In an era where tutorials of anything you might want to do is just a few clicks away, it is not surprising to hear more and more people considering carpet clicking as DIY chores. The premise behind this is that you can save the money you would have spent on professional carpet services. Additionally, with the DIY carpet cleaning appliance available for hire on the increase, more and more people are tempted to go the DIY way.
However, DIY carpet cleaning is not all rosy. For starters, there is no replacing the professional touch when it comes to carpet cleaning. Experience, just like it does in any other human endeavor, plays a huge role in carpet cleaning. Additionally, many carpet installation companies and rug vendors require that their customers seek professional carpet cleaning services to maintain the validity of their warranties.
Thus, when you ultimately realize that professional carpet cleaning is the best option in as far as cleaning your carpet is concerned, the best way to ensure that you reduce the cost of cleaning your carpet is to understand the how much you should pay for the service. Understanding how much carpet cleaning cost negates the possibility of paying more. Herein we are going to explore how much professional carpet cleaning typically cost as well as look at ways to keep the cost down.
How Carpet Cleaning Companies Determine Costs
The price of carpet cleaning is determined by the size of the carpet being cleaned and the method of cleaning. Obviously, the bigger the surface area of the carpet, the more expensive it is for homeowners. However, there are two pricing structures which companies use to price their carpet cleaning service. Choosing a company with the right pricing structure can save you some money.
#1. Charging Per Room
This is the pricing structure where homeowners pay on a per room basis. The cost user this pricing structure is $21 and $80, obviously depending on your location. Nonetheless, there are some cleaning companies that place a cap on the room size. Thus if a room is bigger than what they consider a typical room, it is counted as two room. It is thus important to be clear on this matter during the agreement.
#2. Charging Per Square Foot
Under this pricing structure, homeowner pay for per square foot of carpet cleaned. The average cost ranges between 30 and 50 cents per square foot cleaned. However, due to the fixed charges, this structure is best used by homeowners with large houses.
On the other hand, when it comes to cleaning methods, there are two main methods, including:
#1. Steam Cleaning
Professionally known as the hot water extraction cleaning method, this is the method used when you want deep cleaning of your carpet. Hot water with a cleaning agent under high pressure forces water into the carpet to break down the dirt and debris. Thereafter a suction machine extracts the water along with the dirt. For a cleaning service of 900 to 1000 sq. ft. it will cost anywhere between $100 and $250.
#2. Dry Cleaning
Professionally known as low moisture or encapsulation carpet cleaning involves the use of low amounts of moisture along with a cleaning agent. There is very little water residue left, hence the term ‘dry cleaning.’ It typically costs anywhere from $120 to $140.
Things You Can Do To Keep The Cost Low
The very first thing you need to keep the cost low is to search for a competitive carpet cleaning company. By competitive it does not mean that you search for the cheapest company only. On the contrary, you should consider matters of quality of their work. Search for a company that prices its services lower than the rest but offers high-quality services in as far as cleaning carpets go.
Thereafter, you should move your furniture from the carpets. Most carpet cleaning company will charge you for moving furniture around. As such, you to negate the cost of moving furniture, consider moving before the cleaning crew arrives.
Finally, you should determine whether you truly need carpet protection. In the case of dry cleaning, the carpet does not retain a lot of water and dries considerably faster. If you can vacate the house for a while, you do not need. Thus you can save money by forgoing carpet cleaning.
