Overview: Carpet Cleaners
Carpet cleaning is judged by what comes back out of the carpet. Anyone can wet a floor. A carpet that looks fine on Tuesday and dull again by Friday still holds soil or soap the machine never pulled back up.
Hot water extraction, sold to most people as steam cleaning, sprays hot solution into the pile and pulls it back with a strong vacuum, often from a truck-mounted unit in the driveway. Low-moisture methods clean the top of the pile and dry much faster. In a house shut tight against January, that faster drying counts for a lot.
Canadian winters add their own work. Road salt tracked in on boots leaves white rings that need a rinse to dissolve, not more soap. Basements are the other headache, because carpet on a cool concrete floor dries slowly and can hold moisture long after the top feels dry.
Our listings show what each business states on its own website: its methods, whether it does upholstery and rugs, and its hours. Use the province and city lists below to find cleaners working your area.
Carpet cleaning costs in Canada
Check room-size limits, minimum charges and stain-treatment extras. Wall-to-wall carpet and off-site rug cleaning are priced differently.
| Service | Planning budget | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Three standard rooms, one cleaning visit | C$150–C$350per three-room booking | Three separate carpeted rooms, each no larger than 200 sq ft, cleaned in one visit with ordinary house access.One booking total, calculated from published rates. Confirm the final total including tax and access or furniture-moving extras; large combined living and dining areas may count as more than one room. Per-room packages and measured-area rates are alternative billing methods. Room caps, visit minimums and included order fees differ; do not convert one rate into the other.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Routine carpet cleaning of three rooms; Published first-room or minimum charges and stated standard service fees Budget separately or confirm: Stairs, halls and oversized rooms; Specialist odour treatment and fabric protection |
| Larger carpeted area | C$0.50–C$0.85per square foot cleaned | Larger rooms or open carpeted areas above the agreed room-size cap, billed by measured carpet area.Measured carpet area, not the home’s floor area. Confirm room-size caps, the booking minimum and any separate stain or furniture-moving charges. A booking minimum sets the minimum total; it is not automatically added to the area-based price. Per-room packages and measured-area rates are alternative billing methods. Room caps, visit minimums and included order fees differ; do not convert one rate into the other.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Cleaning; Routine pretreatment Budget separately or confirm: Specialty treatments |
| Carpeted stairs | C$3–C$4per step | Carpeted steps cleaned during the same carpet-cleaning booking.Add the step count to the same-visit quote; landings may be charged as another area. Add this only when it is needed and is not already included in the agreed package.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified stair cleaning Budget separately or confirm: Landings; Unusual stair geometry |
| Synthetic area-rug cleaning | C$2–C$3per square foot of rug | Clean a standard machine-made synthetic rug, priced by its measured width and length.Confirm whether cleaning is on site or off site and whether pickup, delivery and a minimum rug charge are included.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Rug cleaning Budget separately or confirm: Wool, silk and specialist restoration; Repair and separately quoted pickup or delivery |
| Pet-odour treatment add-on | C$40–C$80per affected room | Enzyme treatment added to cleaning in a room with localized pet contamination.Ask whether the odour has reached the underlay or subfloor; a surface treatment does not price that repair. Add this only when it is needed and is not already included in the agreed package.What this estimate coversIncludes in this budget: Specified odour treatment Budget separately or confirm: Underlay replacement; Guaranteed removal of every stain |
What changes the price
- Room-size limits and actual cleaned area
- Fibre type, rug construction and treatment method
- Stairs, furniture moving, parking and building access
Ask before accepting a quote
- What is the final visit total after room-size caps, minimum charges and any equipment or waste fee?
- Does the price include moving the furniture I need moved, routine pretreatment and the full stair count?
- For pet odour or rugs, what treatment and cleaning location are proposed, and which results cannot be guaranteed?
Get one complete booking total
- Give the room sizes, stair count, rug dimensions and photos of stains. Ask which areas count twice and which fees are additional.
- Use either the room/package quote or the measured-area quote for the same carpet; do not add the two pricing methods.
Canadian context
For condos, confirm booking windows, parking and access to water or power before accepting a visit price.
Planning amounts in Canadian dollars. Published tax treatment varies; confirm applicable taxes and the final total in your written quote. Rows can be different services, alternative packages or separately priced extras. Add only work that is needed and not already included in your quote.
Frequently asked questions
Steam cleaning or low moisture?
Extraction, the method sold as steam cleaning, rinses the pile properly and suits a carpet that's genuinely dirty. Low-moisture cleaning refreshes the surface and dries quickly. In winter, with the windows closed and the furnace running, we'd lean toward low moisture between deeper cleans and book extraction for a dry, mild stretch in spring or fall. Either way, the pre-spray and brushing do most of the work.
How long does carpet stay wet afterwards?
A few hours with good airflow, longer in a closed-up winter house. Point fans across the floor, run the furnace fan, and keep shoes and pets off until the pile springs back. In a basement, run a dehumidifier. Health Canada's mould guide recommends one for damp spaces like basements anyway. Carpet still damp the next day was over-wetted or badly extracted, and that's how a musty smell starts.
How do I get road salt stains out of carpet?
Treat them as mineral deposits, not dirt. More detergent just leaves a sticky residue that grabs the next load of slush. Cleaners use an acidic rinse to dissolve the salt, then extract it. At home, blot with warm water and a little white vinegar, then blot again with plain water. Test a hidden corner first. A good mat and a boot tray at the door save most of the trouble.
Should I bother cleaning basement carpet after a flood?
Often not. Health Canada says carpets and underpads that have gone mouldy should be cut out and thrown away, and its guide suggests thinking about taking carpet off basement floors altogether. If the water was clean and you caught it fast, a company can extract it and dry the room. Flood water that may be contaminated is a job for a restoration professional, not a carpet cleaner.
What should an advertised carpet cleaning price include?
Every fixed fee you have to pay. Under the Competition Act, advertising a price you can't actually get because of mandatory fixed charges is against the law, though sales tax can come on top. So a per-room special that picks up a set truck or service fee at the door is what the Competition Bureau calls drip pricing. Extras you choose, like stain protector, are a different matter.
