what should carpet cleaning reasonably cost?

We have about 1,000 (?) sq feet of carpet we need to have cleaned. What should it cost? I'm about to call a few vendors and don't want to get soaked.

How can you stand this stuff? *cough cough*

Wooden tiles. Gentler to your lungs. No more expensive cleaning, ever.

I assume it's because you're moving out of an apartment.

That was the figure I was quoted the last time I moved. Of course, the landlords are quoted figures that are only about half of that.

I was "fined" $125 for leaving the job up to the slumlord after getting a quote of $108.

If there's no rush, you can rent a cleaner and do it yourself for about $50-75.

--bkl

I'm not sure what the cost of living is in your area. If the cleaning is a light cleaning, it could be less, but if there are any wine/kool-aid stains, it could be more. :shrug: I hope this helps.

Beer, wine or burn marks?

Bodily secretions?

Pets' stuff?

Incontrovertible DNA evidence that needs a quick one-over?

??

Around here, it's usually per room. You can get deals for $150 or so for five rooms (a big living/dining combo will often count as two rooms).

Keep in mind any $59 special is going to be inadequate, or a bait-and-switch. ("Well, the $59 includes our CRAPPY service, if you want better service, it'll cost more...")

A decent carpet cleaning should include furniture moving, vacuuming, extraction (which will wet the carpet, work out the dirt, then suck up the extra water). They should leave your furniture on little disks, that you can easily slide out after the carpet dries. Oh, and watch out for those "extra treatment" -- Home carpet-cleaning firms' deodorizers rarely work (and deodorizers in general really shouldn't be necessary anyway, unless you've got a whole lot of pet problems, since most odor can be removed by the basic cleaning), and the spray "stain blocker" is a rip-off (you can get the exact same protection from a can of Scotchguard).

If you want a referral to a real pro, try an IICRC-certified firm. (www.iicrc.org). Otherwise, do standard due diligence -- check the BBB, etc.

I write about commercial cleaning, but there is some overlap into the home carpet-cleaning market.

on sale for $150 and it really does the job well on our basement carpet. I don't really know what the service would cost. Good luck in your search! :hi:

JJCyC: carpet was so much less expensive that we couldn't even have considered wood -- and I don't think Mrs. V. wanted wood floors anyway.

BKL: Nope, we own our home.

Myrna: thanks!

emad: regular dirt and cat :puke: stains only (even w/ Spot Shot that stuff is hard to get out)

eyesroll: great room, 1 lg bedroom, 2 small bedrooms. Per room, eh? Hmmm.... Thanks very much for the tips, what to look for, and the link & other suggestions.

MrsGrumpy: we have a steam carpet cleaner. We are too lazy (actually, we're both grexing & groaning w/ arthritis, and neither of us has the energy) to do it ourselves. If we can get a good deal, we're hiring the job out this time.

:bounce:

The worst mistake you can make is to hire some freaks to "clean' it for you.

They soak it with nasty, useless chemicals that create MORE dirt.

Do yourself a HUGE, MASSIVE favor and follow MY advice before being suckered by those carpet cleaners.

First, early one morning, warm, dry day, rent one of those carpet cleaners from the hardware or grocery store.

DO NOT BUY THEIR CARPET CLEANERS OR CONDITIONERS.

Run to the aisle with household cleaners and buy a GALLON of Mr. Clean or the store's brand of that.

NOTHING ELSE.

Definitely test an area first, but 9999 out of 10,000 times, it's perfectly fine on your carpets.

Use about a cup per fill. A fill of the tank will do about 50 square feet, depending on how many times you have to pass over. The idea is to soak and suck. Forward to soak, pull to suck it ALLLLLL out.

Lotta work? Hell yeah. But you'll get a good work out, and your carpets will never, EVER be cleaner, and your house will smell FANTASTIC. And it will cost you less than $30.

I did my cream colored carpets in my last house like this every month since I had a cocker mix who was a stealth pee - er for a while.

You'll thank me.

Look for a coupon.

Companies that will come out and clean your carpets usually have machines with stronger suction, so the carpet dries faster and you're not in danger of mildew(important if you live on a concrete pad instead of a sub-floor), plus it gets more of the yucky stuff up.