The cost to professionally clean carpets is $181 on average, but it can cost between $123 and $241. A pro will assess your carpet material to determine the best cleaning method.
Between Sunday dinners, your dogs, and all the feet that run across your carpet, trying to keep it clean may seem impossible. But sometimes, all your carpet really needs is a deep clean by you or a pro to really get the grime and grit out.
Carpet cleaning prices average to $181 and will vary from $123 to $241, based on square footage, the type of carpet, and if you’re taking advantage of any extra cleaning services. Continue reading to learn all you need to know about average carpet cleaning costs.
Carpet cleaning prices are straightforward. You’ll pay for the labor, travel fees, and any special type of cleaning you need. And keep in mind that you may also pay for carpet cleaning within the larger context of house cleaning costs, which can range between $90 and $600 total.
In most cases, the flat rate applies to how many rooms you need cleaned rather than the square footage of those areas. Carpet cleaning can cost around $25 to $75 per room. Some cleaning companies that charge per room may include size restrictions and charge additional fees for extra-large rooms. But some companies offer multiple-room discounts, which could be a way to cut down on carpet cleaning costs.
| Number of Rooms | Average Cost Range to Clean Carpet |
|---|---|
| 1 | $25–$75 |
| 2 | $40–$150 |
| 3 | $75–$250 |
| 4 | $90–$300 |
| 5 | $150–$600 |
Carpet cleaning costs between $0.20 and $0.40 per square foot on average. But this price isn’t set in stone, as smaller carpeted areas may mean that you pay a flat rate rather than by square footage.
When you hire a local carpet cleaning service, they’ll come out and measure the carpet’s length ahead of time to give you an estimate. If it falls under their minimum square footage, they’ll likely charge you a flat fee of around $100 to $150.
| Carpet Size in Square Feet | Average Cost Range to Clean Carpet |
|---|---|
| 600–1,000 | $100–$250 |
| 1,000–1,800 | $150–$450 |
| 1,800–3,000 | $300–$600 |
| 3,000+ | $600+ |
Since carpets can range from nylon to cotton, some cleaning companies charge based on the carpet type. Carpet cleaning companies typically charge higher prices for tough-to-clean types of carpet. For example, some carpets have short fibers, making them easy to clean. Other carpets are long and shaggy, which requires a bit more scrubbing.
Common carpet materials and the cost to clean them include:
Berber: $90
Cut and level loop: $90
Cotton: $130
Wool: $130
The farther away you are from the company’s main service area, the higher the travel fee. Most cleaning companies operate out of vans because they carry a lot of equipment. And because these vans don’t get the best gas mileage, travel costs tend to be a big factor.
Ease of access to your home makes a huge difference as well. If you live on the third story of a condo, then they need to carry all that heavy equipment up three flights of stairs. This spontaneous workout may increase charges.
“Yearly professional carpet cleaning is something I always recommend to our customers,” says Asya Biddle, Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dustbusters janitorial company in Williamsport, PA. “No matter the frequency of cleaning, solution utilized, or time we as homeowners put into caring for our carpets, we’re unable to lift the dirt and grime and thoroughly clean our household carpets the way a commercial carpet shampooer/steamer, solution, and specialist can."
How often you have your carpets professionally cleaned can also impact the cost of a service. If you maintain your carpets with regularly scheduled visits, you may find the cost per visit is less because you’re less likely to have excessive dirt and stains to remove. However, cleaning them infrequently may require a greater effort to remove heavily soiled carpets, costing more.
Cleaning your carpet on a regular basis helps prevent dirt and debris from building up on the fibers. Your carpet will look great and last longer if you make cleaning it routine.
There are various types of carpet cleaning, all with different costs. Professionals will determine the best carpet cleaning method for you depending on the type of carpet fibers, the extent of the clean, and your preferred budget.
Steam cleaning costs around $300. Steam cleaning does get the carpet wet, so you’ll need to wait around 24 hours for your carpet to dry afterward.
The cost to steam clean carpets is worth the investment in high-traffic areas, where your carpet sees a lot of action (and the dirt and stains that come with it). This method uses hot water to clean deep into the crevices of your carpet. Pressure is applied to the hot water to create steam and shuttle chemicals into the carpet fibers. This combo loosens dirt and anything else lurking down in your carpet fibers, which are sucked up and removed.
The cost to shampoo a carpet is around $240. Hire a local carpet shampoo pro, and you’ll never have to stare at that purple Kool-Aid stain ever again.
If you have a toddler who’s prone to spilling their juice, shampooing your carpet will work out any heavily stained areas. When you shampoo a carpet, you leave foam on the fibers to break up the dirt and stains. After giving your carpet the shampoo treatment, wipe up the foam to ensure you don’t leave any residue behind.
Dry cleaning only takes around one to two hours to dry and will cost around $220.
If you need a quick carpet cleaning, you can opt for dry cleaning. This method only tackles the grime on the carpet at the surface level. This type of carpet cleaning is perfect for those days when muddy paws come running in, and you need to tackle the problem before it stains the carpet.
You can expect carbonated cleaning services to cost around $340 on average.
If you’re imagining the fizz of soda pop when you think of carbonated cleaning, you’re not too far off. Carbonated cleaning uses tiny chemical bubbles to burst the dirt out of the fibers and move them up into the suction. Instead of merely loosening dirt from the carpet fibers, carbonated cleaning moves debris up to the surface for easy removal.
Hot water extraction is a fairly intensive process, so you’ll pay around $400 for a standard treatment with a 20% to 30% increase for cotton and wool.
Hot water extraction is a specialized form of steam cleaning that involves applying extremely hot water via jet nozzles to the carpet, along with an ammonia or acid solution to liquefy any dirt and debris. Next, carpet cleaners use a grooming tool to agitate the carpet fibers and a high-powered wet vacuum to suck up all the liquids, including the water and newly liquified dirt. Remember to allow the carpet fibers to fully dry for at least 24 hours after the treatment to avoid mold growth.
Bonnet carpet cleaning is less expensive than other services, with an average cost of $150.
Bonnet carpet cleaning is a relatively simple process that starts with a cleaning detergent sprayed onto the carpet. Your cleaning professional will attach a cleaning pad to a specialized device that runs over the recently sprayed carpet, sucking up any dirt and grime.
Keep in mind that this is not a particularly deep clean, despite its quick drying time, which is why you often find the process used in commercial spaces like hotel lobbies. Additionally, some carpet manufacturers void warranties when this cleaning method is employed.
Encapsulation carpet cleaning costs between $80 and $350 and uses a fascinating process.
Similar to shampooing, a rotating brush applies a cleaning solution onto the fibers of your carpet. The solution then drains and crystallizes around the dirt and grime on the fibers, encapsulating them. When it dries, the cleaners use a vacuum to pull it all up.
| Carpet Cleaning Method | Average Cost Range per Room to Clean Carpet | Average Cost to Clean Carpet |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Cleaning | $100–$400 | $300 |
| Shampooing | $65–$150 | $240 |
| Dry Cleaning | $60–$130 | $220 |
| Carbonated Cleaning | $85–$200 | $340 |
| Hot Water Extraction Cleaning | $100–$200 | $400 |
| Bonnet Cleaning | $25–$85 | $150 |
| Encapsulation Cleaning | $80–$350 | $200 |
If you need help with extra services that are outside of the typical carpet cleaning, the cleaning company will likely charge you per service. Check out the costs of common add-on services.
Patch or repair holes: $100–$250 per hole
Dewrinkling or carpet stretching: $60 per hour
Water extraction: $450–$2,000, depending on carpet size
Pet stains and odor removal: $30–$50 per hour
Furniture and upholstery cleaning: $50–$80 per item
Furniture moving and removal: $10–$50 per item
Wicking or padding replacement: $3.50–$7 per sq. ft.
Telfon treatment: $20–$40 per project
Sustainable or green carpet cleaning: $100–$200 per room
Home projects always have an element of unpredictability. Even when it comes to carpet carpet cleaning costs, tricky projects can add to your bottom line.
Getting stains out of carpet takes time, and professionals may charge for the extra hours, labor, and materials necessary to tackle the spot. Expect an additional $25 to $40 for each stained area. Prices will range higher if you need the cleaners to address more complex issues, such as getting mold out of your carpet.
While we hope it doesn't come to this, some areas of the carpet are better replaced instead of deep cleaned. Carpet installation costs between $3 and $11 per square foot, not including the extra $1 to $1.50 per square foot to remove the carpet.
If you've ever tried to lug a heavy vacuum up the steps, you know that shampooing can be just as tricky. Professional cleaners will typically add between $2 and $5 per step to your cleaning bill, depending on their accessibility.
Some carpeting companies will offer to clear the furniture out of your room—and even move it back the next day—for between $20 and $50 per hour. In theory, you could also hire movers or a handyperson to assist with the process, but you may pay less to loop the price into your carpeting contract. And if the team has really gone above and beyond to help break down and set up your room, be sure to tip your house cleaners extra for the work.
You can rent steam cleaners to tackle cleaning a carpet yourself, which will cost an average of $100 per day. You may spend a bit more on truck-mounted carpet cleaners if you're tackling a larger room. You’ll also need to pick up detergent for the stubborn stains, which will cost another $15 to $25. So, the total cost of DIY carpet cleaning is around $50 to $75.
The process isn’t difficult, but it does require some precautions. For one, you don’t want to damage the carpet by tearing up fibers. And you’re likely to spend more time tackling the project than professionals would.
For deep stains and carpets that aren’t regularly cleaned, you’ll want to contact a professional carpet cleaner, and there are many tools online to do so, including search engines, social media, and company aggregation services. They’ll have the tools needed to break up these monstrous stains and often have insurance in the event they damage your carpet.
Some over-the-counter or DIY stain removers can make stains worse. If you are unsure of the material and the stain is over a week old, a professional cleaner will know the correct solution to use.
Even when professionally deep cleaning those carpets is non-negotiable, there are ways to keep your budget under control. Carpet cleaning costs heavily vary by company, so always be sure to request at least three estimates before making a decision. Additionally, you can trim your carpet cleaning prices by doing the following:
Removing stains yourself before the cleaners arrive
Moving and replacing all furniture on your own
Requesting a slot in the slow part of the week, such as on a weekday morning
Booking multiple visits for bulk pricing and special promotions
Determining which carpets require deep cleaning and handling the rest on your own
Maintaining your carpets in between cleanings to avoid costly visits
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We’ve surveyed over 30,000 real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
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You’ll want to have your carpet cleaned every 12 to 18 months. But carpet cleaning frequency depends on foot traffic, so if you find dirt and stains magically appear in your home fairly frequently, you can have your carpet cleaned more often. Speak with your carpet cleaning team to ask about special packages that cover ongoing visits.
There are a few carpet maintenance tips you’ll want to use to keep your carpet looking brand-new. Make sure you tackle stains immediately, and only use cleaners gentle enough for your carpet's specific fibers. You can even pop area rugs on top of wall-to-wall carpeting to change the look of your space and protect the carpet below.
If you find yourself dealing with an increase in allergies and a smell that always lingers, these are signs you need to replace your carpet. The moment cleaning no longer works is the moment you need to rip it up and replace it with a new carpet or new flooring like vinyl or laminate.
Some carpet cleaning companies tack on additional fees for moving furniture, so the best course of action is to confirm what the cleaning fee covers when you set up the appointment. While you can find companies that include furniture moving, many will not due to insurance liability, the risk of damage, or time constraints.
You can have your carpets professionally cleaned throughout the year, but many households prefer the spring or fall. Spring can be an ideal time for cleaning up the messes left behind by snow or rain. Fall is a popular time when many homeowners clean for the upcoming holiday season and get rid of dirt and grime tracked in from the kids being home all summer.
