How Much Does Rug Cleaning Cost?

Much of the foot traffic that occurs in the home, especially if you have children, will ensure spills and dirt to hit your floors and rugs. Stains, grime, spills, no matter the incident, you’ll have to figure out the many different options in your itinerary to apply in cleaning out your rugs. In general, rugs are additions that will enhance not only the appearance and appeal of your home. A rug can bring a certain uniqueness, enamoring those around you with the quality of your space. But life is unfortunately full of unexpected surprises.

The average cost of cleaning that beautiful rug will range between $50 to $530. At the minimum, if the stain or spillage isn’t so severe, you’ll spend about $59. But at the maximum, if the damage is done and it is as bad as it seems, the most you’ll have to cough up out of your wallet can be around $900.

 

 

Although there are different sizes for you to clean, costs will vary depending not only on the size of your rug but also on the kind of cleaning you’d prefer. On average, the cost will account from a range of about $1 to $8 per square foot. There are three methods that are going to be looked further into: dry cleaning, steam cleaning, and handwashing. 

 

Average Rate Of Cost	$50 to $530
Low-End Minimum	$59
High-End Maximum	$900

 

How Much Does It Cost To Steam Clean Rug

Area rugs in your home are quite the essential centerpieces that help tie together the many components in your home. It costs about $1.50 to $4 per square foot. The professionals that you get your estimates from will likely be able to determine which rugs should be steam cleaned. When you know what kind of rug needs to be cleaned, you’ll have a better gist of which method that the company will most plausibly use.

The steam cleaning method is to remove dirt, stains, and allergens, and it is focused mainly toward rugs that were either machine-made or consists of synthetic fibers. The specialist who will ultimately assist you with cleaning the rug will use hot water extraction, which is why this isn’t the kind of cleaning method you’d want used on a rug with natural fibers. Since those fibers can be shrunk by being steam cleaned, you’ll want to ask your professional which method they’re going to be using.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Dry Clean A Rug

There is quite the amount of cost factors that you will delegate to your professional in regards to the dry cleaning costs of your rugs. Homeowners will typically pay about $2 to $5 per square foot. Other than the overall labor cost that applies to dry cleaning a rug, the factors that matter most will most presumably be the material that the rug is made of.

As previously mentioned, this method of cleaning your rug is meant for natural fibers. This includes any fragile rugs or traditional antique rugs or tapestries you may have gotten from traveling. In any case, since these are more so handmade with natural fibers, you need to be more wary of the quality of your rug so as to avoid a fiasco from unraveling. 

Dry cleaning a rug will utilize chemicals and no water will be applied to clean them. A professional rug cleaning might cost you more than you’d think, depending on the amount of rugs you decide to bring to the cleaner. At other times, discounts could be applied if you find the right estimate and the right kind of professional. 

 

How Much Does It Cost To Handwashing Rug

For the most delicate rugs, handwashing is the method that is most commonly used. This is also the most costly option, but it is mandatory for older rugs. The average cost of rug cleaning when hand washing your rug will range anywhere from around $3 to $8 per square foot. This is a method that will most likely involve shampooing the material to veritably remove all kinds of stains and dirt marks. 

The quality of the rug depends on whether they’re oriental, persian, or a specialty. This means that although these are handmade rugs, they’re even more delicate. Although it was previously broached, the other option for fragile rugs was to dry clean them. However, the method of handwashing the rug was specifically explicated for rugs that have very fragile dyes and materials. 

 

Photo by Erfan Banaei on Unsplash

 

Cost Range Applied By Size Of Rug

Depending on the size of your rug, you’ll be able to determine the kind of costs that will be arranged. Although these estimates aren’t applying the total cost factor, the size of your rug will ultimately determine a major portion of your budget. 

 

3x3	$13.50 - $72
5x8	$60 - $320
8x12	$144 - $768
10x12	$180 - $960
10x14	$210 - $1120
12x12	$216 - $1152
15x20	$450 - $2400

 

Your rug can be quite a large item in your home but it is inextricably important that they are handled with care. Depending on the material, the more care it will require, the more money you’ll probably have to spend.

 

Kinds of Rugs To Clean And The Proper Care That Is Needed

Materials do somewhat matter when it comes to properly cleaning your rug. Knowing the difference will give you the extra distance in which method will ultimately be used. Wool, cotton, persian, silk, sheepskin, shag, synthetic, and cowhide are the major categories to define the types of rugs in which the level of care will typically be taken. The styles of the rugs will also determine the kind of material the rug is most likely made up of. So if you can figure out the type of rug, you’ll be able to find out the cost of cleaning it as well.

 

How Much To Clean Area Rug

An area rug is a rug that covers only part of your room, hence the name. Even with the area rug being a certain kind, it’s consistently made up of synthetic fibers, wool, sisal, jute, silk, and more. You’ll expect the range of about $2 to $8 per square foot. 

 

How Much To Clean Oriental Rug

The oriental rug is a hand-knotted rug, originating from Asian countries, including Iran, China, India, Russia, Turkey, Pakistan, and Tibet. The cost of cleaning an oriental rug will probably be estimated from $3 to $8 per square foot. But this also all depends on the way they’re manufactured. Whether these rugs are hand woven or machine-made will ultimately elevate or decrease the price.

 

How Much To Clean Persian Rug

Somewhat redundant to mention but the Persian rugs are hand-knotted from Iran. The reason for their fashionability is due to the unique features and designs that are carefully framed. An estimate you’ll most likely encounter about $3 to $8 per square foot. Commonly, the Persian rug is made of wool and a professional will be able to efficiently remove any kind of frustrating grime.

 

How Much To Clean Handmade Rug

Needless to say, the handmade rug has been mentioned many times in this article. Depending on the material that is used for the handmade process, the cost estimate will probably range from $3 to $8 per square foot. The professional rug cleaner will be able to gauge what kind of method to use and the material that was used to make the rug. Suffice to say, the handmade rug is also made of a superior quality, the tradition of making one with a handloom is not only ceremonious but also supremely decorative.

 

How Much To Clean Indian Rug

Rugs that are derived from India are some of the most sought after, and the reason is because they’re the kinds of rugs that are intricately made. The range of cleaning of these beautiful items will probably be estimated from $3 to $8 per square foot. An Indian rug is loosely based off of the natural fibers that it’s made of. In most cases, they’re the definition and peak of natural fibers.

 

How Much To Clean Woven Rug

Although these are fragile rugs and the best response to removing any blotches is drying them, the reason they need to be very carefully cleaned is because some chemicals might actually do more harm than good. The range of cleaning a woven rug will, in all likelihood, cost about $3 to $8 per square foot. The professional will practically figure this out and determine which chemicals to use. Homeowners should never try to clean these rugs themselves, without the correct experience, or else they may encounter a degradation of the material.

 

How Much To Clean Flat Weave

The cleaning of a flat weave rug will cost you about $3 to $8 per square foot. Either made from hand or from a machine, the flat weave rug is very simple to clean. This is because the fibers are often made up of an assortment of synthetic accoutrements. Most preferably, the professionals will clean these kinds of rugs with a dry cleaning method. 

 

Wool

There are so many different levels and grades to wool. Immediately after catching your eye on the rug that you felt was very stylish, you should take a look at it’s fringes. By looking at the fringe, you can determine whether the rug is handmade or not. This applies especially for wool rugs because there is either hand made wool or machine-made wool. If there is a fringe that stretches as an extension, then it is handmade. If the fringe is just applied afterwards, then it is a machine-made product. 

By knowing the difference between these two, you can surmise the costs you’ll expect as the result. If your wool is machine-made, you can expect about $3 to $5 per square foot as the estimated range. But you should expect around $4 to $8 per square foot as the estimated range for the higher-end handmade wool rugs. 

 

Cotton

A more natural fiber is made with cotton. But keep in mind that cotton is, in some cases, made up of both natural and synthetic materials. The cost range of cleaning a cotton rug is between $2 to $7. It’s a simple, yet lightweight material with a lot of character. It’s somewhat easy to clean because of it’s dual fibers. But keep a watchful eye of whether the material of your rug is pure cotton or a blend. There is an underlying risk if you steam clean this material due to the risk of mold and mildew forming around it, so this is a material you’ll want to dry clean. 

 

Silk

However upscale or antique-like the quality of the silk rug may be, the process of cleaning a silk rug is quite commendable. It’s a rather extenuating process because of how extensive the cleaning process can be. Silk is a luxuriating material, there is a reason as to why a road was named after the material. Because of its fragility to water, heat and humidity can be a main concern due to the fiber’s simple nature of twisting and shortening. 

Rugs made of silk can easily lose color and begin to bleed out. However, a professional can use the dry cleaning method or a specialized hand washing method to ensure loosening the bubbles, removing all debris. Most likely the professional you decide to hire will vacuum your rug before immersing it into water. The cost range you should expect when cleaning silk rugs will be between $5 to $8 per square foot. 

 

Sheepskin

Besides the material that they’re made of, sheepskin rugs are made of wool fibers but have longer lengths. The shape of these rugs are particular and probably won’t appear as your standard rug. Outline of a sheepskin is quite difficult to assign in measurements. Each rug is specifically designed to be somewhat individualistic. You’ll probably be expecting a range of about $4 to $8 per square foot concerning the washing of sheepskin.

What is very convenient about sheepskin is it’s natural resistance to soiling. Although rather easy to clean, one must also take into account brushing the rug to shape the fibers back into its fluffy state and place. 

 

Shag

Almost textural in nature, the shag rug has the similar quality of individuality that sheepskin qualifies as unique. They’re a distinct quality to give your home a vibrant new look. A very wide purpose that shag rugs bring is the way they can feel, it’s sort of the amalgamation of comfort and beauty. Somewhat a nostalgic fashion piece, the shag rug was particularly popular in the ‘60s and ‘70s, so as a fan of decor in the home, the shag rug is perfect for you.

The average rug cleaning cost to a shag rug can range about $3 to $8 per square foot. It’s a rug that has long yarn fibers attached to their backs and the fibers are minimally trimmed. It’s an uneven yet bulky appeal with synthetic materials, consisting of acrylic, propylene, and polyester fabrics. Although, there are also natural fibers along it’s fabrication with wool, leather, and cotton. So the one you should trust most is the cleaner that will take care of your shag rug.

 

Synthetic

There are a few different kinds of synthetic fibers that rugs are made up of, in fact, the ones that are mentioned in the shag rug are good examples. Other mentionable fibers can be nylon, polypropylene, and viscose. All in all, most synthetic rugs will range in price from $2 to $4 per square foot. They can all either be steam cleaned, dry cleaned, or extracted with hot water.

 

Cowhide

Yet another addition in the decor value of your home, the cowhide rug is for homeowners that find their allergies insufferable. In most cases, the cowhide rug acts as the accent piece, this applies to a smaller side room or the front of a fireplace in a large living room. Due to the fact that the material is essentially made up of a hypoallergenic quality, the rug itself has many weighted benefits.

One major advantage to purchasing a cowhide rug is how easy the rug is to clean. Cowhide rugs are also essentially stain-proof so no real damage can occur to your rug unless you have some kind of extreme blemish. The cost range to clean them is about $3 to $8. Due to the nature of how durable cowhide is, it’s very resistant to an overage of foot traffic.

 

Pile Distortion

Other than the cost of and the reason for cleaning, in some instances, you’ll confront the possibility of seeing some parts of your rug as lighter or darker than the rest. This phenomenon is known as pile distortion. Homeowners will most likely see this and think that their rug is fading or that the rug is staining, but this is most certainly not the case.

If you have a rug you absolutely adore, here are some ways to minimize or to hopefully eliminate the effects. To know how to avoid such instances, you’ll want to be able to know what types of pile distortion there is.

Shading is what it sounds like, it’s the most typical type of distortion that you’ll be encountering when you own a rug. You’ll most likely see how the shade lightens or darkens your rug and the fibers in certain areas will seem irregular compared to the remainder. Pooling is the kind of shading that will occur most randomly, you’ll think that someone spilled some water on the rug because that is what it will ultimately look like.

Another issue from pile distortion that you might uncover is pile reversal. It’s the kind of shading that will seem like your rug is disjointed together. It will appear as if your rug is made up of two different rugs, rather than the natural appearance of the whole. A roll crush is when your rug is rolled up for a very long period of time. 

 

Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash

 

Rug Cleaning Treatments & Costs

After a proper cleaning, the professional you decide to hire will most likely apply a treatment to your rug. Depending on the kind of treatment you decide to place, you’ll probably spend about $1 to $3 per square foot. In the instance of doing so, you might be facing the cost range of about $10 to $75 per rug or more likely per stain. There are a myriad of different issues that you want to treat, either protecting a stain, preventing moths from nesting, improving the wool, disinfecting your rug, or removing stains and odors from your rug.

 

Cost of Protecting Your Rug From Stains

Any stain that you may have to deal with, must be suitably cleaned. Once the process of cleaning is thoroughly done, you can find different kinds of treatments to protect your rug by using the proper seal. The price range will vary between $1 to $2 per square foot. By going to the right professional, you’ll find a more affordable estimate. And if the professional has an appropriate amount of experience, that specialist will know to add the protection sealing.

 

Cost of Preventing Moths From Nesting in Your Rug

Moths are not only very stealthy pests but they’re also the kind that will infest the rugged parts of your home. In fact, the little critters will most often lay eggs in your rug, leaving dozens of larvae that will hatch and slowly eat away at any of the rugs you own. Often, the moths will be most attracted to wool and other natural fibers. So all that money you spent on the authentic rug you desired most will be eaten away by the tiny nuisances. Expect to spend about $1 or $2 per square foot.

After the meticulous and crafty cleaning that’s been completed for your rug, you’ll want to request the application of moth preventing chemicals. This is so that once you bring it back home, there will be no other cause for concern. Keep in mind that this treatment requires two treatments to be fully preventative against moths.

 

Cost of Treating Your Wool Rug

As alluded to in the above section, the natural fibers are usually the main food source for moths. But there’s another reason you’d want to tend to the treatment of wool. This is because naturally, over time, wool rugs will face complications involving either dry rot or decay from bacteria and fungi. Costs will go up to about $1 to $2 per square foot, on average. Essentially, the wool treatment will help improve the lifespan of your rug.

Most importantly, the treatment helps the fibers breathe, which will also improve sustainability against allergens. Freedom of those fibers and the treatment of the wool will impact the members of your household and your pets significantly.

 

Cost of Disinfecting Your Rug

One way that diseases spread is the disturbance caused by microbes. Although you’re home and the space you live in might be clean, the fabrics in your home will have bacteria stuck in the fibers. One way or another, those fabrics that are most assuredly contaminated will expand and circulate. To truly eradicate pestilence from your home, you’ll probably need to spend about $2 to $3 per square foot.

The disinfectant will help sanitize your rug, creating the necessary obstacle for allergens and germs from growing too quickly. While the professional you hire may already apply the disinfectant into your rug, you’ll want to ensure that the chemicals that they decide to use are not harmful to your children. Always verify that the chemicals being used in the disinfectant are nontoxic.

 

Cost of Removing Stains In Your Rug

A stain is one of the biggest reasons as to why you’d want to clean your rug. But ultimately, only removing that stain won’t help your case. Varied from stain, age, and treatment, the cost range will estimate to $10 to $50. The process will probably begin with UV lights paired with moisture meters, this is to mainly locate the stains. But fundamentally, not every stain will be removed. Unfortunately, this will be the case for deeply rooted stains.

 

Cost of Removing Odors In Your Rug

There are certain odors that will grow more and more grotesque. One of the most, if not the most, biggest concerns for homeowners is how foul the scents of their rug can become. The price range for removing odors will probably cost about $15 to $75 per item. Cleaners will, by all means, use the right formula with bio enzymes for the removal of odor-causing germs. 

Although, one thing to remind yourself with is the fact that antimicrobial treatments may continue the expansion of bacteria and fungi. This will result in more damaging odors to develop, increasing the volumes of your rug’s stench.

 

How Much Is The Labor Cost To Clean A Rug?

In any case, a cleaning professional will probably be charged about $50 to $60 per hour. All services can actually hike up those prices, depending on how many services are being provided and how many products will be applied, you’ll find that the prices can climb a little higher. If your professional or the company you hired offers to go to your home, the expenses will differentiate accordingly. Many kinds of different equipment will be involved with the jobs at hand, and the tasks the professionals will inevitably perform can help keep your rug clean and make it last  that much longer.   

 

How Often Should I Clean My Rug?

One reminder to always keep in your head is that the duration of time for every rug cleaning is about a year to 18 months. Although this is not the case if your rug is in dire need of a wash, you’ll want to continue cleaning your rug if that span of time has passed. 

However, the most important way to establish when you should go for a rug cleaning is knowing all the factors that were stated above. One of the factors is knowing what kind of rug should be handled in the manner they’re supposed to be cleaned. Homeowners that have a machine-produced rug can be voluntarily cleaned and in a more recurrent manner. 

Although, you can present this to mean that hand-woven rugs will need to be washed less frequently. This is because the condition of these sorts of rugs have higher chances of being damaged if cleaned too often. Synthetic fibers have the privilege of being cleaned more often than natural fibers, as well. And the same principle applies, due to the routine damage that can be caused to natural fibers.

 

Strategies To Save Costs

Before you call up the service or the company you wish to hire, rather than having to spend costs on travel fees or delivery fees, you can bring your rug to the cleaners. By finding the accurate estimates, you might encounter a company that will be willing to give you discounts. Like many other professionals in the market of home refurbishments, the more items you bring in, the more money you might end up saving.

Certain cleaning companies will be more than willing to give you discounts, especially for more services provided. While cleaning your upholstery is their ultimate purpose, attaining, amassing, and maintaining their business is a pivotal goal. Keep in mind, this is a business, they want you to come back to their service.

 

How Much Does It Cost To Repair My Rug?

It’s a laborious process to have to repair your rug, especially when your rug is riddled with burn marks, water damage, mold growth, and faded colors. Rug restoration can actually cost more than a few hundred dollars. The price can be elevated to the point where fixing your rug will seem more costly than just a simple cleaning.

 

Photo by Robert Levonyan on Unsplash

 

Finding Multiple Estimates On House Tipster

It may not seem that big of a challenge but in truth, finding the right professional that matches your needs can be quite a tedious task. If your rug is ruined by any stains or marks, the first thing you should do is find a cleaner that can take on the kinds of obstacles that you’d most likely run into.  

House Tipster can find every desirable rug cleaner near your area. But if wanting someone with great reviews isn’t enough, you can find other estimates that seem more affordable. By searching through our platform, you can find a specialist with both efficiency and modest prices. It’s as simple as a click of the mouse or a touch of the screen.

 

Featured Image by Sina Saadatmand from Unsplash