Carpet Cleaning Prices in the UK: What a Room and a Whole House Cost in 2026
Carpet cleaning quotes confuse people for one simple reason: "cleaning a carpet" describes at least three different processes, at three different price points, with three different drying times. Once you know which method a company is quoting, the numbers make sense — and the suspiciously cheap ads explain themselves. Here's the 2026 picture.
In short: Expect £25–£75 per room, or £1.50–£4 per square metre for larger areas. A whole 2–3 bed home typically costs £100–£250. Most firms apply a minimum charge of £50–£70 (£60–£100 in London) regardless of job size.
Prices by cleaning method
| Method | Typical price per room | What it's good for |
|---|---|---|
| Hot water extraction ("steam") | £35 – £55 | The deep-clean standard — extracts embedded dirt, best for stains and allergy households |
| Dry compound cleaning | £25 – £40 | Minimal moisture, walk-on-it-immediately drying — offices and delicate fibres |
| Bonnet cleaning | £15 – £25 | Surface freshen-up for lightly soiled commercial carpet — not a deep clean |
Which method suits which carpet — and why hot water extraction usually wins for homes — is exactly what our carpet cleaning methods comparison covers in detail.
What a whole house costs
- 2–3 bed home: typically £100–£250 for all carpeted rooms in one visit
- 3-bed semi, thorough deep clean: around £250
- London and the South East: add roughly 20–30% — a single room in London commonly runs £75–£100
Bundling rooms is where the value is: the van, the machine warm-up and the travel are fixed costs, so each additional room is cheaper than the first. That's also why minimum charges exist — £50–£70 outside London — and why booking a single small bedroom rarely makes financial sense on its own.
What moves the price up or down
- Condition and stains: Heavy soiling, pet accidents and red wine need pre-treatment and dwell time — expect the upper end or a surcharge per stain.
- Furniture moving: An empty room is quick; a furnished one where the cleaner shifts and blocks furniture adds labour time.
- Access and parking: Top-floor flats without lifts and no-parking streets add setup time, which some firms price in.
- Fibre type: Wool and delicate natural fibres need lower temperatures and more care than synthetic twist — specialists charge accordingly.
The too-cheap-to-be-true test: "£10 per room" ads usually mean bonnet-buffing with a splash-and-dash machine, a strict per-room size limit, and upselling once the cleaner is inside your home. Ask which method is included, what a "room" means in m², and whether stain pre-treatment costs extra — three questions that separate real quotes from bait pricing. Our guide to choosing a cleaning company covers the rest of the checklist.
Renting? Time it right
If a carpet clean is part of your move-out, don't book it before the packing is done — and know what your tenancy agreement can and can't demand: our end-of-tenancy cleaning and deposit guide explains the rules, and a receipt from a professional clean is the strongest card in a deposit dispute.
The bottom line
Budget £35–£55 per room for a proper hot-water extraction clean, £100–£250 for the whole house, and treat anything dramatically cheaper as a different (lesser) service wearing the same name. Quotes are free — get two or three with the method in writing. Find vetted carpet and domestic cleaners in your area here.
Frequently asked questions
Typically £25–£75 per room in 2026, depending on the method: hot water extraction ("steam") runs £35–£55, dry compound cleaning £25–£40 and bonnet cleaning £15–£25. Larger areas are often priced at £1.50–£4 per square metre instead.
A whole 2–3 bed home typically costs £100–£250, with a thorough deep clean of a 3-bed semi at around £250. In London and the South East, expect roughly 20–30% more.
Travel, setup and machine warm-up are fixed costs whatever the job size, so most firms set a minimum of £50–£70 (£60–£100 in London). That is also why cleaning several rooms in one visit gives much better value than booking a single room.
It depends on the method: dry compound cleaning allows walking on the carpet almost immediately, while hot water extraction typically needs a few hours with good ventilation. Ask the cleaner for a drying estimate for your specific carpet and time of year.