Carpet Cleaning Cost Estimates

Compare Carpet Cleaning Prices by Square Foot, Number of Rooms, Extras and Cleaning Methods.

A glance at our carpet prices guide and carpet installation guide quickly reveals that new carpet is a serious home improvement investment. It is essential that you take carpet cleaning and maintenance seriously if you want to get any kind of long term durability out of your new purchase. We all know that regular hoovering is a must, but most homeowners appreciate that an annual professional carpet cleaning service also pays dividends in the long run. So how much does professional carpet cleaning cost?

There are basically two ways we estimate how much it will cost to get your carpet cleaned: per room or per square foot.

Cleaning Prices Per Room – You can get an approximate carpet cleaning cost estimate over the phone by getting a quote per room. Cleaning services will have set rates for a standard room which they will judge to be anywhere between 150 sq/ft (bedroom) and 250 sq/ft (dining room). Final prices may vary.

Cleaning Prices Per Square Foot – For an exact and final estimate you will need a qualified carpet cleaning professional to measure the square footage of your carpet. Make sure these measurements are taken accurately as the actual square footage of carpet should be much less (about 60%) than the overall square footage of your property

Average Cleaning Prices Nationally

The following carpet cleaning prices take into account the average cost of carpet cleaning nationwide and compares expected estimates for number of rooms, sq/ft and average spend per project.

Estimate…
Good
Better
Best
Per Room $28 to $38 $42 to $75
$75 to $125
Per Square Foot $0.18 $0.32
$0.50
Per Project $125 $225
$350

 

 

 

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Factors affecting “Good” “Better” “Best” prices include the number of extras included (see below), quality of cleaning method used, how dirty your carpets are prior to cleaning and the size of your home (the larger the area the better price per sq/ft). “Best” prices should be thought of as fully inclusive of all costs.

Please note: Beware of tempting prices below these ranges. Chances are services will either be sub-standard (bare minimum surface clean) or you will end up paying for hidden extras. Professional cleaners can’t breakeven for their work at lower prices.

Other Specialized Carpet Cleaning Costs

As well as standard carpet cleaning there are also a number of other specific services that most carpet cleaning specialists offer. Here is a list of other services you might require along with average prices:

Pet Stains and Odors – Stubborn stains and odors from pets are a common problem and not solved with standard cleaning. Specialized products are required and can be quite expensive, between $40 and $90 per room.

Carpet on Stairs – Cleaning carpet on stairs incurs and extra charge, usually between $2 and $3 per step.

Area Rugs – Carpet cleaners will also clean your rugs. Depending on the size and type of rug prices range between $20 and $50

Scotch Guard Protection – If after cleaning your carpets you want your cleaners to put down a layer of Scotch Guard protection to help avoid further stains then the average price will be $5 to $10 per room.

Other Factors that Can Affect Professional Carpet Cleaning Costs

  • Targeted Spot Cleaning and Stains – If you have stains on your carpet or a particularly stubborn dirty spot then your carpet cleaning professional may charge extra for spot cleaning. Most companies include a certain amount of spot and stain cleaning as standard in their estimates.
  • Pet Odors and Smells – Special cleaning products and treatments to remove unpleasant odors will be charged separately and you can expect to pay between $50 and $100 extra for this service depending on the severity of the problem.
  • Carpet Maintenance Plan – It is advisable to get you carpets professionally cleaned on a regular basis, once a year is typical for carpets that receive medium foot traffic. Arranging a carpet maintenance plan with a trusted cleaning service is a good way to reduce costs over the lifetime of your carpet
  • Upholstery – Most cleaning professionals offer upholstery steam cleaning as well, you can expect to receive a discount for including these services at the same time.
  • Stairs, Hallways and Closets – As with carpet installation, stairs are often priced separately and can cost anywhere between $1 and $4 per step. Equally hallways and closets will be priced separately if you are getting a quote per room, but should be included in a per square foot quote.
  • Hoovering – Check with your service provider to see if hovering your carpet before cleaning is included in your quote. If it isn’t it will be your responsibility to make sure all surface dirt is removed before they arrive to avoid a further added cost.
  • Small Homes – While cleaners will charge you per square foot they will factor in a minimum/call-out fee to make taking the journey to your home worthwhile. So carpet cleaning prices in a small apartment can work out comparatively more expensive than a larger home.
  • Moving furniture – If your rooms are not already cleared of furniture your cleaning company may charge extra for the time it takes to move it for you or work around it. Check with the company ahead of time as to whether they include this in their estimate.
  • Cleaning Methods – There are different methods to clean carpets. Steam cleaning and dry cleaning are the most common methods for a deep clean, but carpet shampooing and bonnet cleaning can also be suitable for carpets that require just a surface clean. Similarly the type of carpet you have, whether synthetic (eg Nylon) or natural (eg Wool), will dictate which method is best suited to your carpet.

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Carpet Cleaning Q & A

Q. How long does it take for carpet to dry?
A. Carpet will dry in about 4 hours when you open doors and windows in moderate weather. Carpet drying tips: Air conditioning will help carpet dry in hot, humid weather, and turning up the heat will help in cold, damp weather.

Q. What is bonnet cleaning?
A. Bonnet cleaning is more typically used in commercial cleaning and uses a shampooing machine but with minimum mositure for quick cleaning times.

Q. How often should carpet be cleaned?
A. You should clean your carpet regularly, which means vacuuming it once or twice per week and having it professionally cleaned once each year. Most manufacturers recommend steam cleaning for best results.

Visitor Submitted Cleaning Costs

We really appreciate our visitors that take the time to submit details of how much they paid for carpet cleaning in their area. It really does help keep our data current and assists other visitors to get a sense of real prices in their locale.

If you’ve recently had your carpets cleaned we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch by phone or email and let us know how much you paid.

Cost
 Job Description
City, State
Project Size
$300 Large two bed apartment with quality carpet Brooklyn, NY
540 sq/ft
Comprehensive clean with some stain removal. Accredited cleaning company
$250 Whole house, upstairs, stairs and lounge downstairs Austin, Texas 1150 sq/ft
Good thorough job done, Second time I’ve had this done and definitely worth it.
$90 4 Bed Apartment (One Double) San Diego, CA
Not given
Thorough job done by this one man band owner/operator. Simple carpet clean, well done with no problems.
$190 4 Upstairs bedrooms & hallway Jackson, Michigan 750 sq/ft
Very happy with this price and the work done. Deep steam clean also included 2 extras – replacing of Scotch Guard and deodorizing.