10 Best Carpet Cleaning of 2024

A good rule of thumb is to steam clean your carpets every 12 to 18 months. If you have pets or children, you may choose to clean them more often. The most important thing to consider is your carpet warranty. Many carpet warranties require steam cleaning every 12 months, and sometimes they include specific instructions or specifications for cleaning.

The best method for cleaning carpets is generally hot water extraction. While most people refer to this method as “steam cleaning,” the process actually involves very hot water and chemicals inserted at very high pressure deep into the fibers of the carpet and simultaneously suctioned out with any soils or debris from the carpet. Most professionals recommend this method for its effectiveness, and most carpet warranties restrict other types of cleaning. If you choose not to steam clean, you can use a low moisture method using more chemicals and less water, sometimes also called dry cleaning.

You do not need to tip carpet cleaners, but if they clean any additional rooms or other extras without charging more, then you should consider a small tip. A general rule of thumb for these types of services is $10–$20 per worker in any circumstance you choose to tip.

Not usually. Most professional carpet cleaning technicians are not only bonded and insured for moving your furniture, they are trained and experienced in moving it. In recent years, some carpet cleaning companies have begun to charge extra for this part of the service, so be sure to ask your provider before hiring their services.

Professional carpet cleaners have equipment designed to remove as much dirt and debris as possible in the best way. Remember that professional carpet cleaning services are not only extensively trained, they also show up experienced in many carpet types and all kinds of soils and stains.

Professional carpet cleaning services typically charge by the room or by the square footage of your house. You can expect prices to range from $85–$125 for smaller homes, and up to $400–$600 for larger homes in the range of 2000–3000 square feet. The cleaning method and the type of carpet will also affect the price. Carpet protector or deodorizer treatments may have an additional cost, as well as the removal of particularly difficult stains and odors.

Carpet cleaning services remove many of the irritants that affect people who suffer from allergies or asthma. Anyone with these conditions should have their carpets cleaned often, but they should be diligent after every cleaning to ensure the carpets can fully dry. The risk of mold can increase in a carpet that has not been able to dry properly.

There’s no hard and fast rule here, but generally speaking nylon carpets tend to be easiest to clean. The reason for this is the tightly-woven fibers tend to lock out dirt and liquids better than other materials. The most important thing to remember is to clean your carpets often. No carpet is immune from dirt and keeping your carpet clean is the best way to ensure its stain-resistance performs as well as possible.

Not all stains respond to cleaners in the same way, so the most important thing is to test different methods depending on the stain. Commercially available chemical cleaners are often your best bet, but you can find many DIY recipes online. For inks and some other chemicals, a solvent like rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover can be best. For pet stains and other stains that may have a lingering odor, vinegar-based solutions are often most effective. Coffees and wines are sometimes best removed with a soap-based solution. Always blot—avoid scrubbing. And always test your solution on a hidden part of your carpet to ensure it does not cause any color loss or additional staining.

It’s important to remember that all professional cleaning solutions are safer than what is likely in a dirty carpet. But it’s also important to ensure the chemicals are safe for your family and pets. While professional carpet cleaning companies adhere to rigorous safety standards and identify the chemicals they use, not all of the chemicals are ones you want in large quantities where your toddler is playing. Ask your cleaner what chemicals they use, looking for naphthalene, which is among the worst and used less frequently nowadays. Many companies now offer “green” or “organic” options, which are designed with children in mind.

The internet has hundreds of recipes for homemade carpet cleaning solution, but all of them fall into three basic types: detergent (soap to cut oil), vinegar (cuts soap scum and kills some bacteria), or solvent (like nail polish remover). Whichever you choose, it’s important to always test your homemade carpet cleaning solution in a hidden area to make sure it does not cause any discoloration or damage to your carpet. A lot of DIY sites suggest combining these types, but we recommend against it. Combining vinegar and baking soda, for instance, creates a rewarding bubbling solution but actually neutralizes the cleaning power of both chemicals. The most effective homemade regiment is to start with a solvent, then use vinegar, and use a detergent as the final pass.

A deep steam cleaning of carpet can help remove fleas, but chemical-only cleanings will not necessarily remove fleas. Since fleas embed themselves deep in the carpet fibers, and because of their overall hardiness, only the intense heat and depth of professional steam cleaning should be considered reliable for flea removal. It’s also important to note that the heat of steam cleaning can activate the larvae which are embedded in the carpet, so you may see fleas again 1–2 days after cleaning. Do not worry—the deep cleaning will have already removed any possible food for them, so they will quickly perish, and that will be the end of your infestation.