Carpet cleaning: Cost breakdown 2025

Professional carpet cleaning in the UK starts from around £50 for a small room.

However, the total cost will vary depending on:

• The size of the room
• The type and condition of the carpet
• Any extra treatments required

Read on for a full breakdown of carpet cleaning rates in 2025, for both residential and commercial projects.

How much does carpet cleaning cost in 2025?

Before replacing your carpets, it’s often worth considering a deep clean. It’s typically cheaper than buying and installing new, and can instantly revive tired-looking floors. Here’s what you can expect to pay, on average, for professional carpet cleaning:

As a ballpark cost for your carpet cleaning, you can expect to pay at least £50 for small to medium sized room (4m x 4m).

NB: This cost is for a thorough, professional clean, not for a soft carpet wash. Let’s look at the differences.

Types of carpet cleaning service

As a consumer, you want to know what you’re paying for. Therefore it’s important to understand the different carpet cleaning services offered.

Two popular types of professional carpet cleaning methods include:

Steam cleaning

Also known as hot water extraction cleaning or vapour cleaning, steam carpet cleaning uses high-pressure hot water to dissolve dirt inside the carpet.

The carpet should then be left to air dry before use. The cleaner should be able to tell you their preparation before steam cleaning the carpet.

If they only steam clean the carpet, this is a soft wash, not a thorough professional clean.

Dry compound carpet cleaning

Dry carpet cleaning is a relatively new technique commonly used in commercial offices as it does not require drying time. Unlike vapour cleaning, dry carpet cleaning involves the application of a biodegradable cleaning compound or powder to the bottom of the carpet using motorised equipment.

Once in the carpet, the compound absorbs the dirt from within the carpet fibres, giving the room a deep clean.

Chem-dry carpet cleaning prices typically start around £50 for a 5ft x 5ft room.

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A thorough, professional clean vs a soft wash

Checkatrade member, Viesturs at Chichester Carpet Cleaning, offered some great advice for those of you looking for a high-quality carpet clean that gives visible results. Some carpet cleaning companies offer a different kind of service. If you, as a customer, can understand the difference in process between a thorough clean and a soft wash, you can make sure you’re not stung with a high-cost but low-quality clean.

Viesturs told us, “Prices don’t always reflect the quality of the work. By understanding the process of a good, thorough carpet clean with the best products and equipment, you will be in a better place to understand whether you’re paying for a soft wash clean or if you’re going to get a professional carpet clean.“

What is a soft wash or quick carpet clean?

“A ‘quick wash’ is like a steam clean. There’s no prep work and it doesn’t get as good results. The standard process of carpet cleaning must include thorough preparation work.“

What is the process of a thorough carpet cleaning process?

This is the process top carpet cleaners like Viesturs will follow:

• Vacuum the carpet to remove dry soil.
• Use a chemical pre-spray and allow it to soak into the carpet to loosen any dried on soil.
• The cleaner will carry out mechanical agitation. This machine can also be used for dry cleaning as it lifts the pile up and removes any dirt from the carpet.
• Only then do you steam clean the carpet and use the hot water extraction machine.

The above is the cleaning standard set by carpet manufacturers.

How to find out if a carpet cleaner offers a quick carpet wash

A carpet cleaner offering a soft wash will be much cheaper; that’s usually the first sign. Prices don’t always reflect the quality of the work, but knowing the preparation process puts you, as a customer, in a better place to understand whether you’re paying for a soft wash or a thorough carpet clean.

The best way to find out is by asking the carpet cleaner to explain their cleaning process. If they talk about hoovering and steaming the carpet with no mention of prepping, then you know that’s a soft wash. They should be able to explain all of their prep work to you.

Viesturs finished with, “I personally don’t mind being seen as expensive by some. Yes, some customers find us slightly above average on cost, but for that very slight difference, we deliver a much better clean with visibly better results.“

Carpet cleaning rates in the UK

The average carpet cleaning cost will vary slightly depending on your location. For example:

• Hull: £40
• Dartford: £240
• London: £230

We recommend getting a selection of quotes from professional carpet cleaners in your area to ensure you receive a fair and competitive price.

Note: The average prices shown here are indicative prices of carpet cleaning calculated from customer feedback sent to Checkatrade. These jobs may vary in complexity, but this gives you an idea of what expert tradespeople in your local area are charging.

Factors affecting the cost of carpet cleaning

Professional carpet cleaning quotes will be determined by the type of work you require. While straightforward carpet cleaning will come at a standard cost, the following items will see additional fees factored into the quote:

Type of carpet

Firstly, professional carpet cleaning prices can vary depending on the type of fabric used in the carpet. For example, many carpet cleaners will charge extra fees for carpet that is 100% wool due to the specialist care and products required.

Stubborn stains

When tough stains such as red wine, paint, or grease become deeply embedded into the fibres of your carpet, they may require more work to remove. Be sure to mention this to the carpet cleaners to make sure any extra time or treatments needed are factored into the total cost you’re quoted.

Minimum charges

Before you search for a professional to help bring your carpet back to life, it’s worth knowing that carpet cleaning companies often have a minimum charge of around £85 per visit.

Therefore, even though they may quote just £50 for a room, the total price will still be £60 – £120.

For the best prices, it’s worth getting all the carpets cleaned in your house rather than room-by-room.

Extra services

If you need extra services such as ScotchGard cover, anti-insect treatment, or pre-treatment, these additional jobs will inevitably affect the total carpet cleaning cost. It’s also worth noting that most carpet cleaning companies will charge a cancellation fee if less than 24 hours’ notice is given.

Labour costs

Finally, labour rates for tradespeople vary up and down the country, and the same applies to professional carpet cleaners.

The average hourly rate for a carpet cleaner is around £60 – £120 per hour, and will vary depending on the company you pick as well as the factors outlined above.

Start your search for local carpet cleaners today

View company profiles, read customer reviews, and make contact directly via the Checkatrade app or with a simple postcode search, below.

Commercial carpet cleaning prices

The need for a quick turnaround to allow for immediate use of the premises can often mean the price for commercial carpet cleaning is higher than for residential.

• The average rate for commercial carpet cleaning: £4 per sq ft
• Typical carpet cleaning cost for a 150 – 175 sq ft office: £320

Hidden costs to consider

When hiring professional carpet cleaners, be aware that there are several additional services that would be charged as extra, if required. These include:

ScotchGard protection treatments

After carpet cleaning is complete, anti-stain products such as Scotchgard can be applied to protect your carpet from stains and spills.

This type of treatment is effective for all types of washable fabrics and only requires one application. Expect to pay around £15 per room for stain protection.

Anti-insect treatments

Protecting your carpet from microscopic insects such as dust mites can make all the difference, particularly if you or members of your family have asthma. Specialist products can be applied to your carpet to eradicate these pests and promote a healthier environment.

Anti-insect treatment will typically cost between £7 and £13 per room if offered as part of the service.

Pre-treatment

Pre-treatment products can be applied to problem areas to prepare them for professional cleaning by loosening the dirt or grease within the carpet. Some carpet cleaners will include pre-treatment as part of the cost if you communicate your requirements when asking for a quote.

Checkatrade member, Viesturs Silnieks of Chichester Carpet Cleaning, said:

“There are quick wash trades who just do the wash without the preparation process, which works out cheaper. They don’t spend as much time there, but then the results reflect that.”

Furniture removal

Most cleaning companies will expect to be able to clean the carpet upon arrival. If you require special assistance moving furniture, mention this ahead of time – there will likely be an extra charge for this service.

Weekend or urgent booking fees

When carpet cleaning is needed outside of standard hours, for example, during a weekend, expect to pay more.

Travel or call-out fees

It’s also wise to check whether the price you’re quoted for carpet cleaning includes travel, or if this is charged as extra.

Quick drying service fees

On occasion, a quick drying service is needed so the room isn’t out of action for too long. Many carpet cleaning companies will offer this, but expect it to be an additional cost.

Cost of hiring a carpet cleaning company vs DIY

If you’re tempted to tackle carpet cleaning yourself, take a look at our handy guides: Carpet and upholstery cleaning tips and How to care for your carpets. Just bear in mind that carpet cleaning equipment is heavy and bulky, so it can be difficult to manage.

Plus, a DIY approach will rarely match the deep, powerful clean that an experienced carpet cleaning company will achieve, so it’s often best to call in the professionals. Expect better stain removal, odour elimination, and faster drying times when using a professional carpet cleaning service.

Find a carpet cleaning company near me

Ready to revive your carpets with the help of professional carpet cleaning services? Search for trusted carpet cleaning companies in your local area. Simply enter your postcode below to get started.

FAQs

What are the benefits of professional carpet cleaning?

Getting your carpet professionally cleaned can revitalise your room and contribute to a healthier environment by removing dirt and bacteria.

If you have children or pets, you will undoubtedly know the struggle of constantly scrubbing stains from your carpet and upholstery.

As well as eliminating these pesky surface stains, a deep clean will tackle the dust and dirt that’s become ingrained in the fibres to leave your room bright, fresh, and hygienic.

How long does carpet cleaning take?

There’s no ‘average’ time to clean carpets, but you could assume it’ll require at least one hour per room to clean the carpet properly.

How often should I get my carpets cleaned?

Checkatrade member, Viesturs Silnieks of Chichester Carpet Cleaning said, “You should clean your carpets at least once a year to avoid a build-up of bacteria and to prolong the life of your carpet. It’s also what carpet manufacturers recommend.”

If you have children or pets who regularly bring dirt into the house, you might find it needs more frequent touch-ups.