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Sooner or later, there inevitably comes a day where you or a guest of yours mishandles a glass of red wine. The liquid, obeying Murphy’s law, then lands at the most visible spot on your new carpet. Immediately, you think of doing a quick online research and hiring a professional.
But are professional carpet cleaning services as affordable as they are advertised, and is purchasing a carpet cleaning machine instead a better alternative?
To answer this question, you need to know the average carpet cleaning price, how it’s calculated, and what the services include.
All of which we have already researched for you. So, without further ado, let’s pit both carpet cleaning options against each other and see if one of them comes out a ‘clean’ winner.
What Are the Types of Carpet Cleaning Services and How Do They Work?
Since each service is priced differently and is used under specific circumstances, it’s a good idea to read up on what some of the more popular carpet cleaning methods have to offer. This will also give you an idea of what to expect in exchange for your hard-earned money.
The hot water extraction method:
This service is done with a special hot water extraction machine and is suitable for all synthetic and woollen carpets. Once on site, the professional will use suitable products to pretreat all stains depending on their type (coffee, orange juice, etc.).
Note: Some local companies or self-assembled teams of maids might refuse cleaning ketchup stains, and if that is the case – consider cleaning ketchup stains yourself.
He will then use the machine’s tiny nozzle to spray hot water under high pressure directly over the treated spot. At the same time, the carpet technician will vacuum the dirty spots to effectively extract about 95% of the moisture back, along with all dirt particles. Moisture is one of the top things mould needs to grow and if suction is not sufficient, your carpeting might become the subject of an infestation, especially if you forget about ventilation and place a heavy sofa over the carpet to further suffocate and help fungi thrive.
The dry (chem) cleaning method:
If you own a sisal, seagrass carpet, or any other type of rug that is not water resistant, you will need to pick this method instead. Here, the specialist will apply absorbing powders and spray-based products with delicate brushes to treat lighter stains and refresh the fabric.
All treated areas are then hoovered to remove the products and some of the loosened dirt.
This service, however, has more of a colour- and scent-refreshing effect than anything else, so don’t expect your specialist to remove tough stains, such as red wine, chocolate, or pet urine.
Carpet beetle and other insect treatments:
If your carpet is infested with carpet beetles or other pests, some companies may offer insect treatment as a separate service. Usually, an exterminator will arrive before the carpet technician to spray your rug with a suitable insecticide and exterminate the insect population.
How Are Carpet Cleaning Prices Calculated?
How much you will end up paying for your expert rug service is dictated by 5 main factors:
- Property size: how many rooms do you need treated and how big are they?
- Rug type: is it Persian, Azerbaijani, Oriental, or other? How old is the carpet?
- Location: does your carpet cover a living room floor, a hallway, or a flight of stairs?
- Cleaning method: can stains be removed with a steam machine or dry chem products?
- Extra services: are stain protection sprays or insect treatments added to your booking?
What the Average Rug Cleaning Cost Looks Like
Most companies will quote you an average cleaning cost of anywhere between £22 and £55, depending on if you booked a treatment for a single 10×10 feet room or a more thorough treatment of an area 28×12 feet big.
With that said, let’s take a look at the average rates of every service we’ve examined so far.
How much for hot water extraction?
As already mentioned, the price for your service can vary wildly based on location, the type of rug, and other factors. For hot water extraction, expect the price to reach anywhere from £22 (enough to treat one 10×10 feet room) all the way up to £52 for kitchen rugs and car carpets.
How much for dry carpet cleaning?
When it comes to individual rooms, such as 12×12 dining rooms or 15×15 feet double bedrooms, dry chem cleaning hovers at around the same cost as the hot water extraction method. Try to clean an individual rug, however, and the price can skyrocket up to £88!
How much for extra services?
Additional services, such as protection sprays and insecticide treatments, cost between £7 and £13 if offered as part of the service, and usually much more if they are offered separately.
DIY vs. Professional Cleaning Carpet Machine – Which One Is Better?
What the carpet technicians are not telling you?
To begin with, the fact that most companies will outright refuse to tackle blood and water stains in fear that they may permanently damage your rug’s fabric. A simple DIY solution might work but elbow grease will be required. Also, carpets become filthy rather quickly, and thus require frequent maintenance. This means spending £22-£55 on average for a professional service each time your pet tracks mud from outside, you spill something, and so on.
And don’t forget that these prices apply for single rooms and carpets, not for the whole property.
Why it makes sense to purchase a carpet machine?
As you can see, frequently relying on carpet technicians to do the job for you is simply unsustainable in the long term. Ideally, you should clean your rugs on a regular basis, which means 3 or more times per year.
Since renting a professional carpet machine is also not very cost-efficient, the only sensible choice here is to purchase one.
Don’t worry, though – these days, you can get a pretty decent piece of cleaning tech for just £100-£200!
How to pick the right carpet equipment for your needs?
With a personal cleaning machine, you can tackle stains as they occur (especially useful if you have a pet), while also use it to do your annual spring and autumn home spruce ups. However, to cut costs without sacrificing efficiency, make sure to ask yourself the following questions:
- How often do you plan on using your machine? Models vary based on weight, so those weighing 6kg or less will provide you with the flexibility you need to clean stains just about anywhere within your premises.
- What type of fabric is your rug made of? Some machines feature cleaning heads with several rotating tiny brushes, which are suited for more resilient fabrics, and some come with roller brushes that are designed to clean delicate rugs.
- How much are you willing to spend? Depending on your budget, you can get a machine that comes with a variety of handy accessories, for example attachments for cleaning stairs and small crevices, a powerful motor, and even an in-built hot air drying system to speed up the drying process! Even if your budget is within the £200 range, you can still get a decent machine that will erase pretty much any stain out there.
The Final Verdict
Sometimes, the help of an experienced professional will be needed to tackle tricky carpet stains. In every other instance, however, relying on a certified expert is simply counter-productive as you can get much more value for your money by purchasing (or renting) a carpet machine. (There are also tons of carpet cleaning products you could check out to see if one is a low-cost solution to your particular problem.)
Most of these machines are lightweight, user-friendly, and don’t require much maintenance. You will also save yourself time and hassle by being able to use such a professional machine immediately after your friend’s excited gesture pushed their glass over the table’s edge a bit too hard.
If you are still unsure of which model to go for, feel free to check out our unbiased reviews to pick the carpet cleaner that will best answer your current needs and budget. Start with our review of the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution or the Vax Dual V.