Rug Cleaning Prices and When Your Rug Needs a Specialist

A professional rug cleaning service is usually split into two different jobs at two different price points. You can book a quick on-site clean where the rug lies, or pay for a thorough off-site immersion wash priced per square metre. Most households pay £60 to £210 to have one rug professionally cleaned.

The table below shows typical prices for both approaches depending on the size of the rug. It compares average rates across the UK with the higher prices found in London and the South East.

These figures are typical published prices for 2026, and your local quotes will differ. Rug cleaning in London and the South East runs roughly 20 to 35 per cent above the rest of the UK.

Because the minimum charge is per visit and not per rug, sending several rugs away at once is better value than doing them one at a time. If you are booking an on-site clean, adding rugs to a fitted carpet clean or a sofa clean will also make your money go further. Some specialists give a discount if you drop the rug off yourself, and several include free collection and delivery within their local area.

On site cleaning or an off site wash

An on-site clean is done where the rug lies and usually relies on hot water extraction. The cleaner uses a machine to spray hot water and detergent into the fibres and immediately vacuums it back out. This takes 30 to 60 minutes, leaves the rug damp for several hours, and suits a machine-made synthetic or hardwearing wool rug.

An off-site immersion wash is a much longer process done at a specialist facility. The rug is collected and put through a dusting machine that vibrates dry grit out of the foundation. It is then fully submerged, washed by hand, rinsed, dried flat under controlled conditions and finally groomed.

This off-site method is exactly what a hand-knotted, antique, silk or heavily soiled rug needs to safely remove ingrained dirt. Off-site work is priced per square metre, so the cost increases in a close to linear way as the area goes up. Rugs over about 9 square metres need two people to lift when wet, and some firms add a surcharge for oversized rugs.

Prices by fibre and rug type

The material your rug is made from drives the price of cleaning much more than its size. Different fibres react differently to water, heat and chemicals, forcing the cleaner to use specific methods.

This table shows the typical cost per square metre to clean different rug materials. It includes the standard off-site methods used by specialists to protect delicate fibres.

These are typical published prices for 2026. If you own a basic machine-made polypropylene rug, hiring a carpet cleaning machine and doing it yourself is a sensible way to save money.

Attempting a DIY clean is a bad idea on anything hand-knotted, silk, viscose or antique. These materials require specialist knowledge to avoid permanent damage, shrinkage or colour bleeding.

Wool, Persian and hand knotted rugs

A machine-made wool rug can often be cleaned on site, but a hand-knotted wool rug should not be hot water extracted in your home. If a wool rug is over-wetted at home it can smell for months because the thick foundation never fully dries.

Older Persian and oriental rugs carry an extra risk. The natural dyes used to create their patterns can easily bleed into each other if the water temperature or chemical pH is wrong. A specialist tests the dyes before starting and uses a controlled off-site immersion wash to keep the colours sharp.

The dusting stage is also vital for thick wool rugs. Vacuuming only removes surface dirt, leaving sharp grit deep in the foundation to cut the fibres every time you walk on it. The vibrating machinery at an off-site facility shakes this hidden dirt loose before the rug ever gets wet.

Silk, viscose and natural fibre rugs

Silk is a delicate natural protein fibre that requires a careful off-site hand wash. It is easily damaged by high heat and harsh detergents, so a specialist will use targeted cleaning solutions and dry the rug flat to protect its shape and sheen.

Viscose is a manufactured fibre often sold under names like art silk, bamboo silk or rayon. It is notorious in the cleaning industry because it loses most of its strength when wet and changes texture easily. A viscose rug must be cleaned by hand at very low moisture and dried under tension to stop it warping.

Because viscose is so vulnerable to water damage, many professional cleaners will only accept these rugs if you sign a damage waiver first. Natural plant fibres like jute, sisal and seagrass also shrink and stain if they get too wet, meaning they need a similar low moisture approach.

Pet accidents, moths and fringe repairs

Standard rug cleaning removes general dirt, but specific problems require extra treatments. If you are dealing with a pet accident, urine and odour decontamination costs £5 to £10 per square metre, or a flat fee of about £75 per rug. This breaks down the uric acid crystals that basic cleaning up after a pet leaves behind.

Moth treatment costs around £10 per square metre or £120 as a flat fee to kill larvae eating the wool. Applying a stain protection treatment to repel future spills usually costs about £10 per square metre. Heavy or specialist stain treatment for deep marks like wine or ink adds £35 to £90 to the bill.

If the edges of your rug are damaged, fringe, selvedge and pile repair costs around £30 per foot. Always ask for repairs to be quoted before the wash happens. Washing a frayed end makes it much worse, so a good specialist will secure the damage before the rug goes into the water.

An anti-slip rug pad costs £14 to £25 for common sizes. This stops the rug creeping across hard floors and protects the foundation from friction.

How long rug cleaning takes and how often to book it

An on-site clean is fast, usually taking 30 to 60 minutes before leaving the rug to air dry in your home. An off-site immersion wash takes much longer. You should expect the rug to be away for 10 days to two weeks, and sometimes longer at busy times of the year.

A rug in a busy hallway or living room should be professionally cleaned every 12 to 18 months. A rug in a bedroom or one sitting largely under furniture only needs a professional clean every 2 to 3 years.

To keep the rug in good condition between professional washes, you should vacuum both sides of it every month. Vacuuming the back pushes trapped grit out of the foundation and onto the floor, where you can easily sweep it up.

How to choose a rug cleaner

The first thing to ask a rug cleaner is where the rug will be cleaned. A firm that only cleans on site is simply not equipped to safely wash a hand-knotted or silk rug. You need a specialist with a dedicated washing facility.

You can check for membership of trade associations to verify a cleaner's background. The National Carpet Cleaners Association (NCCA), established in 1968, is the UK trade association for carpet and upholstery cleaners. All members have completed a recognised professional carpet and upholstery cleaning course and reached the required standard in the examination that follows.

The WoolSafe Organisation is another body you can check. Established in 1991, it promotes best practice in carpet and rug care through product evaluation and certification, training and the promotion of professional cleaning and inspection services. The WoolSafe Certification Mark is widely recognised as the standard for carpet care chemicals suitable for use on wool, and the organisation lists WoolSafe Approved Rug Care Specialists.

You also have legal protections when hiring a cleaner. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, a trader must use reasonable care and skill, meaning a good job worth the amount charged. If they have not, you can ask them to put it right within a reasonable time and without too much inconvenience, and if they cannot or will not, you can ask for a partial or full refund.

What a written quote should show

A professional rug cleaner will provide a detailed quote before taking your money or removing the rug from your home. This document protects both of you if anything goes wrong.

A proper written quote should clearly state the following details:

• The measured area of the rug.
• The exact rate per square metre.
• Any minimum charge that applies to the job.
• The cost of collection and delivery.
• The expected turnaround time.
• The insured value of the rug while it is off your premises.

There are also clear warning signs of a poor service. You should look for another company if you spot any of these red flags:

• A fixed price given over the phone without measurements or photos.
• No written condition report provided before the rug is collected.
• A promise of guaranteed stain removal, which no honest cleaner can offer.
• Reluctance to say exactly what insurance covers the rug in transit.

Common questions

How much is rug cleaning?

Most households pay £60 to £210 to have one rug professionally cleaned. A small rug cleaned on site is priced at £20 to £40, but a minimum call-out of £50 to £70 usually applies to the visit. A large rug sent away for an off-site immersion wash can cost £95 to £210.

Can I wash a wool rug myself?

You should not wash a hand-knotted wool rug yourself. If a wool rug is over-wetted at home it can smell for months because the foundation never fully dries, and standard home cleaning cannot vibrate the damaging grit out of the fibres.

What is rug washing compared to cleaning?

Rug cleaning usually refers to a surface clean done on site using a hot water extraction machine. Rug washing means the rug is taken away, thoroughly dusted, fully submerged in water, washed by hand and dried flat under controlled conditions.

Can you clean an antique rug?

Yes, an antique rug can be cleaned, but it must be done by a specialist using an off-site hand wash. Cleaning fragile rugs made before 1950 requires great care to protect the natural dyes and old fibres, and typically costs £35 to £60 per square metre.

Next steps for cleaning your rug

Getting your rug cleaned safely comes down to knowing what material it is and matching it to the right washing method. Follow these steps to get a fair price and a good result.

1. Check the label on the back of your rug to find out what fibre it is made from.
2. Measure the length and width of the rug so you can get accurate quotes per square metre.
3. Decide if you need a cheap on-site clean for a synthetic rug or a specialist off-site wash for wool or silk.
4. Contact three local specialists, ask where the rug will be washed, and ask for a written quote.

If you are ready to compare quotes, you can find a house cleaner near you and ask where each one would clean your rug.