How Much Is Carpet Cleaning?
If you have unsightly stains or marks on your carpet, you probably won't need to pay to replace your carpet. Using a professional carpet cleaning service can transform your tired-looking carpet and make it look like new.
Professional carpet cleaning costs will usually work out significantly cheaper than replacing carpets completely.
If you are wondering how much carpet cleaning costs, this guide provides all the details you need, including the factors that will affect the cost of the job.
The average cost of hiring a professional carpet cleaning company will vary depending on the size of the room. It takes longer and uses more detergent to clean larger carpets, so the cost of carpet cleaning will be higher than that of smaller carpets.
Stairs will also take longer, as the carpet on each stair will need to be cleaned individually.
For example, you can expect a small room to cost around £20 to £30, whereas a large room will cost around £40 to £50, and a landing or staircase will cost around £72 to £90.
Carpet cleaning costs will vary depending on the size of the room.
It'll be most cost-effective to get all your carpets cleaned at once, rather than calling out carpet cleaners several times. If you are looking to get all of the carpets in your home cleaned, then you can expect this to cost around £120 to £400, depending on the size of your home.
Can anything else affect the carpet cleaning cost?
Yes, there are several factors that will affect the cost. 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 overall price will also depend on the level of dirt and staining on your carpets. Stubborn stains take longer to remove, so the cost of carpet cleaning will increase. High-traffic areas such as hallways are prone to heavy staining — and if you have pets or children, they may cause stubborn stains that are harder to clean.
The worst types of stains to remove include red wine, coffee, blood and ink. However, a professional carpet cleaner will have the best equipment and products for the job.
Carpet Cleaning Prices
The table below covers the average carpet cleaning prices for different types of carpet cleaning jobs:
| JOB DESCRIPTION | AVERAGE COST |
|---|---|
| Small bedroom (12m squared) | £20 – £30 |
| Large bedroom (20m squared) | £40 – £50 |
| Stairs and landing (15m squared) | £30 – £38 |
| Living room (16m squared) | £32 – £40 |
| Open-plan living room and dining room (36m squared) | £72 – £90 |
| 2-bedroom terraced home (64m squared) | £120 – £160 |
| 3-bedroom semi-detached home (96m squared) | £190 – £240 |
| 4-bedroom detached house (147m squared) | £300 – £400 |
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 to £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 to £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.
If you are interested in hiring a carpet cleaning machine, then you would be looking at a hire fee of around £25 to £40 per day and around £27 to £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 to £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 can't be fixed — even if you hire a professional to deep clean the affected areas. In this case, it might make more sense to have your carpets replaced.
The average cost for fitting a new carpet is around £6 to £70 per square metre. The price depends on the type of carpet, as each one comes at a different price point.
If there is damage to the flooring that joins your carpeted area, you may also want to get this repaired or replaced at the same time.
The cost of flooring installation will depend on the type of flooring, for example, a small laminate floor will cost between £150 to £650 to install, while vinyl installation in a small room costs about £110 to £450.
Painting and Decorating
When you get your carpets professionally cleaned, they'll look brand new.
However, this can make other areas of your home — like your walls, ceilings, and skirting boards — look worn down.
With this in mind, it may be a good time for you to redecorate your walls to make them look brand new as well. The average cost of painting a room is around £180 to £600.
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.
The cost of an end-of-tenancy deep clean will be somewhere between £95 to £525. The price you're quoted will mostly depend on the size of your home and where you're located in the UK.
Typically, you wouldn't be expected to clean the exterior of the property's windows before you leave. But if this is something that's part of your contract, then you should expect window cleaning costs to be around £15 to £50.
How Much Does Professional Carpet Cleaning Cost?
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, carpet cleaning costs will usually be higher at around £100 to £150 per day.
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.
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 to 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 to 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 on carpets.
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.
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 trapped in the carpet can act like sandpaper and 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.
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
Q: Why does my carpet smell after cleaning?
A: The main cause of smells after carpet cleaning is the backing of the carpet, which 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.
Q: What cleaning products do professional cleaners use?
A: 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.
Q: Will my carpet be wet after a professional carpet clean?
A: 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.
Q: How often should I have my carpets professionally cleaned?
A: 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 to 6 months.
Q: How do I prepare for a professional carpet clean?
A: 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.
Q: Is it worth getting carpets cleaned?
A: Generally, the cost of carpet cleaning is significantly less than replacing your carpets, so it is usually worthwhile. Professional carpet cleaners can make your carpets look brand new, removing odours and stains.
If you are selling your property, clean carpets will be more appealing to buyers. Or if you are moving out of rented accommodation, carpet cleaning can help ensure you get your deposit back.
Q: How much does sofa cleaning cost?
A: The cost of cleaning a sofa will vary depending on the size, material and level of staining. You can expect to pay around £50 for steam cleaning of a 3-seater sofa and approximately £80 for dry cleaning.
Many carpet cleaning companies also offer sofa cleaning services, and this is often more cost-effective than using separate cleaning services.
Q: How much does rug cleaning cost?
The cost of rug cleaning varies from around £45 for a small rug to £80 for a large rug. The size of the rug and the type of material it's made from will impact the price you're quoted.
For example, a Persian rug costs more to clean than cotton or synthetic rugs.
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