A grey track down the office corridor, a wine mark in the lounge, a tenancy ending soon: most people ask what carpet cleaning costs when something needs doing. We carry out Carpet Cleaning for offices, schools, pubs and homes across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and this page explains what sets the bill.
The Quick Answer
- The labour, equipment, materials and extras that make up a carpet cleaning price
- Signs on your own carpet that show how big the job is
- Why quotes for different cleaning methods are not like for like
- The hidden running costs of hiring or buying a machine
- Safety and drying points that apply to every carpet clean
We have worked in the area since 1966, a family firm in its fourth generation, and every cleaner is our own employee. Our carpet cleaning covers homes and commercial premises, including carpet cleaning in Hemel Hempstead.
Ask Olivers Cleaning Contractors Ltd for a free quote across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, and get a price built on your rooms rather than a guess.
What is the average cost of a carpet cleaner?
The average cost of a carpet cleaner has no single figure, because the price is set by the size of the area, how soiled the carpet is, the stains, access and furniture, and any treatments such as a stain protector or deodorising. The common case is a quote built on those levers after a look at the carpet.
Tell Olivers Cleaning Contractors Ltd about your rooms, your stains and your access, and we will quote your carpet clean on what it actually involves.
How a carpet cleaning price is worked out
We have cleaned carpets long enough to know that a national average tells you very little about your own lounge or office. Knowing the handful of things that move a price is more use to you than a number that will be wrong by the time you need it.
A price for professional carpet cleaning is made up of several parts:
- Labour: the time it takes to prepare, clean and finish the area. This is usually the largest part.
- Equipment: a hot water extraction machine, hoses, tools and the power and water to run them.
- Materials: pre-spray, rinse solution and any stain removers used on the day.
- Travel and set-up: getting the kit to you and running hoses in. This is why many firms set a minimum charge for a visit.
- Extras: a stain protector, a deodorising treatment or an anti-allergen treatment, each priced on top.
Some jobs are priced per room and others by the square metre, because a box room and an open-plan office floor are very different amounts of work. On the day the work follows a set order: vacuum to lift dry soil, pre-treat stains and traffic lanes, clean by hot water extraction, rinse, then leave the carpet to dry. Every one of those steps takes time, and time is what you are paying for.
Signs that tell you what kind of clean you need
The state of your carpet tells you a good deal about where your job will sit. Look for these:
- Grey traffic lanes through doorways and corridors mean ground-in soil, which needs pre-treatment and more passes.
- A lingering smell from pets, damp or spills usually means a deodorising treatment on top of the clean.
- Old, set stains take longer than fresh ones, and some may lighten rather than lift completely.
- Flattened or matted pile in busy areas shows heavy wear that a deep clean will improve but cannot reverse.
- Allergy or asthma in the household makes an anti-allergen treatment worth asking about.
A carpet that has been vacuumed regularly and cleaned within the last year or two is a lighter job than one that has gone untouched for a decade. Heavy furniture that needs moving, stairs and tight access all add time too.
Tell Olivers Cleaning Contractors Ltd about your rooms, your stains and your access, and we will quote your carpet clean on what it actually involves.
Common mistakes about carpet cleaning costs
The first mistake is treating every quote as like for like. Steam cleaning, which in the trade usually means hot water extraction, cleans down into the pile. Dry carpet cleaning and bonnet cleaning work mostly on the surface and suit different jobs. Two prices for two different methods are not comparable.
The second is assuming a hired or bought machine is the cheap route. Detergent, accessories, upkeep and your own afternoon all cost something, and domestic machines tend to leave more water behind, which stretches the drying time and can leave a damp smell.
The third is assuming the lowest figure covers everything. Ask whether stain treatment, furniture moving and rinsing are included, or added once the work starts.
The fourth is expecting commercial carpet cleaning to cost the same as a home. Larger areas, out-of-hours working and tougher soiling all change the job. We clean carpets in offices, pubs, schools, nurseries and homes across the area we serve, carpet cleaning in St Albans included.
Safety and standards on every carpet clean
Cleaning chemicals are covered by the COSHH Health and Safety Regulations, which require them to be assessed, stored and used safely. Our cleaners are trained to COSHH, so the products on your carpet are ones we know how to handle around children, pets and staff.
A few practical points apply to any clean:
- Test for colour fastness on a hidden patch before cleaning, especially on wool or rugs.
- Check the manufacturer's care label, since some fibres do not suit hot water.
- Treat a damp carpet as a slip risk, and keep people off it while it dries.
- Ventilate the room to shorten the drying time and stop any musty smell.
We carry out every carpet clean to the same procedures, from a school hall to a family lounge, and carpet cleaning in Watford is no different.
Tell Olivers Cleaning Contractors Ltd about your rooms, your stains and your access, and we will quote your carpet clean on what it actually involves.
