How much does carpet cleaning cost?
Updated
Short answer
Cleaning the carpets yourself costs $30 to $60, for a rental machine and the cleaning solution, and takes 120 to 240 minutes for the main rooms. A carpet cleaning service charges $100 to $300 for a few rooms. The job comes every 12 to 18 months, and every 6 months with pets or young children, so the choice repeats. The rental does a fair job on light soil. The service's truck-mounted machine pulls out more water and more dirt, and it's what a carpet warranty usually requires.
Cost breakdown
| Item | DIY | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Materials | $30 to $60 | included |
| Tools you may need to buy | none | included |
| Labor | your time | $100 to $300 |
| Total | $30 to $60 | $100 to $300 |
The DIY column is the rental machine for a day and a bottle of solution. Owning a machine changes the math after a few cleanings. The pro column is a crew with a truck-mounted hot water extractor, pretreatment for traffic lanes and spots, and the furniture moved and put back.
What drives the cost
- The area. Services price by the room or the square foot, and stairs and hallways are often extra, so a whole house costs more than the base price suggests.
- The method. Hot water extraction from a truck is the standard and the price above. Dry cleaning or encapsulation costs about the same and dries faster, and a lower price often means a smaller machine.
- Spots and pets. Pet stain treatment, deodorizing and heavy spot work are add-ons, and a pet household should expect them.
- Furniture. Moving heavy furniture adds to the time, and an empty room is cheaper to clean. Clearing the small stuff yourself trims the bill.
- Protector. A stain protector applied after cleaning is an upsell, useful in a busy household and skippable in a quiet one.
DIY vs. pro
The rental is fine for a light refresh, and the money favors it: how often to clean carpets is every 12 to 18 months, and $30 to $60 for a machine and solution gets the main rooms done in an afternoon. Vacuum well first, go slowly, make extra dry passes, and leave the windows open so the carpet dries the same day.
Pay the $100 to $300 for a pet household, for carpets that haven't been cleaned in years, when the warranty requires a professional cleaning on a schedule, or when a rental machine left the carpet damp and smelling. A truck-mounted machine uses hotter water and pulls out far more of it, which is the difference between clean and merely wet.
FAQ
How much does carpet cleaning cost per room?
$100 to $300 for a few rooms from a service, with stairs, hallways and pet treatment often extra.
Is renting a carpet cleaner worth it?
For a light refresh, yes, at $30 to $60. For heavy soil, pet stains or a warranty requirement, the service's machine does a better job.
How often should carpets be professionally cleaned?
Every 12 to 18 months, every 6 months with pets or young children, and on whatever schedule the carpet's warranty requires, often every 12 to 24 months.
Why does my carpet smell after cleaning?
It stayed wet too long. A rental machine leaves more water behind than a truck-mounted one, so make extra dry passes and ventilate the room until the carpet is dry.