How much does carpet cleaning cost in Washington?
By Our research team · Last verified · Methodology
Most Washington carpet cleanings cost $140–$330 for three average rooms and a hallway, steam cleaned. $220 is typical, and one room on its own usually costs $110–$190 because of the minimum charge.
How we get this data- Typical
- $220
- Low end
- $100
- High end
- $520
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Washington's price band
Washington is pricier than 93% of the 195 US metros we price for carpet cleaning work.
Carpet cleaning in Washington costs $140–$330 for three rooms and a hallway, typically $220. Some companies price by area instead, at about $0.22–$0.54 a square foot. A 5-room house runs $220–$490 and a large 7–8 room home $320–$760.
Thumbtack's May 2026 data puts most Washington, DC carpet cleaning jobs at $157–$325, with $95 at the low end and $548 at the top.
Pick a company that uses hot water extraction with equipment on the Carpet and Rug Institute's Seal of Approval list: Mohawk's and Shaw's warranties both call for it. Tell each Washington company the rooms, stairs and any pet spots up front, so every quote prices the same job.
Comparing cities, or after the US-wide picture? See the national guide: Carpet cleaning cost in the USA.
$140–$330 to clean three rooms and a hallway in Washington, with $220 typical. Steam cleaning runs $45–$95 a room once you book three or more, a full staircase $45–$85, and a three-seat sofa $110–$300. Verified November 2026. Get free Washington quotes →
- 3 rooms plus a hallway: $140–$330 ($220 typical)
- Steam cleaning $45–$95 a room for 3+ rooms; one room alone $110–$190
- Whole 5-room house $220–$490; full staircase $45–$85
- Pet urine treatment $20–$80 a room; deep extraction $80–$300 an area
- Three-seat sofa $110–$300; 8 × 10 synthetic rug $85–$210
Prices verified November 2026 · Cross-referenced against 73+ American pricing sources · See methodology
Labor, travel and normal pre-treatment included unless the row says otherwise. Washington metro, re-verified November 2026. A "room" is up to about 200–300 sq ft.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carpet cleaning, 3 rooms plus a hallway (hot water extraction)per job | $140per job | $220 | $330 |
| One room only (most companies' minimum charge)per job | $110per job | $140 | $190 |
| Hot water extraction (steam), per room, 3 or more roomsper room | $45per room | $60 | $95 |
| Low-moisture (dry) cleaning, per room, 3 or more roomsper room | $65per room | $100 | $160 |
| Priced by area instead of by roomper sq ft | $0.22per sq ft | $0.32 | $0.54 |
| Whole home, 5 rooms plus a hallway (typical 3-bedroom house)per job | $220per job | $300 | $490 |
| Large home, 7–8 roomsper job | $320per job | $450 | $760 |
| Extra hallway, landing or walk-in closeteach | $16each | $25 | $45 |
| Carpeted stairs, per stepper step | $2per step | $4 | $8 |
| Full staircase with a landingper staircase | $45per staircase | $60 | $85 |
| Spot stain treatmentper stain | $25per stain | $50 | $110 |
| Pet urine and odor treatment (enzyme), per roomper room | $20per room | $45 | $80 |
| Deep pet urine extraction (urine soaked into the pad)per area | $80per area | $160 | $300 |
| Deodorizerper room | $16per room | $20 | $40 |
| Carpet protector (Scotchgard-type)per room | $11per room | $25 | $55 |
| Moving heavy furnitureper room | $11per room | $25 | $80 |
| Move-out carpet cleaning, 2-bedroom apartmentper job | $190per job | $300 | $510 |
| Sofa, 3 seats (upholstery cleaning)per piece | $110per piece | $170 | $300 |
| Armchair or reclinerper piece | $45per piece | $70 | $110 |
| Sectional sofa, about 5 seatsper piece | $160per piece | $270 | $490 |
| Area rug, synthetic, about 8 × 10 ft, cleaned in your homeper rug | $85per rug | $130 | $210 |
| Wool or Oriental rug, washed at the cleaner's plantper sq ft | $3per sq ft | $5 | $9 |
| Wet carpet: water extraction and dryingper job | $480per job | $1,300 | $2,100 |
| Do-it-yourself machine rental, 24 hours, plus solutionper day | $40per day | $60 | $130 |
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Prices verified November 2026 · Cross-referenced against 73+ American pricing sources · See methodology
Prices are for the Washington metro: the city and its close suburbs. High-rise jobs in Downtown, Shaw & U Street can run higher; bigger homes in areas like Northern Virginia cost more in total but less per room.
Carpet cleaning prices across Washington
Where you live changes the job more than the price per room. Downtown, Shaw & U Street means apartments, parking and elevators; areas like Northern Virginia mean bigger homes, more rooms and more stairs.
Downtown, Shaw & U Street
- Per job
- $170–$350 per job
- Typical job
- $110–$360 / 3-seat sofa cleaned
The top of the city range. Paid parking and long hose runs up to higher floors slow the crew down, and some truck-mounted machines can't reach, so a portable unit gets used instead.
Northeast & Southeast DC
- Per job
- $140–$320 per job
- Typical job
- $100–$320 / 3-seat sofa cleaned
Typical city pricing. If your carpet is wool or cotton, expect to pay about 30% more to clean it.
Prince George's County
- Per job
- $150–$330 per job
- Typical job
- $100–$330 / 3-seat sofa cleaned
Expect quotes near the city typical. If you're moving out, book ahead for the end of the month.
Northern Virginia
- Per job
- $140–$330 per job
- Typical job
- $95–$300 / 3-seat sofa cleaned
Per-job prices sit close to the city typical, but homes are bigger, so whole-home bills run higher. Stairs and a family room or basement are the usual extras.
Real-world carpet cleaning costs in Washington
Here's what common carpet cleaning jobs cost in Washington in 2026, labor, travel and normal pre-treatment included.
Three rooms and a hallway, steam cleaned
The most common job: two bedrooms and a living room, or a living room, dining room and one bedroom, plus the hall. Expect $220 typical. Ask if normal traffic-lane pre-treatment is included; it should be.
Moving out of a 2-bedroom apartment
A move-out clean of a 2-bedroom apartment runs $190–$510. With two stubborn stains on top ($25–$110 each) the bill is about $240–$730. Keep the receipt for your landlord.
Family home: 5 rooms, stairs and protector
Five rooms and a hallway ($220–$490), a full staircase ($45–$85) and protector in all five rooms ($11–$55 a room) add up to about $320–$860.
Pet accidents in two rooms
Three rooms and a hallway ($140–$330), enzyme treatment in two of them ($20–$80 a room) and one deep extraction where urine reached the pad ($80–$300) come to about $260–$790.
Sofa and a rug, no carpet
A three-seat sofa ($110–$300) plus an 8 × 10 synthetic rug cleaned in your home ($85–$210) is about $200–$510. Wool and Oriental rugs go to the plant at $3–$9 a square foot.
How much does carpet cleaning cost in Washington?
Expect $220 for a typical three-room clean in Washington, and anywhere from $140 to $330 depending on room size, how dirty the carpet is and the method. Light soil in small rooms lands at the low end; heavy traffic, pets and big rooms push toward $330.
Extras are where bills grow. A full staircase adds $45–$85, each stain $25–$110, pet urine treatment $20–$80 a room, and protector $11–$55 a room. Prices re-checked against 73 sources in November 2026.
Carpet cleaning prices in Washington (2026) by job
Three rooms and a hallway run $140–$330, a 5-room house $220–$490, and a single room $110–$190.
| Line on the quote | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| One room only (minimum charge) | $110 | $140 | $190 |
| 3 rooms plus a hallway | $140 | $220 | $330 |
| 5 rooms plus a hallway | $220 | $300 | $490 |
| Large home, 7–8 rooms | $320 | $450 | $760 |
| Full staircase with a landing | $45 | $60 | $85 |
| Move-out clean, 2-bedroom apartment | $190 | $300 | $510 |
| Three-seat sofa | $110 | $170 | $300 |
| Area rug, 8 × 10 synthetic, in your home | $85 | $130 | $210 |
Per room vs whole job in Washington: three rooms at the typical per-room rate ($60) plus a hallway ($25) is $210. A one-room job still costs $140, so it pays to do more rooms in one visit.
What moves a carpet cleaning quote in Washington:
- How many rooms: one room hits the $110–$190 minimum; a 5-room house runs $220–$490.
- How a room is counted: most companies count a room as up to about 200–300 sq ft. Big or L-shaped rooms can count as two.
- Stairs: about $2–$8 a step, or $45–$85 for a full staircase.
- Pets and stains: enzyme treatment runs $20–$80 a room; urine in the pad needs deep extraction at $80–$300 an area.
- Method: steam (hot water extraction) runs $45–$95 a room; low-moisture (dry) cleaning $65–$160.
Ask every Washington company the same four things: how they count a room, what the minimum is, what the extras cost (stairs, pets, protector, furniture), and whether there's a trip or service fee. Compare the total, not the per-room headline. Get a quote for your carpet job →
Carpet cleaning cost in Washington by home size
One room costs about $110–$190, three rooms and a hallway $140–$330, a 5-room house $220–$490, and a large 7–8 room home $320–$760 in Washington.
Worked example: a 3-bedroom house with a living room, a family room, a hallway and one carpeted staircase with a landing. That's five rooms and a hall ($300 typical) plus the stairs ($60), about $360 in all. Protector in every room adds $125.
Set-up, travel and the minimum cost the same for any job, which is why one room costs $140 and five rooms only $300. Each extra room adds only about $40 once you pass three.
Washington carpet cleaning jobs compared
| Job type | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| One room only (minimum charge) | $110–$190 per job | A single spill or one high-traffic room |
| 3 rooms plus a hallway (steam) | $140–$330 per job | The most common job; the deep clean carpet makers ask for |
| Whole home, 5 rooms plus a hallway | $220–$490 per job | A yearly clean of a typical 3-bedroom house |
| Move-out clean, 2-bedroom apartment | $190–$510 per job | Renters who need a receipt for the landlord |
| Low-moisture (dry) cleaning | $65–$160 per room | Rooms you need back fast; some wool and delicate carpet |
| Pet urine deep extraction | $80–$300 per area | Urine that has soaked into the pad |
| Upholstery: three-seat sofa | $110–$300 per piece | Sofas whose tag says W (water) or S (solvent) cleaning |
| Wool or Oriental rug at the plant | $3–$9 per sq ft | Wool, silk and hand-knotted rugs |
Per-room price vs the full bill in Washington
A $60-a-room ad sounds simple: three rooms at that rate plus $25 for a hallway is $210, about the typical Washington bill of $220 for that job. The catch is the extras. Add protector in all three rooms ($25 each) and the typical bill is about $300.
Some companies price by area instead: $0.22–$0.54 a square foot. Three average rooms and a hallway are about 650 sq ft, or $140–$350 by area. Per-area pricing is usually the better deal for small rooms; per-room pricing for big ones.
What's included in a Washington carpet cleaning quote (and what costs extra)
A standard quote usually covers a walk-through, pre-treating traffic lanes, hot water extraction of the rooms you book and normal spot work. It usually leaves out:
- Stairs, extra halls and closets: $45–$85 a staircase, $16–$45 for each extra hall or closet
- Pet urine treatment: $20–$80 a room, or $80–$300 an area for deep extraction
- Protector and deodorizer: $11–$55 and $16–$40 a room
- Moving heavy furniture: $11–$80 a room, unless you clear it first
Ask whether there's a service or trip fee, and get the re-clean guarantee in writing in case spots come back.
Number and size of rooms
Most companies count a room as up to about 200–300 sq ft. One room costs $110–$190 because of the minimum; three rooms and a hallway $140–$330; a 5-room house $220–$490.
Cleaning method
Hot water extraction (often called steam cleaning) runs $45–$95 a room and is the method carpet makers like Mohawk and Shaw ask for. Low-moisture (dry) cleaning runs $65–$160 a room and dries faster.
How dirty the carpet is
Light soil is a standard clean. Heavy traffic lanes, spills and stains need extra pre-treatment: about $25–$110 a stain.
Pets
Enzyme treatment for pet urine runs $20–$80 a room. If urine has soaked into the pad, deep extraction costs $80–$300 an area, and badly soaked pad may need replacing.
Stairs, halls and furniture
Stairs run about $2–$8 a step, extra halls and closets $16–$45 each, and moving heavy furniture $11–$80 a room if you don't clear it first.
Carpet type
Nylon and other synthetic carpets usually cost the least to clean. Wool, cotton and other natural fibers often cost about 30% more.
Local labor
Washington-area cleaning workers earn a median of about $18.19 an hour (BLS, May 2025), against $17.71 nationally. Our estimate also allows for the size of the metro, not just pay: the typical Washington three-room job is $220, above the $200 national typical.
- Book enough rooms to clear the minimum.One room costs $110–$190; three rooms and a hallway only $140–$330. Put off a single room until you can add more.
- Move small furniture yourself.Clearing chairs, toys and small tables before the crew arrives can save $11–$80 a room in furniture moving.
- Ask for the whole-home price.Five rooms and a hallway run $220–$490, which is less per room than booking three now and two later.
- Watch for bait specials.A very low per-room price often comes with high charges for stairs, pre-treatment or protector. Ask for the full price in writing before the crew starts.
- Clean on a schedule, not in a crisis.A professional clean every 12 to 18 months meets Mohawk's warranty rule and Shaw's advice. A $220 clean is far cheaper than new carpet.
- Blot spills right away.Fresh spills come out with water and a clean towel. Old, set-in stains need pro treatment at $25–$110 each, and some never fully come out.
Get these in writing from any Washington carpet cleaner before the crew starts:
- How they count a room, and the size limit for one room
- The method (hot water extraction or low-moisture) and the machine (truck-mounted or portable)
- Pre-treatment of traffic lanes and normal spots
- Prices for stairs, halls, closets and moving furniture
- Prices for pet urine treatment, deodorizer and protector, room by room
- Any minimum charge, service fee or trip fee
- Expected drying time, and whether they leave fans
- The re-clean guarantee if spots come back
How much does carpet cleaning cost in Washington?
$140–$330 for three rooms and a hallway, with $220 typical. A 5-room house runs $220–$490, and one room on its own $110–$190 because of the minimum charge.
How much is carpet cleaning per room in Washington?
$45–$95 a room for steam cleaning once you book three or more rooms. Below that, most companies charge a minimum of about $110–$190.
How much does it cost to clean carpeted stairs in Washington?
About $2–$8 a step, or $45–$85 for a full staircase with a landing.
What does pet urine removal cost in Washington?
$20–$80 a room for an enzyme treatment. If the urine has soaked into the pad, deep extraction costs $80–$300 an area.
How much does it cost to clean a sofa in Washington?
$110–$300 for a three-seat sofa, $45–$110 for an armchair, and $160–$490 for a sectional.
Is steam or dry carpet cleaning cheaper in Washington?
Steam (hot water extraction) usually is: $45–$95 a room against $65–$160 for low-moisture cleaning. Dry cleaning costs more but the room is usable sooner.
How much is a move-out carpet clean in Washington?
$190–$510 for a 2-bedroom apartment. Stains add $25–$110 each. Keep the receipt for your landlord.
How often should carpet be professionally cleaned?
Every 12 to 18 months for most homes. Shaw advises that schedule, and Mohawk's warranty asks for a professional clean at least every 18 months. Homes with pets or small kids often clean every 6 to 12 months.
Is it cheaper to rent a carpet cleaner in Washington?
Yes, up front: a rental machine and solution cost about $40–$130 for a day. But rental machines pull out less water and dirt, and carpet left too wet can smell or grow mold.
How long does carpet take to dry after cleaning?
Usually about 6 to 10 hours after hot water extraction, and up to a day in humid weather. Low-moisture cleaning dries faster. Fans and open windows help.
Prices verified November 2026 · Cross-referenced against 73+ American pricing sources · See methodology
Prices for the Washington metro area, November 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
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