If you want to get your carpet professionally cleaned expect to pay between £20 and £30 per room depending on the size and location in your house.
This varies depending on the company you choose to do the cleaning, as well as the size of your house.
Factors That Affect The Price Of Carpet Cleaning
Let’s take a deeper dive into the factors that affect the price of carpet cleaning, as well as how you can save money by cleaning your carpet yourself.
Surface Area Of Carpet
First and foremost the surface area of the carpet that you need cleaning will have the biggest influence on the price you pay.
Although most companies charge per room the actual price you’ll pay is directly related to the area of carpet that they clean. There would be no difference, for example, in cleaning 4 rooms each 30sq.ft in size or 1 room that is 120sq.ft in size.
More surface area means more carpet to clean, which will take longer to complete and use up more cleaning solutions.
Accessibility
If your rooms are difficult to access or clean this will probably lead to an additional charge for the service.
No carpet cleaner wants to turn up to a job and be faced with mountains of furniture and other household items that need to be moved before they can even start their work. This costs more time and effort, resulting in an extra charge.
If you’re unable to move the furniture then be upfront about this when you book the service and they will be able to accommodate this into their plans. It’s usually only a problem if you don’t make them aware before they arrive.
Minimum Fee
A lot of companies will have a minimum fee to give them a failsafe for every job.
This is because if they can only match you with a cleaner who is quite far away, then it only makes sense from an economical standpoint to have a minimum charge to make every job worth it to do.
There would be little point in a cleaner travelling hours to reach your house, only to clean one room for £20. The cleaning company will always take this into account before they come out to your house so this problem will always be made aware to both parties beforehand.
Condition Of The Carpet
The final factor that could end up costing you more is the condition of the carpet and the stains – if any – that are on it.
If you carpet has been exposed to harsh stains and conditions then it could prove more difficult to clean. Stains that can cause these sorts of problems for the cleaners are typically from paints and wines, and can easily bump up the amount you’ll have to pay.
This is because certain stains require different cleaning solutions to get them out of the carpet, which makes the operating costs higher for the company.
Should You Rent A Carpet Cleaner Instead?
A great solution if you want to save money is renting a carpet cleaner from a reputable company. In the UK there are loads of places that offer this service, the most common of which being Rug Doctor.
Renting a carpet cleaner will usually cost between £20 and £30 per 24 hours.
When compared to the price of professional cleaning being this amount per room, it is clear to see why a lot of people opt to rent a cleaner rather than paying for a professional service.
Can You Achieve The Same Result?
The question is can you achieve the same result by hiring a carpet cleaner and doing the job yourself versus paying more money for a professional clean?
The simple answer is no.
A professional carpet cleaning service will be done by tradesmen with years of experience that you can’t expect to replicate. Sure, cleaning a carpet isn’t the most highly skilled task of all, but you really do get what you pay for when it comes down to it.
That isn’t to say that you can’t get quite a nice finish by renting a carpet cleaner however, it all comes down to personal preference.
Do You Have To Pay For Cleaning Solution Separately?
This depends on the rental company you decide to use, but in most cases, you’ll have to pay for the cleaning solution separately from the rental cost.
This does bump up the price a little bit as a standard carpet cleaning solution usually costs about £10 to £20 for a full container depending on which brand you use. The cost of professional cleaning is still much more expensive though but you should still take the solution cost into account if you are only going to have one or two rooms cleaned.
Clean The Carpet Yourself Without A Carpet Cleaner
If you want to deep clean your carpet but don’t want to use a carpet cleaning machine then you’re going to struggle massively to achieve any kind of result.
This is because the only option you will have is to first vacuum your carpet, followed by spot cleaning with a cleaning solution. Whilst this is great for weekly maintenance of a carpet, it will not lift dirt from all levels of the carpet or treat all of the fibres to a proper clean.
We strongly recommend at least hiring a cleaning machine as the bare minimum to properly clean your carpet.
Remember that treating your carpet regularly reduces the chances of issues such as buckling and fraying, which can be expensive to repair in their own right.
The Verdict
If you want to save money then hiring a carpet cleaner is the way to go.
You’ll save more money depending on the size of your house, as well as the factors mentioned above, which can make it even more beneficial to rent out a carpet cleaner. Just be prepared to put the hours in…
If the cost isn’t a worry then hiring a professional company will give you peace of mind that your carpets will be cleaned to a high standard without you breaking a sweat. A professional will ensure that dirt is lifted from all levels of your carpet and that the job is completed to the highest standard.
Remember to use the guidelines above when getting quotes to ensure you’re paying a fair price. And don’t forget that good maintenance of your carpet will make it last much longer, reducing the amount you’ll have to spend further down the line.
