees include the use of deodorizers, which average $0.10-$0.30 per square foot or anti-static sprays, which average $0.07-$0.10 per square foot.
• Having your carpets cleaned before they look dirty will prevent excessive staining and keep dirt from building up in the carpet fibers.
• An excessively soiled and dirty carpet will cost more to clean.
• Hiring a cleaning service to complete multiple tasks at once often leads to a drop in the overall cost of the job.
• Cleaning carpeted stairs averages $2-$3 per step.
• Moving furniture is an additional charge of $10-$50 per room.
• Many carpet cleaning services offer eco-friendly organic cleaners that are 100 percent non-toxic. The cost of having the carpet cleaned in one room by a professional carpet cleaning company that uses only organic, green cleaners averages $64-$65.
• DIY tips: you should never rub carpet stains or you can work them deeper into the carpet fibers. Club soda or shaving cream can remove stains. Ice can be used to remove gum. Dishwashing detergent can lift away grease. A warm iron can remove wax. Hydrogen peroxide lifts away blood stains.
• If you want your entire carpet cleaned but the room is full of furniture then you can save money by moving the furniture yourself.