Carpet Cleaning Prices in the UK and What Affects Them

Professional carpet cleaning in the UK typically costs between £25 and £50 for a standard room, while cleaning the carpets throughout a typical three-bedroom house costs between £100 and £250. The exact price you pay will depend on the size of the rooms, the condition of the carpets and where you live.

Carpet cleaning prices at a glance

This table shows typical professional carpet cleaning prices across the UK. The figures give you a baseline to check your local quotes against.

These figures represent typical published prices for 2026. The actual quotes you receive from local cleaners will differ based on the exact size of your rooms and the condition of your carpets.

Prices per room and per square metre

Most professional carpet cleaners charge by the room for standard domestic jobs. A standard hot water extraction clean typically costs between £25 and £50 per room. This process involves injecting hot water and cleaning solution deep into the carpet pile and immediately vacuuming it back out to remove the dirt.

If your carpets have not been cleaned for a long time, they might need a more thorough treatment. A deeper clean that includes a pre-spray, mechanical agitation, hot water extraction and deodorising usually costs between £40 and £70 per room. The agitation step uses a machine to brush the pre-spray into the fibres, which helps to lift embedded hair, grit and stubborn stains before the extraction begins.

For very large rooms or open plan spaces, cleaners often switch to pricing by the square metre. This ensures the price accurately reflects the amount of work involved. The typical rate is between £1.50 and £4 per square metre for most of the UK, rising to between £2 and £5 per square metre in London and the South East.

What it costs to clean the whole house

Cleaning the carpets throughout a typical two to three-bedroom home costs between £100 and £250 in most of the UK. This price usually covers three bedrooms, a living room, the stairs and the landing. A professional will take between 15 and 20 minutes to clean a standard room, so a whole house of this size takes roughly one and a half to two and a half hours to complete.

Booking multiple rooms at the same time is the most cost-effective way to hire a carpet cleaner. Once a cleaner is set up in your home, adding extra rooms takes relatively little time and uses the same batch of equipment.

If you book four or more carpets to be cleaned in the same visit, the price normally drops to between £20 and £35 per carpet. This makes a whole house clean much better value than booking individual rooms on separate occasions.

Stairs, landings and rugs

Cleaning the stairs and landing usually costs between £25 and £50 for most of the UK, and between £35 and £60 in London and the South East. Stairs take longer to clean than a standard room because the professional has to use smaller hand tools and work carefully around the edges of each step.

Rugs are priced differently depending on their size and how they are made. A small to medium rug of up to six square metres typically costs between £20 and £40 to clean. A large rug will cost between £40 and £75.

Valuable, antique or handmade rugs are a specialist job, so a cleaner will usually want to see one before giving you a firm price.

Why minimum charges matter for small jobs

Many professional carpet cleaners set a minimum charge, which covers travel and setting up the equipment however small the job is. The typical minimum charge is between £50 and £70 for most of the UK, and between £60 and £100 in London.

This minimum charge is why booking a single room is rarely good value. A single small room of up to 10 square metres has a typical rate of £25 to £40. However, if this is the only room you ask them to clean, you will usually have to pay the £50 to £70 minimum charge instead.

To get the best value for your money, try to group jobs together. If you only have one bedroom that needs cleaning, consider adding a rug, the stairs or a fabric sofa to the booking so that the total value of the work meets or exceeds the minimum call-out fee.

How much more London costs

Carpet cleaning prices in London and the South East run roughly 20 to 30 per cent higher than the rest of the UK. A standard room typically costs £25 to £40 outside London, while the average price in London is about £50 per room.

Prices also vary across other regions based on local living costs and business overheads. For example, the average price for cleaning a standard room in the North East is about £30. When you request quotes, expect the figures to reflect the general cost of living in your specific area.

Extras that add to the bill

The base price for carpet cleaning usually covers standard dirt and light marks. If your carpets require specialist treatments, these will add to your final bill. Heavy staining or odour treatments typically cost an extra £10 to £30 per area.

You can also ask the cleaner to apply a stain protection treatment after the carpet is clean. This creates an invisible barrier on the carpet fibres that gives you more time to wipe up future spills before they sink in. Stain protection usually costs an extra £5 to £10 per room.

Moving furniture and treating specialist stains are commonly charged separately. Removing harsh marks like ink, red wine or makeup requires specific chemical spotting kits and takes extra time. If you need heavy items moved or have difficult stains, point these out before you book so there are no surprise costs on the day.

Hiring a machine versus paying a professional

You might consider doing the job yourself to save money. Hiring a carpet cleaning machine from a supermarket usually costs between £20 and £40 per day. You will also need to buy the cleaning solutions and carry the heavy machine to and from the store, which adds to the total cost and effort.

If a carpet is very soiled, calling in a professional may be the better option from the outset.

A professional cleaner also has the experience to choose the right chemicals for different types of carpet fibres and stains. Using the wrong product or over-wetting the carpet with a hire machine can cause shrinkage, damage the backing or leave a lingering damp smell.

Carpet cleaning when you move out

For rented homes in England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 bans landlords and letting agents from making tenants pay for professional cleaning. A tenancy agreement that says you must pay for a professional service is not fair and the landlord cannot enforce it. Your legal duty is simply to return the property to the same standard of cleanliness as when you moved in. You can read more about what a landlord can deduct from your deposit on the Shelter England website.

The condition of the carpets should be recorded on your inventory or check-in report. If the carpets were professionally cleaned before you arrived, they need to be cleaned to that same standard before you leave. Landlords cannot make deductions for fair wear and tear, which includes the natural flattening of carpets over time.

Some tenants choose to hire a professional cleaner anyway. If you decide to do this, keep the receipt as proof that the carpets were cleaned. You can find more detail on how to handle the whole property in our end of tenancy cleaning explained for tenants and landlords guide. Rules on end of tenancy cleaning differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

How to get an accurate quote

Professional carpet cleaners usually want to survey the job on site before they give you a final price. This is because the cost depends heavily on the amount of work, the condition of the carpets, the location and the equipment needed. If a cleaner gives you a price over the phone, ask if that figure is fixed or if it might change once they see the property.

To get a reliable estimate before the survey, give the cleaner as much detail as possible.

• The number of rooms that need cleaning and their rough sizes
• Whether you need the stairs and landing cleaned
• The type of carpet if you know it
• The general condition of the carpets and any heavy stains
• Whether you have pets in the home

You should also ask a few direct questions to understand exactly what the quote covers.

• What specific cleaning method will be used
• Whether the price includes pre-spraying and deodorising
• What tasks or treatments are excluded from the price
• Whether moving furniture carries an extra charge

If you book a cleaning service online, over the phone or by mail order, you normally have a 14-day cooling-off period. This right to cancel begins the day after the contract is made. It also applies if you were approached away from the business premises and the service costs £42 or more. You can check the exact rules on cancelling a service you have arranged with Citizens Advice. If you ask for the cleaning to happen inside that 14-day window and then cancel, the business can keep an amount that covers the cost of the service they have already provided.

When a cheap quote should make you cautious

You should be very cautious if a company offers a per room price that seems unusually low. Some firms use a low headline rate to get a foot in the door, and the final price can be much higher.

A very low per room rate can turn into a much higher minimum charge once the cleaner arrives. Other companies might use the low price for a basic clean and then upsell deeper cleaning, pre-sprays or stain treatments on the day because of the condition of your carpets.

Always ask what cleaning method is included in the quote. A cheap quote might only cover a light surface clean rather than proper hot water extraction. You can read more about the different methods and the equipment used in our guide to professional carpet cleaning and what to expect on the day.

Common questions

How long do carpets take to dry?

Carpets cleaned by hot water extraction are usually touch-dry in four to eight hours and fully dry within 24 hours. The exact time depends on the ventilation, the heating in your home and the humidity in the air. You should keep children and pets off the cleaned carpets and any cleaned furniture until they are completely dry.

How can I help the carpets dry faster?

If a carpet remains damp in patches after cleaning, you must dry it as quickly as possible so it does not develop a smell of mildew. Ideally, you should turn the heating on and open the windows. Keeping internal doors open will also help to improve the ventilation through the property.

Does the cleaner move the furniture?

Professional cleaners will usually move furniture if they are told about it beforehand, but this may carry an extra charge. You should ask how to prepare the room so the job can be done quickly and find out how long it will be before the furniture can go back. Move valuable items yourself or point them out to the cleaner.

Do I need to tell the cleaner about health conditions?

You should always tell the cleaner in advance if anyone in your household has asthma or specific chemical sensitivities. The professional can then choose appropriate cleaning solutions or adjust their methods to keep your home safe and comfortable.

Next steps before you book

Before you hire a carpet cleaner, take a few minutes to prepare so you get the best possible service and price.

• Count the rooms that need cleaning and make a note of any heavy stains
• Decide if you want any extras like stain protection or odour treatment
• Contact at least two local professionals to get like-for-like quotes
• Ask if the quote is fixed or if it might change after an on-site survey
• Confirm exactly what cleaning method the price includes
• Ask if there is a minimum call-out charge that applies to your job

Taking the time to check these details will help you avoid hidden costs and ensure your carpets get the right treatment. When you are ready to get started, you can find a house cleaner near you to compare local prices and availability.