How Much is Carpet Cleaning?

The average cost of hiring a professional carpet cleaning company will vary depending on the size of the room.

For example, you can expect a small room to cost around £20-£30, a large room will cost around £40-£50, and a landing or staircase will cost around £72-£90.

Carpet cleaning prices will vary depending on the size of the room.

If you are looking to get all of the carpets in your home cleaned, then you can expect this to cost around £120-£400, depending on the size of your home.

Cleaning a carpet

Can anything else alter the cost of the job?

The costs may vary depending on the company you choose, your location in the UK, and whether the company needs to move your furniture before completing the cleaning process.

If you have stubborn stains on your carpet, this can result in higher costs.

The final price will also depend on how dirty your carpets are and whether there are any stubborn stains, as this can increase the time it takes to complete the clean.

Carpet Cleaning Prices

The table below covers the average carpet cleaning prices for different types of carpet cleaning jobs:

JOB DESCRIPTION AVERAGE COST
Carpet cleaning in a small bedroom (12m squared) £20-£30
Carpet cleaning in a large bedroom (20m squared) £40-£50
Carpet cleaning on the stairs and landing (15m squared) £30-£38
Carpet cleaning in a living room (16m squared) £32-£40
Carpet cleaning in an open-plan living room and dining room (36m squared) £72-£90
Carpet cleaning in a whole two-bedroom terraced home (64m squared) £120-£160
Carpet cleaning in a whole three-bedroom semi-detached home (96m squared) £190-£240
Carpet cleaning in a whole four-bedroom detached house (147m squared) £300-£400
Get Instant Quotes

Compare quotes and get a price for any job around the home or garden. No obligations. Completely free.

Get a Price for your Job


What are the Supply Costs of Carpet Cleaning?

If you want to clean the carpets in your home yourself, then you may be curious about what costs may be involved for the supplies without the cost of labour. In this section, we will take a look at the various supply costs for carpet cleaning.

If you would like to buy a professional carpet cleaning machine that you can use at your leisure, you can expect to pay around £1,300-£3,000. This is quite expensive and is the reason why most people choose to hire a carpet cleaning machine rather than buy one.

A professional dry carpet cleaning machine is around £200-£2,000. While this is less than wet carpet cleaning machines, it is still quite expensive, and hiring is usually still the better option for these machines.

Carpet cleaning equipment

If you are interested in hiring a carpet cleaning machine, then you would be looking at around £25-£40 for a 24-hour hire and around £27-£60 for a 48-hour hire.

If you have your own carpet cleaning machine, you will most likely need to buy detergent for the cleaner. You can expect to pay around £2-£10 for a bottle of carpet cleaning detergent, depending on the size of the bottle and the brand.

What are the Additional Costs of Carpet Cleaning?

There are several additional costs that you may need to think about when it comes to carpet cleaning. Below is a list of the additional costs that you may need to consider with this type of work:

New Carpet Installation

When you get your carpets cleaned, you may notice some damage that is irreversible. Therefore, you may need to get some new carpets.

The average cost for fitting a new carpet is around £-£70 per square metre. The price depends on the type of carpet as each one comes with a different price point.

Painting and Decorating

When you get your carpets professionally cleaned, they'll look brand new. With this in mind, it may be a good time for you to redecorate your walls to make them look brand new as well.

Painting a wall

If you are interested in painting or decorating, you can expect to pay around £180-£600 per room.

End-of-Tenancy Cleaning

If you are moving out of your rented property and want to preserve your deposit, you may need to consider some additional cleaning services.

A professional cleaner will usually charge around £95-£525 to complete an end-of-tenancy clean. The price will depend mostly upon the size of your home and your location within the UK.

Tradesmen Costs for Cleaning Carpet

In this section, we will look at the costs that you can expect to pay a professional carpet cleaner to come and clean a carpet in your home.

Most professional carpet cleaning companies will base their prices on the size of the area that they are working on. Most companies will charge around £2 to £2.50 per square metre.

However, some carpet cleaning specialists will charge a minimum daily rate of around £80 to £120. In London, these rates will usually be higher at around £100 to £150 per day.

Professional carpet cleaning

When there are stubborn stains present, these could increase the time it takes to complete the carpet clean and, therefore, there may be some additional labour costs involved in these cases.

Most carpet cleaning companies will not move furniture for you, and they will expect the furniture to be moved before they arrive. If they have to help you move furniture before cleaning, they will usually charge extra for this service.

How Long Does It Take to Clean a Carpet?

Here, we will take a look at the timescales that you can expect for different types of carpet cleaning jobs.

The time it takes to clean a carpet will depend mostly on the size of the carpet and its condition. Larger carpets will take longer to clean, and carpets that are full of stains will also take longer.

Cleaning a rug

The average time it takes to clean a carpet in one average-sized bedroom is around 30-60 minutes. A living room carpet clean will typically take around 1-2 hours to complete.

If you are planning on having all of the rooms in the home cleaned, you can expect this to take around 2-4 hours, depending on the size of the home and the quality of the carpets.

Types of Carpet Cleaning

There are several different types of carpet cleaning services. Below is a list of the most common carpet cleaning services in the UK with some information on each of the different types:

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning is the most popular type of carpet cleaning and is seen as a very effective method. This method involves applying a mist of steam to the carpet, which helps to loosen any dirt. The dirt can then be extracted. Steaming provides enough heat to kill around 99.9% of bacteria present on the floor, making your carpets safer for you and your family.

Steam cleaning works better on hard flooring than on carpeted floors; however, it is still effective.

Pros:

  • Most popular type of carpet cleaning
  • Kills around 99.9% of bacteria

Cons:

  • Works better on hard flooring than carpet

Dry Carpet Cleaning

Dry carpet cleaning involves applying a powder material to the carpet that agitates the fibres and acts as little sponges to absorb all the dirt.

Dry carpet cleaner

The powder is left on the carpet for around 15 minutes and then vacuumed up. This method works well if you need to clean your carpet quickly but more effectively than a simple vacuum cleaner.

Pros:

  • Much quicker method of cleaning your carpet
  • More effective than vacuuming

Cons:

  • Works for carpets only

Hot Water Extraction Cleaning

Hot water extraction cleaning is thought to be the most effective type of carpet cleaning there is. This method is where highly pressurised water, combined with a carpet cleaning solution, is pumped directly into the carpet.

The liquid is then extracted from the carpet using a powerful vacuum and deposited into a separate tank. This extraction process thoroughly cleans the carpet and leaves it looking and smelling fresh.

Pros:

  • Leaves carpets clean and smelling fresh due to extraction method
  • More effective method of cleaning your carpet

Cons:

  • Works for carpets only

Vacuuming

If you are just looking for a light carpet clean, then vacuuming is your best option. This is a quick way of removing light dust and debris from the surface of the carpet. It is recommended that you vacuum your carpets around once or twice a week to keep them in good shape.

Vacuuming is seen as a light style of cleaning and isn't a deep clean. However, it is enough to remove most of the loose dirt pieces from your carpet.

Pros:

  • Quick and easy way to remove light dirt
  • Easily accessible due to most people owning a vacuum

Cons:

  • Only provides a light clean

Benefits of Professional Carpet Cleaning

There are many benefits to getting your carpets professionally cleaned. Below is a list of the main advantages of this type of work:

Removes Trapped Dirt

When your carpet is used daily, it will start to retain dirt deep in the fibres. This can include dust, dirt, lead, pet hair, particle pollution and insect allergens. These trapped particles can release toxic particles into the air and can produce pollution in your home.

A professional carpet clean will kill the bacteria in the carpet, as deep cleaning will remove all of the trapped dirt deep within the carpet fibres.

Removes Dust Mites

When your carpets aren't cleaned regularly, this can result in mites in the carpets. Many homeowners aren't even aware of the mite infestations in their carpets as they are usually microscopic.

These mite particles can be inhaled easily and can aggravate allergies. Most professional cleaning companies will steam the carpet in the process, and the high temperatures from this type of cleaning will kill the dust mites.

Extends the Life of the Carpet

Vacuuming simply isn't enough to remove all of the dust and dirt from the carpet fibres. Dirt and soil that is trapped in the carpet can act like sandpaper that can eventually damage the carpet.

A professional carpet clean provides a deep clean that keeps the carpet fresh and helps extend the carpet's life.

Improves Carpet Appearance

When your carpet starts building up dirt, it can start to look a little bit less than perfect. When staining is present, this can result in an uneven carpet and can sometimes be quite unsightly.

When you have your carpet professionally cleaned, it will look brand new. This will improve the carpet's appearance, and it will also improve the entire room's aesthetic.

Improves Health

Leaving your carpets to collect dirt can result in collections of a lot of dust and microscopic organisms. These are often buried within the fibres of the carpet and can be difficult to remove on your own.

These particles can easily disperse into the room when it's walked on. This can make the environment in your home difficult to breathe in and can also cause allergic reactions.

Cleaning a grey carpet

Some examples of health problems caused by a dirty carpet are flu-like symptoms, asthma, aggravation and agitated or stuffed sinuses.

A professional carpet clean can help make your carpet and your home much healthier for you and your family. Deep cleaning can also help to remove and prevent mould in the carpets.

FAQs

Why does my carpet smell after cleaning?

The main cause of smells after a carpet clean is because the backing of the carpet has absorbed moisture and is still wet. To prevent this smell from getting worse, you need to fully air out the room so that the carpet can completely dry.

What cleaning products do professional cleaners use?

Professional carpet cleaners will usually use a combination of a hot water cleaning machine and carpet cleaning detergent. A professional hot water carpet clean is usually the most effective option for cleaning a dirty carpet.

Will my carpet be wet after a professional carpet clean?

Your carpet will most likely be a little damp after a carpet clean, however, this should fully dry out within a few hours. If you want to speed up the drying process, you can air out the room by opening the doors and windows or turning the heating on to accelerate the drying process.

How often should I have my carpets professionally cleaned?

This will depend on several factors, such as the age and condition of the carpet. Most often, it is recommended that you get your carpets professionally cleaned once a year. However, if the people in your home suffer from allergies, then it is recommended that you get your carpets cleaned every 3-6 months.

How do I prepare for a professional carpet clean?

Before the cleaners arrive, you should remove everything on the floor that may obstruct the areas for cleaning. This includes furniture, toys, shoes, and anything else on the carpet that needs cleaning.

Get Instant Quotes

Compare quotes and get a price for any job around the home or garden. No obligations. Completely free.

Get a Price for your Job

Sources

  1. https://www.valecarpetcleaning.co.uk/carpet-cleaning-benefits
  2. https://blog.fantasticservices.com/why-carpet-smells-after-cleaning
Author: Heather B

I am a seasoned copywriter from Liverpool - who after graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in English Media and Cultural Studies - went on to specialise in the creation of business and lifestyle copy for a wide range of industries across the UK and USA.