How much does it usually Cost to get Carpets Cleaned?

During the past 15 years, and especially since the pandemic, the use of professional carpet cleaning services has spiked. There are a few reasons for that:

• Most agencies require for the carpets to be professionally cleaned once your tenancy has ended.
• You want to have the piece of mind that the carpets are deeply cleaned before you move in.
• Carpet cleaning keeps the carpet colours fresh and prolongs the carpet's lifespan.
• The most popular method of carpet cleaning - hot water extraction, does miracles when it comes to stain removal.
• The service itself is a great disinfection method.
• Due to social media and the internet in general, more people know about professional carpet cleaning than even before

As a consequence of the sea of companies in London specifically, carpet cleaning prices have a very wide range. The three main factors, which form the final fee, however, are as follows:

1. Size of the room(s) to be cleaned
2. The number of rooms to be cleaned
3. The overall state of the carpet

Today we will help you understand what other points are taken into account before the final quotation is provided to the customer. We will also get into detail about why carpet cleaning can be so beneficial for the life of your carpet and your own well-being.

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The way in which professional carpet cleaners utilize it is as follows:

1. Inspection of the carpet fibres to determine their type. This is important as the wrong assumption can sometimes be fatal. For example, if natural, and more specifically wool, carpets are clean with hot water, they will shrink.
2. Once the carpet material and composition is determined, the cleaner will go over it with a hoover. Failing to do this can spread the built-up dirt, which of course affects the quality of the service.
3. In order to deal with stubborn stains, the use of a pre-spray product is necessary. It usually takes 5-10 minutes for the product to fully react with the soil.
4. What follows is the actual machine cleaning process. Essentially, water under very high pressure is sprayed deep into the carpet. Simultaneously, with the help of a strong vacuum, most of the moisture is sucked out into the machine's dirty tank*. Dirt, dust, bacteria, pet dander and other pollutants are also extracted during this step.
5. If need be, further treatment of tough stains is carried out by hand, with either a soft or a stiff brush.
6. The application of Stain Protection* is the last procedure performed by the expert prior to his departure. In terms of drying, the average waiting time is between 2 and 4 hours. It depends on the initial carpet condition, the humidity in the air and how well the room is ventilated.

*Industrial carpet cleaning machines are built with a dual tank system. The obvious reason as to why this is, is to avoid the extracted polluted water to mix with the clean one.

**Stain Protection is a spray applied over the carpet's surface to help prevent future staining. It's usually effective for up to a whole year, depending on traffic and use. In essence, by having it, you should be able to deal with most stains caused by spillages, assuming you react on time.

What other carpet cleaning methods are there?

Apart from steam cleaning, some companies also provide with dry carpet cleaning services. Dry cleaning is performed with Counter-rotating brush machines (CRB) and dry cleaning powder. Only a minimal amount of moisture is required for this method, hence the name. The reason as to why it's not as popular as carpet shampooing is due to the method's inability to clean the carpet deeply and deal with tough stains.

For some carpet types, however, such as sisal and seagrass, this is the only suitable carpet cleaning method. Essentially, carpets which don't react to moisture too well should only be dry cleaned. Other cases where CRB carpet cleaning is preferred is in busy public areas. Hospitals, hotels & airports are all places which cannot afford to wait for the carpets to dry due to high traffic 24/7.

Read also: How to Use White Vinegar to Clean Carpet Stains?

Other factors which may affect professional carpet cleaning costs

• Minimum charge

All professional cleaning companies have a fixed minimum charge per visit. This means that even if you're willing to do just one single room, you'll have to pay the company's minimum spent. The average minimum charge in London is £60. Luckily, most companies are also specialized in mattress and upholstery cleaning services, so even those with just one bedroom can get the most value out of the service.

• Flat on 2nd or above floor with no lift

In general, professional carpet cleaning gear is quite heavy and is very difficult to lift. The average industrial machine weighs around 60 kilos and taking it to the 2nd, 3rd or 4th floor of a building isn't always possible. In cases where the machine can be brought up to a high floor, an additional fee might be applicable.

• Parking and Congestion/ ULEZ charges

Carpet cleaning companies will always ask you if you are able to provide them with a free of charge space or a permit for the duration of the cleaning. In case you cannot do either, you'll likely be charged for parking. The same applies for homeowners situated inside Central London. The only companies which may not charge the customer for said fee, are those based there with a pre-fixed price list.

• Furniture removal

Professional carpet cleaning teams usually consist of one to two persons at the most. In reality, most of the cases only one single technician will arrive at your doorstep. This can cause a problem if the specific customer requests for heavier items, such as beds and corner sofas, to be moved. This is considered a labour–intensive and time consuming activity, which professional might charge extra for.

• Specific stains and issues

Apart from the usual traffic, food and drink marks, carpet cleaners are also known to successfully deal with paint, mould and even rust issues. All these major problems can lead to the carpet needing to be replaced, which is why the carpet cleaning cost will be high. If your average carpet cleaning for a room is normally £60, you should expect to pay about twice as much if there are paint stains present.