Carpet care is paramount in maintaining a healthy and clean environment. Deep cleaning protects your carpet from damage from dirt, dust, and allergens. There are two main methods to clean carpeting: The hot water extraction method is the industry standard for professional carpet cleaning services, and the other is the dry cleaning method of cleaning carpets. The hot water extraction method uses chemicals to clean and hot water to break down the dirt and debris within the carpet’s fibers. A wet vacuum is used to extract the dirty water from your carpet. Deep cleaning should be completed every year or year and a half.
The average cost of professional cleaning is around $200, depending on the square footage of carpeting in your home. $30.00 – $50.00 per room is the average cost. Finding a cleaning service that has a truck-mounted extraction unit is preferable as they utilize higher pressure vacuum to extract the dirt and water. They also use hotter water than cleaning systems that are not mounted on a truck.
Dry Compound Cleaning: An absorbent compound which resembles sawdust is applied to your carpet. A machine agitates the mixture into the carpet. A large vacuum sucks up the compound with no rinsing of the carpet.
Dry Foam Carpet Cleaning: A pressurized container mixes air into the cleaning detergent which then comes out as foam. When the foam has dried it is vacuumed up by machine. This method uses less water and there is no rinsing of your carpet with water.
Dry Chemical Cleaning: A chemical is put onto the carpet and then a machine with a cotton bonnet scrubs at the carpeting. When one bonnet is dirty another bonnet is applied and run over the carpeting.
None of the dry cleaning methods uses water to rinse out the cleaning agents. The cost of dry cleaning your carpet is comparable to the hot water extraction method. After determining which method of cleaning best suits your needs, call several companies and ask for cleaning quotes.
Scotch Guard is a professional product that costs extra to apply to your carpeting. Scotch Guard helps to protect your carpeting from future stains. The cost of Scotch Guard is usually $5.00-$10.00 extra per room.
Most carpet cleaning companies also clean furniture. The average cost to clean a couch is $80.00 – $100.00. A love seat would cost $60.00 – $80.00. Having just the cushions clean cost $3 – $5.00 per cushion. Badly stained carpeting will require more effort to clean effectively and will likely cost more. If your home has stairs expect to pay $2.00 – $2.50 per stair for cleaning. If you have a large amount of furniture to be moved this will also cause the cost of cleaning to be higher.
For most modern carpeting, the water extraction method of cleaning is most efficient and produces the best results. If you have antique Persian rugs or natural fiber carpets, you would probably want to use dry chemical or dry compound cleaning, checking with the service provider to determine which is best suited.