How much does a carpet cleaner cost?

How a carpet cleaner works out the price

Most carpet cleaners price by the room, counting a bedroom-sized room of about 12 square metres as one. Larger rooms count as two. A minimum charge applies to small jobs, and extras such as stain treatment, deodorising or protection are added per item. Commercial carpet is usually priced per square metre instead. The award minimum for a Level 2 cleaning employee is $27.97 an hour from 1 July 2026, but a charge-out price also covers the machine, vehicle, chemicals and insurance.

1. Count the rooms, with large or open-plan rooms counted as two
2. Price each room at the per-room rate for the method (steam or dry)
3. Add stairs, stain, pet odour or protection treatments per item
4. Add rugs and upholstery, priced per rug or per seat
5. Apply the minimum charge if the total is below it
6. GST, if the quote is exclusive of it

What it costs, by scenario

Low, typical and high prices. Built on 19 October 2026 from a Melbourne carpet cleaner's own price list, an Airtasker category guide, a compiled Sydney guide, a cleaning business's cost guide, the Fair Work cleaning award and regulator pages. Ranges stay inside figures that at least two sources share where we could find two; most sources do not state their GST basis.

• Steam clean, one bedroom-sized room (per room)

  The range that three sources share. Single sources run from $30 to $75 a room. The per-room rate usually assumes a few rooms in the one visit.

  Low

  $34

  Typical

  $45

  High

  $50

• Whole three-bedroom home, steam clean (per job)

  The range an Airtasker job average and a compiled Sydney guide share. The Sydney guide's own range runs to $400, with larger rooms and heavier soiling at the top.

  Low

  $170

  Typical

  $250

  High

  $300

• Minimum charge for a small job (per visit)

  A Melbourne cleaner's price list shows $150 for a house and $160 for an apartment. Airtasker puts a single room at about $100 with a minimum call-out applying.

  Low

  $100

  Typical

  $150

  High

  $160

• Stain treatment, per stain (per stain)

  Ordinary stains. Airtasker puts pet stains at $20 to $50. A cleaning business quotes $50 to $150 a stain for specialist stains. Paint, wax and ink are usually quoted after inspection.

  Low

  $23

  Typical

  $40

  High

  $57

• Sofa or lounge suite upholstery clean (per piece)

  Three sources price this differently. One prices a sofa at $92 to $230, another at $80 to $200, and a Melbourne cleaner charges $50 a seat.

  Low

  $92

  Typical

  $150

  High

  $200

• Rug clean, standard size (per rug)

  Standard rug, up to about 2 by 2 metres. A Melbourne cleaner charges $50 for that size. Larger, wool or specialty rugs cost more.

  Low

  $46

  Typical

  $80

  High

  $140

• End-of-lease carpet clean, carpet only (per job)

  One source only (a compiled Sydney guide). Airtasker puts the carpet part of an end-of-lease clean at $70 to $200 extra, so the sources do not agree. Check what your agent requires.

  Low

  $160

  Typical

  $240

  High

  $460

What changes the price

• Number and size of rooms. Most cleaners count a bedroom-sized room as one and a larger room as two, so an open-plan lounge costs about double.
• Method. Steam (hot water extraction) and dry cleaning are priced slightly differently. One source puts dry cleaning a little higher per room.
• Condition and stains. Heavy soiling, pet urine and specialist stains cost extra per item, and some are only priced after inspection.
• Furniture and access. Moving furniture, stairs and apartments can add to the price. One cleaner charges a higher minimum for apartments.
• Minimum charge. A small job is lifted to the minimum, so one room costs far more per square metre than a whole home.
• Extras. Deodorising, protection, pre-vacuuming, rugs and upholstery are usually separate line items.

What's usually included, and what isn't

Metro and regional differences

Metro: Capital cities have many cleaners, so there is more to compare, but wages, parking and traffic time push rates up. The compiled guides we read price Sydney slightly higher per room than Adelaide.

Regional: We did not find separate regional prices. Travel time to a smaller town can raise the minimum charge or add a travel fee, and there may be fewer cleaners to compare.

Licensing and compliance

Before you accept a quote, check

• Is the price per room, and how big is a room before it counts as two?
• What is the minimum charge, and does it apply to this job?
• Which stains, pet odour treatments and protection are included?
• Do you pre-vacuum, or should the carpet be vacuumed first?
• Does the quote say whether GST is included?
• If this is an end-of-lease clean, does the price meet your agent's requirements?

Frequently asked questions

Sources and method

Built on 19 October 2026 from a Melbourne carpet cleaner's own price list, an Airtasker category guide, a compiled Sydney guide, a cleaning business's cost guide, the Fair Work cleaning award and regulator pages. Ranges stay inside figures that at least two sources share where we could find two; most sources do not state their GST basis. How we calculate our guides.

• Airtasker: carpet cleaning cost (category guide, updated 22 July 2026) (marketplace, 22 July 2026)
• Right Price Carpet Cleaning: Melbourne price list (2026) (supplier, 19 October 2026)
• That Cleaning Crew: how much do carpet cleaners charge in Australia (cleaning business cost guide) (supplier, 23 October 2025)
• What's The Damage: carpet cleaning cost Sydney (compiled guide; states prices include GST) (survey, 19 October 2026)
• Fair Work Ombudsman: Cleaning Services Award MA000022 (award, 1 July 2026)
• business.gov.au ABLIS: Queensland trade waste approval (names cleaning services) (regulator, 19 October 2026)
• business.gov.au ABLIS: NSW approval to dispose of trade wastewater (Sydney Water) (regulator, 19 October 2026)